Edward:What in the good lord’s name are you wearing?
Edward:Take it off right now.
Avery:Blade wants me to wear it.
Shirley:Maybe you need to rethink your fake relationship with him.
Avery:It’s for a business dinner.
Shirley:He better buy you something nice after that.
Edward:…Like a wedding dress. Need I remind you your big day is fast approaching?
Avery:I have to survive this dinner first.
I looked at the dress again. It was a bright emerald green. The fabric was stiff with a high collar. It hung off me like a smock, but it wasn’t even as if the dress was too big. It was as if someone had made a dress for one of those inflatable dolls that stand outside of a used-car lot and then said, “Yep, this is the culmination of my life’s work in fashion design—make a thousand of them.”
“How do I look?” I announced when I walked out of the dressing room.
Blade barked out a laugh then clapped a hand to his mouth and pretended to cough.
“You just need some accessories and shoes,” the saleswoman said as another associate draped a heavy gold chain around my neck.
“You don’t think that’s a bit much?”
“Mrs. Schultz was admiring this piece,” the saleswoman informed me.
The shoes at least were cute. They were ankle boots with a stiletto heel in black suede.
“These are adorable!” I said, admiring my feet and trying to mentally block out the dress. After I changed out of the dress as quickly as I could, I waited while Blade paid for it.
“You looked so unhappy,” he said. He was trying not to smile as we left the store.
“Glad to know you have my best interest at heart,” I said dryly.
He put an arm around me and hugged me to him. “You just looked so dejected. Here, I’ll take you somewhere nice, and you can buy clothes you like.”
“You really are the best boyfriend! You voluntarily want to do more shopping!”
“I don’t want you to be sad,” he said.
I felt twinges in my heart. Blade seamed earnest and like he meant that.
“I mean, if you’re offering,” I said, “there’s a boutique that has the most gorgeous coat dresses a few blocks down.”
“Avery!”
I turned to see Shirley and Edward across the street. I tried to make subtle motions for them to stay away, but they jaywalked and hopped up onto the curb.
“We were out looking for a wedding dress for you!” Shirley said in excitement. “Ooh, did you get shoes? Let me see!” She grabbed for the box.
“Those are fancy. Did you have a certain amount of money allocated for shoes in your fake fiancée contract?” Edward joked.
Blade froze.
Crap.
He turned on me, furious.
