Maeve marched ahead, her heels clicking on the pavement. She'd changed into a fitted dress and a leather jacket that screamed money. I was so underdressed, still wearing my best leggings and Etienne's shirt.
"Where do we start?" I asked.
"Everywhere."
The first shop was all glass and white marble, the kind of place where everything looked too expensive to touch. A woman in a tailored suit approached us, her smile tight.
"Can I help you?"
I opened my mouth, but Maeve was faster.
"We're looking for a complete wardrobe." She gestured at me. "She needs everything. And we have this."
She plucked the black card from my hand and held it up like a weapon, flicking it in the air.
The woman's smile turned genuine. "Of course. Right this way."
Two hours later, I had an entirely new wardrobe.
Coats, gorgeous new boots, dresses, jeans, jumpers. The assistant piled everything into bags while I stood there vaguely guilty about the numbers on the receipt.
Maeve tried on a hat shaped like a giant flower.
"What do you think?" she asked, striking a pose.
"I think you look like you're about to attend a very posh garden party."
"Wonderful. I'll take it."
"Maeve, you don't need a hat."
"I absolutely need this hat." She handed it to the assistant, who added it to the growing pile without blinking.
At the next shop, Maeve held up a leather corset.
"Buy this."
"Why would I buy that?"
"Because it's hot. And you need hot things."
"I'm their surrogate, not their girlfriend."
She raised an eyebrow. "Have you told your body that?"
My face heated. "Shut up."
"Buy something sexy," she said, lowering her voice. "Something that'll make them drool."
I thought about Etienne's hands on my skin. About the way Hastings had looked at me this morning. About Fritz's dark eyes tracking me acrossthe room.
"Fine."
She showed me a black lingerie set, but I put it down and bought a silk-and-lace set in cream and blush pink.
For my heat.That was what I told myself. Just in case.
By the time we stopped for lunch, my feet ached and my arms were full of bags.
