Probably seen weirder than a giggling Omega in her fitting rooms.
"I think we have one more option to try," she says. "Something custom that we can modify based on your specifications. If it works, we can have the adjustments done within forty-eight hours."
"Show me."
The piece she brings is... different.
It's not finished—more of a base layer that can be built upon. But even incomplete, I can see the potential. Dark fabric that moves like water. Hidden panels that could be revealed or removed. Construction that emphasizes the body's lines while allowing for full range of motion.
"Yes," I breathe. "Yes. This is it."
Getting into it takes time.
The construction is complex—layers that need to be arranged correctly, fastenings that require precision. Marguerite helps with most of it, but when she steps out to finalize the custom measurements with the seamstress, I'm left alone.
Trying to reach the ties at my back.
Struggling.
Failing.
My arms don't bend that way. Or maybe they do, but not at the angle required to actually accomplish anything useful. The fabric bunches awkwardly, half-secured and half-dangling, and I make a frustrated sound that echoes in the empty fitting room.
A knock on the door.
"Are you okay?"
Kai.
His voice is muffled through the wood, but unmistakable.
"I need a bit of help," I admit. "The back is... complicated."
"Where's the attendant?"
"Went to finalize the measurements. Said she'd be back in a minute, but..."
A pause.
Then: "May I come in?"
The request is formal.
Respectful.
Asking permission instead of assuming.
"Yes."
The door opens.
Kai steps through, and the fitting room immediately feels smaller. He's still dressed in the same clothes from earlier—dark pants, fitted shirt, the kind of understated elegance that probably costs more than my entire former wardrobe—but something about having him in this space, this intimate space filled with mirrors and discarded fabric, makes my breath catch.
His eyes find me in the mirror.
Take in the costume—half-secured, exposing the bare skin of my back where the ties should be.
Looking.
