Oh, good, she had even saved a poor girl from the horror of having to choose her own outfit. What a grand gesture!
Jamie went to the closet. Not her closet, like she usually did, but the one beside it. Etta’s closet was almost as big as hers. It had to be, if it was going to hold fifty tailor-made suits, shirts, shoes, and a panel full of ties. There were women poorer than Etta who had electronic closets. They not only chose outfits for the hapless women who had no idea what they were doing, but they would take pictures of the clothes and keep them in a database so the unfortunate sod never wore the same outfit twice.Sounds boring. Both Jamie and Etta agreed that not only was that hilariously excessive, even for a billionaire, but who gave a shit about wearing the same outfit twice? Well, Adele seemed like she would care, but Monique would not care unless it had to do with certain functions. Would Kathleen care? Probably not. Eve Warner definitely didn’t since she always looked the same – badminton courts aside.
Besides, Jamie knew for a fact that when a woman found the perfect outfit, she would damned well wear it to death, as God intended. Be buried in it too.So, literally to death.
Nevertheless, Jamie was always impressed when she went into Etta’s closet, which she did often enough when helping her pick out a shirt off a rack. She also had a sizable watch collection. The woman had always favored Rolex, but after being informed some years ago that women of her standing simply did not wear Rolex, she upgraded to Cartier and insisted on staying there. One of those watches was missing now. Probably on her wrist at this moment.
It was bright in the closet. Etta and Jamie’s walk-in abodes were side-by-side, but Etta had the advantage of having a panel of windows overlooking the back gardens. Barbarossa wandered in behind Jamie, who stupidly left the door open. She spent more time herding the cat out before she could get fur all over Ms. Armani and Brioni.
The moment Jamie shut the door, almost locking herself in her fiancée’s closet, she saw her outfit for the day.
How long had it been hanging there? Since Etta confirmed that Jamie wanted to do this? To know that it had been here this whole time… and why it was there… Jamie plucked it off a hook and gazed at it.
She had never seen this outfit before, but it was far from the first time Etta picked something for her to wear. The dress from their engagement night, however, was different. That had been completely to her tastes. This? Well, it was appropriate for going out in public, but it screamedThis is what Etta wants to see me in.
To most, it looked like a simple black dress. Form-fitting, off-the-shoulder, sweetheart neckline. A diamond-studded belt hung from the hanger, one end in an obscure loop on the waist of the dress. If that wasn’t extravagant enough, Etta had included the black lingerie set Jamie had bought in Miami. She hadn’t even realized that it was missing from her bureau!
Shoes hung from another hook. Black pumps with a sensible height.Am I walking a lot today?Jamie couldn’t help but note a severe lack of tights. Etta was not a stocking and tights woman… unless the rest of her was naked. She liked to see as much skin as possible.
This was ridiculous. Yet Jamie checked for more items, finding a black velvet bag of jewelry and other accessories for her to bedeck herself in. She took the outfit back to the bedroom, where Barbarossa swished her tail in agitation.
“What do you think?” Jamie asked, stripping down and changing into Etta’s outfit. “Do I look like a billionaire’s fiancée? Or a slut?” Why couldn’t she be both? Honestly.
To be fair, Jamiedidlook like a high-class call girl, almost as if she worked at Monique’s Château. This is what she decided when she saw herself in the mirror, the dress hugging her body as it tapered around her thighs and barely kept her breasts from spilling out. Yet if she shook the bust enough, they disappeared to the point she was acceptable in a business setting. The belt twinkled around her waist, long enough to drape against her leg when she walked. Classy jewelry fell from the velvet bag and onto the bed. To match her sapphire-studded engagement ring, Etta had included a pair of black and blue earrings and a sapphire anklet that almost matched the set she had given her before. Almost. The style was off.
Speaking of the set, there was her collar, falling last from the satchel.
Of course. Couldn’t be a day of one endless scene unless Jamie was sporting her sub’s collar. The world had to know to whom she belonged. It also matched her other jewelry, even if it didn’t really match her dress.
A text lit up her phone as she stared at her reflection.This is her vision for me, huh?
“Beatrice has your coat downstairs. Leave your hair down. Bring whatever bag you want. Wear whatever makeup you want. Look pretty for me.”
Look pretty for her! Didn’t she always?
Jamie sat down at her vanity, stomach starting to growl. First things were first. Makeup. She wasn’t a woman who wore a lot of makeup, but she went the extra mile today, touching up the mascara, the eyeliner, and heavier red lipstick than she usually wore. Not too much blush. More concealer than blush. Jamie had a feeling she would be naturally blushing enough.
“Miss?” Beatrice knocked on the door. “Your breakfast is ready. Are you coming?”
Here we go.Jamie went, slipping into the pumps before opening the door and smiling at Beatrice. From now on, there would be no words, but that didn’t stop her from having facial expressions.
“Why, Miss…” Beatrice was the one at a loss for words. “I didn’t know there was something special going on today. You look beautiful! Now I feel bad that Ms. Coleman called to tell me that your voice is gone today. Hope it’s only temporary. Feel better.”
Jamie nodded her thanks and went down to breakfast.
Chapter 35
The Town Car meandered down the hilly roads toward the city, carrying Jamie and her silent ensemble. She repeatedly touched up her makeup and hair in her compact while the driver long learned that idle conversation was not happening that day. Jamie didn’t want to come off as rude, so she scribbled a note saying that her voice wasn’t well.Worked for Beatrice.
Etta had texted that she should come down to the office after lunch.“I have a meeting that I would like you to sit in on.”Jamie didn’t know what that meant but went along with it.
The car pulled up to the curb in front of the Thompson-Coleman building. A spot that only the haughty highbrows got to use.So, women like Etta… and me. Jamie stepped out with the front attendant’s help, who cheerily greeted her and asked if there was anything he could do. Jamie shook her head and headed inside, trying not to drown in the plush white coat Etta left for her to wear that day.
She caught her look in the elevator mirror.She’s going to want to ravish me the moment I enter that office.Something stirred in Jamie.Oh, no, that sounds kinda good. She bit her lip beforeremembering she was wearing lipstick. She checked it one last time in the mirror before the elevator attendant announced they had made it to the executive offices.
“Hi!” Natasha smacked her hand against her desk and grinned like it was her birthday. “You here for lunch? Because I had an awesome night last night and can’t wait to brag.”
Jamie shook her head. When Natasha gave her a quizzical look, Jamie gestured to her throat and mimicked choking to death.
