Her handshake was firm, but her palm was warm. Debra had shaken hundreds of hands in her life, but this one lingered in her thoughts far longer than could be deemed acceptable.
“Debra,” she managed. “Thank you for seeing me.”
“My pleasure.” Billie’s mouth tilted into something between a smile and a study. “First time with us, correct?”
“Yes. I—” Debra paused, suddenly aware of her own reflection in the mirror behind Billie, and the faint flush in her cheeks. “My friend recommended you.”
“I’ll have to thank her.” Billie gestured towards the back. “If you’d like to come through to the private fitting room…”
Debra followed her through the building, trying not to stare but failing. Everything about Billie was enchanting. The measured pace, the small, precise movements of her hands when she adjusted the curtain for Debra to pass. She moved like someone who’d learned theexactweight of every silence.
The fitting room was far more intimate than she’d expected it to be. Warm lighting, mirrors that didn’t distort, and a rack of garments waiting in shades of black, navy, and smoke. Water, coffee, and a small plate of chocolates sat on a side table next to a velvet couch.
“Please,” Billie said, gesturing to the chair near the mirror. “Make yourself comfortable.”
Debra sat down and smoothed her hands over her pants. “This is lovely.”
“We try.” Billie stood opposite her, her arms folded, appraising Debra without arrogance. “You’re here for the full service, right?”
Debra nodded, though her throat felt suddenly dry. Billie was…looking at her differently. “That’s right.”
“Good. It’s meant to be enjoyable. Tailoring should be, in my opinion. Too many people treat it like a transaction.”
“Enjoyable,” Debra echoed with a half-smile. “I’m not sure I’ve ever described a fitting that way.”
“Then we’ll make sure this one earns the word.” Billie moved closer, stopping just short of her chair. Up close, she was even more striking than Debra had initially thought. “May I?” she asked, indicating the coat Debra still wore.
Debra nodded and rose to her feet. Billie’s hands brushed her shoulders as she eased it off. The touch was brief, professional, yet Debra felt it like static under her skin.
Billie hung her coat neatly, then turned back to her. “I like to start by asking what you want the suit to say. Most people don’t realise clothes speak for us long before we open our mouths.”
Debra tried to find her voice, but it was a struggle. She had a hard enough time explaining herself without doing it directly to a beautiful woman. “I suppose I’d like it to say that I’m not someone’s wife anymore. That I’m…me.”
“Mmhmm.” Billie’s eyes flickered with understanding. “That’s a very good start.”
Debra laughed softly. “I’m not sure it is.”
“It is. Because it’s honest. Honesty looks better thananycut I could give you.”
Those words shouldn’t have landed so deeply inside Debra, but they did.
Billie stepped back, studying her with an attention that felt physical. Not intrusive, but…aware. “I can already see what would suit you. Structure without stiffness. Soft lapels. Maybe charcoal instead of black. It’ll pull the colour back into those gorgeous eyes.”
God, this womanwasgood. Debra had only been with her for a few minutes, and she already felt attractive again. She cleared her throat. “It’s that easy?”
“Of course not.” Billie’s eyes locked with Debra’s, the heat behind them enough to leave her breathless. “But that’s the trick, isn’t it?”
Debra’s heartbeat shifted, a tiny stutter that had nothing to do with nerves but everything to do with the proximity of this woman…and the fact that Debrawantedto get naked in front of her.
You’ve got no chance. Not with Billie Brown.
Billie’s gaze moved briefly to Debra’s hands resting in her lap. “You don’t need to be nervous,” she said as she lifted a hand and ghosted her knuckles across Debra’s cheek. “We go at your pace.”
Debra didn’t know what that meant, but she was beginning to realise that Billie really was ‘hands on’, as the reviews had suggested. “I’m not nervous,” Debra lied. “I don’t usually treat myself to an experience like this.”
Billie smiled. “Well, I hope I’ll see you again after today.”
Debra couldn’t look away. The composure, the low voice, the certainty that lived in every movement…it was magnetic. The sort of presence that made you want to stand straighter, breathe deeper, and speak more carefully…all while imagining Billie kissing you.
