I stalked into the room, more determined than ever, and pulled my two prettiest dresses out of my bag. One was blue, knee-length, and quite simple; the other was flaming red and sexy as hell. Of course I opted for the second one, determined that I was going to show him I too knew how to be attractive to men. I wasn’t perfect, but people liked me. I’d had my share of admirers in the past, and some pretty cute ones, too. Plus, although Mother Nature had been stingy with my breasts, she’d made up for it with my butt. So I was going to flaunt it.
I slipped the dress on with a cheeky little smile, careful not to wrinkle it,and then zipped it up in back…not without some difficulty. Then I went over to the room’s mirror to take a look at myself.
It was a long-sleeved dress, short and tight with a sensual boat neck. It wrapped perfectly around my delicate curves, and just as I’d expected, it really highlighted my backside.
Maybe it was a wee bit shorter than what I’d usually wear, but the occasion called for it.
“You wanted me to ditch the good girl? Well, here you go,” I told the invisible Neil with a surprising amount of decisiveness. But my evil scheme was not yet complete. I arranged my hair over my shoulders before applying my makeup. I was usually the quintessential soap-and-water girl, but that night I coated my eyelashes with mascara and applied ruby red lipstick, a big departure from my usual pink gloss. It made my blue eyes sparkle and my lips look more sensuous.
My face looked completely different; I even looked more mature.
Then it was just the finishing touches that remained. I pulled on a pair of sheer thigh-highs, followed by my pair of black high heels.
I slipped into them and wobbled slightly, taking a moment to get used to my new elevated height. Then I glanced in the mirror one more time to assess my completed work.
I was pleased with the result: I looked seductive yet elegant.
“Alright, Selene. You’re a woman.” Confident in myself, I went back into the living room to get my phone and check the time—it was almost nine. I perched on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, and waited for my Disaster to come back. Exacting as he was, I had no doubt that he would be right on time, and I liked the idea of seeing the shocked look on his face when he walked in and saw the new Selene.
I drummed my fingers nervously on the couch’s arm and waited.
My heart was beating like a wild thing in my chest, but I tried to ignore it.
Nerves weren’t going to derail my plans.
Then, right at nine o’clock, the lock clicked, and my whole body went on alert.
Neil came into the apartment wearing a black winter coat and a white sweater that popped against his amber skin, and I forgot how to breathe.
I held my breath as my heart pounded out of control.
Calm… I had to stay calm.
Neil approached me with his typical proud posture, a severe expression on his face. His soft forelock fell over his forehead, and his beard looked shorter than when he’d left. I knew he’d neatened it up for me, and he looked like a god.
He was overwhelmingly beautiful; you couldn’t find an aesthetic flaw on him, no matter how many character flaws he might have had.
Without so much as a hello or a single friendly word, he stopped just short of me and regarded me. I stood up to give him a better view, proud as the tigress he sometimes compared me to. From the little flares I saw in his golden eyes, I could tell he was neither pleased nor excited about my clothing. In fact, he looked almost frantic, and my confidence slipped away in a most cowardly fashion.
I swallowed hard, and my legs began to tremble.
Neil continued to check me out, looking at me from top to bottom, wrinkling his brow. He looked irritated and ill-humored.
“You wanted a woman, right? And now you don’t like it?” I spoke first, my voice slashing derisively through the air even though I was still trembling. Neil didn’t move a muscle. He just stood there, studying me, refusing to give me a clue as to what he was thinking. Why didn’t he say anything?
I would have rather had him yell at me, to tell me he hated it; anything but that nerve-racking silence.
“Well?” I insisted, growing angry.
“You look like an enchanting fairy who somehow wound up wearing a slut’s dress,” he answered cynically.
I sucked in a breath and blushed violently, instantly uncomfortable.
Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to cry. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, no matter how much his words had hurt me.
“But…” he continued as I stared resentfully at him. If he’d been any closer to me, I would have slapped him. “If your intent was to look hot, then yes, you’ve succeeded.” He scrutinized me once again, and this time, I saw lust and excitement in his eyes along with the desire not to succumb to me, all of those feelings in conflict with one another.
“Is this you trying to fix things? Maybe with a compliment? It’s not going so hot if it is.” I shot him a glare full of ire, and he gave me a little half-smile in return.
