“Now try.” He points to the dressing room, which constructed of no more than a few pieces of dark velvet draped over a wire frame. “Then you come out, look in mirror.”
He waves to a full length three way mirror that is stashed in the corner.
I step inside the little booth and strip down to try on the first dress. It’s loose and unflattering, so I quickly move to the next. This one is a slinky little velvet number in a dark blue that reminds me of the cobalt sea, far from the safety of the shore.
Pulling back the curtain, I step out. Pippa squeals. “Omigosh! That dress on you is really everything.”
I walk over to the mirror and my brows rise. The blue of the velvet matches my eyes perfectly. And the way the dress lays on my body is phenomenal. The neckline is a little daring, showing a hint of cleavage. But it doesn’t show too much skin overall.
I do a twirl, thinking to myself that this dress fits like it was made for my body. Looking at the shopkeeper, I can’t help but grin. “How much?”
“Three hundredkrone.”
Arching a brow at Pippa, I check with her. “Is that a good deal?”
She nods. “Indeed it is. It’s about thirty five or forty dollars, I think. And I think I have a pair of heels to match back at the flat.”
“Ah!” I turn to the shopkeeper. “You have yourself a sale.”
I turn back to glance at my reflection once more. I imagine Stellan’s smug face turning into wide-eyed disbeliefwhen he sees me in this dress. Yeah, this is definitely a great choice for tonight, especially after yesterday went so poorly. Blushing a little, I retreat to the changing room.
I’m almost a little loathe to take the dress off, even though obviously I have to. When we are about to leave, the shopkeeper hands me a beautiful hair clip studded with gemstones.
“For you hair,” he says with a wink. His English is a little broken, but I’m not in any position to criticize. He leans close to whisper to me. “You bring back,ja?”
I bow my head in gratitude. “Ja, of course. Thank you.”
As I step outside of the shop, Pippa links arms with me. She looks more excited than I am about tonight. I wrinkle my nose.
Before I can say anything, she smiles. “We only have a few hours until it’s time for you to leave. Luckily, I keep a full makeup bag at the office. Now your hair is a different matter altogether…”
She pulls me along, chattering about preparations. And I follow her, trying not to get too anxious about seeing Stellan again.
Chapter Seven
Stellan
I’m lost in a sea of tuxes and ballgowns. If one more old parliamentary representative comes up and orates to me about how I should fund his personal pet project the next time the parliament meets… I swear I will just open my mouth, look up, and screamGET ME OUT OF HEREas loud as I can.
All right, maybe not. But it’s good to know I have that as a backup plan.
Erik is by my side, plucking a stray hair from the shoulder of his tux. His gaze roves around the ballroom, always on the lookout. For what exactly, I don’t know.
“Are you looking for danger, political advantages, or hot girls?” I whisper out of the side of my mouth.
His eyes find me, crinkling with humor. “Who’s to say I’m not looking for all three?”
“I hope for your sake that you’re not expecting all three in one package…” I squint off into the corner of the ballroom. “Though I would very much like to meet her if you do manage to find someone that meets all your requirements.”
He chuckles. “It’s a deal.”
I turn around slowly, looking for a waiter. What I spot is Prime Minister Finley bearing down on me from some distance away.
“Let’s move,” I say, whirling in the opposite direction.
That’s when I almost trample Margot. There she is, with her heart shaped face, her pastel pink hair, and her little dark blue dress. My eyes widen a bit as I take in the flash of cleavage and the unabashed showing of her admittedly amazing legs.
With her hair pinned up, she looks like she could be a burlesque performer. God, she looks totally unlike anyone else here. And I do mean that in the best way possible.
