dress, doing my best not to start crying. Right now I envy
Tillie. I’d do anything to be able to curl up in my bed and pull the curtain on
my life.
“Do you need some help with that?” Icy-cold fingers make me
jump. “Sorry.” Katie pulls the zipper up my back.
“Thanks.” I check the one full-length mirror on the outside
of the powder room door, standing taller. “So? What do you think?” I smooth my
hands over the soft matte black material of the sleeveless dress that ends just
above the knee. It’s nothing flashy, or intentionally provocative, but it hugs
my curves all the same. I think it looks nice.
Katie’s frown makes me think I’m wrong.
“What?”
“Something’s off.”
“Really?” I look at my reflection again. “Like what?”
“Shoes. Necklace,” Rachel pipes in with her ideas.
Katie’s nodding with her but still looks perplexed. And then
she snaps her finger. “Boobs!” She rifles through her drawer. “You need a bra.”
“I’m wearing a bra.” I frown at myself in the mirror. Does
it look like I’m not wearing a bra?
“36D, right?”
“Right.” I’m not going to ask how she knows.
“Here.” She tosses a lacy black bra at me. “It has
superpowers. Trust me. Turn around.” I do, and her hands are working to unzip
and slip off the top of my dress before unfastening my bra.
I feel both Rachel and Katie’s eyes on me but I put my
self-consciousness away and slip my worn white bra off, quickly exchanging it
for Katie’s.
“See? Much better!” Katie exclaims when I’m redressed and
checking myself in the mirror.
“You’re right.” I can’t explain exactly what is different,
because they still look huge next to my slender waist, but something is definitely
different.
“Can you handle heels?” Rachel pulls out the pair of heels
she was wearing the day she served drinks to Henry and those bigwigs in Lux.
“I can try.” It’s been a while.
Katie throws a silver rope-like necklace around my neck.
“How much time do you have?”
I check my phone. “I should probably leave now.”
“You can be a few minutes late, right?” She grabs her
cosmetics bag.
The old me—the one who wanted to please my boss—would have
said absolutely not.
But I’m guessing my days here are numbered anyway.
“Sure. Why not.”
Chapter Ten
Maybe passive-aggressiveness is my thing, because I
arrive at Penthouse Cabin One seventeen minutes late with an odd sense of
satisfaction. It doesn’t completely erase the dread, though.
Taking a deep breath, I enter through the service entrance,
as usual.
The door that leads into the main cabin is closed. It’s
never been closed.
Do I let myself in?
So much for my satisfaction. Now I’m just confused. Henry’s probably
pissed at me for being late, but I know he hasn’t left because I hear a low
muffled voice. I try pressing my ear against the door but I can’t make out any
words.
Setting my things on the desk, I wander over to the restroom
to take another good look at myself; at the magic that Rachel and Katie managed
to do with twenty minutes.
I hardly recognize myself. With smoky black shadow and thick
fringe of black lashes, my hazel eyes look gold. I suck in my cheeks and turn
my face from side to side, admiring the contouring. I look older. Twenty-five
or twenty-six. They decided to stick with a light gloss on my lips and I’m glad
for it because this is already a big change.
And my hair.... They swept it up in this kind of fancy,
smooth ponytail. When Rachel started teasing and spraying my roots, I panicked,
afraid that they’d cause irreparable damage to my newly colored red hair that I
love so much. But they promised it would all wash out and they knew what they
were doing.
And they must, because I’ve felt the looks all the way here.
I offer my reflection a sad smile. At least I’ll look good
on the outside, even when I’m drowning in agony and disappointment on the
inside.
I frown at the sound of
Tillie. I’d do anything to be able to curl up in my bed and pull the curtain on
my life.
“Do you need some help with that?” Icy-cold fingers make me
jump. “Sorry.” Katie pulls the zipper up my back.
“Thanks.” I check the one full-length mirror on the outside
of the powder room door, standing taller. “So? What do you think?” I smooth my
hands over the soft matte black material of the sleeveless dress that ends just
above the knee. It’s nothing flashy, or intentionally provocative, but it hugs
my curves all the same. I think it looks nice.
Katie’s frown makes me think I’m wrong.
“What?”
“Something’s off.”
“Really?” I look at my reflection again. “Like what?”
“Shoes. Necklace,” Rachel pipes in with her ideas.
Katie’s nodding with her but still looks perplexed. And then
she snaps her finger. “Boobs!” She rifles through her drawer. “You need a bra.”
“I’m wearing a bra.” I frown at myself in the mirror. Does
it look like I’m not wearing a bra?
“36D, right?”
“Right.” I’m not going to ask how she knows.
“Here.” She tosses a lacy black bra at me. “It has
superpowers. Trust me. Turn around.” I do, and her hands are working to unzip
and slip off the top of my dress before unfastening my bra.
I feel both Rachel and Katie’s eyes on me but I put my
self-consciousness away and slip my worn white bra off, quickly exchanging it
for Katie’s.
“See? Much better!” Katie exclaims when I’m redressed and
checking myself in the mirror.
“You’re right.” I can’t explain exactly what is different,
because they still look huge next to my slender waist, but something is definitely
different.
“Can you handle heels?” Rachel pulls out the pair of heels
she was wearing the day she served drinks to Henry and those bigwigs in Lux.
“I can try.” It’s been a while.
Katie throws a silver rope-like necklace around my neck.
“How much time do you have?”
I check my phone. “I should probably leave now.”
“You can be a few minutes late, right?” She grabs her
cosmetics bag.
The old me—the one who wanted to please my boss—would have
said absolutely not.
But I’m guessing my days here are numbered anyway.
“Sure. Why not.”
Chapter Ten
Maybe passive-aggressiveness is my thing, because I
arrive at Penthouse Cabin One seventeen minutes late with an odd sense of
satisfaction. It doesn’t completely erase the dread, though.
Taking a deep breath, I enter through the service entrance,
as usual.
The door that leads into the main cabin is closed. It’s
never been closed.
Do I let myself in?
So much for my satisfaction. Now I’m just confused. Henry’s probably
pissed at me for being late, but I know he hasn’t left because I hear a low
muffled voice. I try pressing my ear against the door but I can’t make out any
words.
Setting my things on the desk, I wander over to the restroom
to take another good look at myself; at the magic that Rachel and Katie managed
to do with twenty minutes.
I hardly recognize myself. With smoky black shadow and thick
fringe of black lashes, my hazel eyes look gold. I suck in my cheeks and turn
my face from side to side, admiring the contouring. I look older. Twenty-five
or twenty-six. They decided to stick with a light gloss on my lips and I’m glad
for it because this is already a big change.
And my hair.... They swept it up in this kind of fancy,
smooth ponytail. When Rachel started teasing and spraying my roots, I panicked,
afraid that they’d cause irreparable damage to my newly colored red hair that I
love so much. But they promised it would all wash out and they knew what they
were doing.
And they must, because I’ve felt the looks all the way here.
I offer my reflection a sad smile. At least I’ll look good
on the outside, even when I’m drowning in agony and disappointment on the
inside.
I frown at the sound of
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