Finally, I was in a dressing room with Shiloh while Tiffany spoke to Marie, picking some choices for all of us to try.
The first was a dress I had liked on the hanger. A red number with a poufy skirt and a fitting off the shoulder bodice. On me, it looked more like a melting slushy. Disappointed, I took it off while Shiloh tried on a green number with long sleeves.
The second was also one I had chosen. A blue number that had also missed the mark. The third one was a dress only because that’s what the designer called. It was a black number with shoestring straps and backless all the way to my ass crack. It barely covered my boobs with a slit that reached my hip bone. I had no intention of removing my underwear in the fitting room, but it was obvious I would need to go without any if I went with that dress.
Shiloh let out a whistle, having already chosen a turquoise chiffon and lace capped sleeve dress. “That dress is more like, Operation: We’re not leaving the limo.”
“Yeah.” I tried not to show my thoughts on my face. “I’m not wearing this one.”
Tiffany tapped her finger to her chin. “Marie, my friend here needs something that likely looks boring… Wait, I saw something on the Missy K rail.”
Tiffany left with me standing in my cotton bra and panties. When she returned she held up a blush pink dress that did indeed look boring on the hanger. But then I fitted it on.
Floor length and strapless with layers and layers of chiffon and a ruched and gathered bodice that gave the impression it was wrapped around me. For the first time since entering the boutique I smiled and nodded. “Yes, this is the one.” This was not a dress of a mom, or a bar owner, or housekeeper. It was the dress of the woman on Theo Snow’s arm. It was perfect.
While I paid for both mine and Tiff’s dress, one of the shop assistants zipped the dresses into a branded garment bag. They would be delivered to the house so we didn’t need to carry it along with us.
With the dresses purchased, the shoes and the rest of the accessories were easy to find. After a morning of shopping, we stopped at a food truck for lunch before returning home.
It was late afternoon when I walked into Theo's house. I was surprised at how much I had enjoyed myself. I loved dressing up as much as anyone else, but I was glad it was over. I was ready to return to reality, perfectly content in the knowledge that I could have both worlds.
Theo was meant to be watching the kids. I was perfectly prepared to find him in his office while the kids were in front of the TV or on their iPads in the living room. When I walked through the foyer, I popped my head into the living room. I found Hayden kneeling in front of the coffee table covered in what looked like a sheet and a cardboard box, and… “Is that doll house furniture?”
Hayden nodded. “Uncle Theo helped me put some of the parts together. He said I should paint all the furniture. Then we can work out how to break them when we set the earthquake in motion.”
“Cool.” I loved that Theo wanted to help, but also recognized that Hayden needed to do most of it by himself. “Where is everyone else?”
“Connor’s doing homework at the kitchen counter because he’s supposed to be keeping an eye on me. Zoe’s out. Uncle Theo and Jaycee are in his office.” He rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you. I’ve already been tasked with adding a glitter fence to this model.”
Now he had me curious. I generally kept the kids out of the office. Even Zoe and Connor only went in there if they needed him to sign something for school.
I slid my head through the gap in the door and I stifled my gasp of surprise. It looked like a glitter bomb had gone off in there. Or maybe a unicorn had farted.
He spotted me and smiled, the lopsided tiara nearly falling off his head while he held out his hand for a highlighter manicure. “We had a bit of a melt down because we were excluded from the girls’ shopping day.”
I bit my lip so I didn’t laugh. “And you got wrangled into a princess ex?—”
“Party” He interrupted my thought. “She had all four of us drinking rainbow tea at one point. There was no nap though.”
I smiled at my man with eyeshadow and stars on his face, giving in to every whim of a headstrong four-year-old with a pathological love for glitter and unicorns.
I had a good day. But the truth was, any man could buy me a dress and take me to a classy gala evening. Anyone could put me up in their fortress mansion. Well, maybe not anyone, but anyone with Theo’s money could do it.
Of all the woo-ing he had done, what I saw in front of me was the one that would sell me. Big tough billionaire, Theo Snow, entertaining my daughter only because she wanted a girly day. He thought the dress shopping impressed me, he had no idea the impact of loving my children. This vulnerable, ridiculous man who was as comfortable in toy make up and pink glitter as he was in a power suit and Italian shoes.
That was the man I was falling for.
CHAPTER 15
FRED
The stalenessof the living room was starting to get on my last nerve. My mother had mostly kept all of us in check, and cleaned up after us. I was the one with the wife, but she was off keeping house for other people. If the rumors around town were to be believed, she was cleaning up after another man right now.
Just the thought of that allowed my blood to boil. Like being stuck in a cage for four years had not been enough, I had to be confronted with the disloyalty of my wife.
My gift to Maggie should’ve had her cowering. She should’ve known it was from me and come back to stop the terrorizing. Instead, she called that asshole. The police had left and that Salinger asshole probably had the house under surveillance while my woman left with another man. Who the fuck knew what they were telling my children. Little brats would need to be trained once they were under my roof.
The front door slammed, pulling me from my thoughts. Charlie and Keith stumbled in, their faces flush with whatever cheap alcohol they could afford, and rage.
