He looked at her. ‘We obviously had to close when my mother passed away three years ago. Dania was still just a baby,’ he said, and now he looked sad. ‘But I’m sure if we opened up and got it running once more, it could be lucrative. I just don’t have the time, with my job and everything.’
‘I hope you can,’ she said, suddenly filled with the intense desire to see his dreams come true. She had never really had dreams before; she had never thought that far in advance. But it was inspiring to see what he yearned for. ‘Would it be very different from the work you do with the tailor in Castletown now?’
He nodded. ‘Over there, I don’t really have the liberty to do what I want. I have to do what I’m told, and it’s mostly things like uniforms and articles that are uninteresting,’ he explained. ‘My mother used to make things for special occasions, things people would save up for and splurge on: a suit for a man’s retirement, or a dress for a girl’s sixteenth birthday, even a wedding gown or two! Clothes that would be part of big days or moments, clothes that would make a difference and be remembered.’ He broke off, looking a little embarrassed by how passionately he had spoken. ‘Sorry.’
‘No, don’t be!’ She moved toward him. ‘I have never thought about clothes that way, but you’re right.’ Perhaps it was because she had always had so many that she had never valued clothes in the way that one should. ‘They do make all the difference.’
A new dress right then would make a difference because theuniform really was quite uncomfortable in its current state. She looked down at the dress, then back at him.
‘If you insist it isn’t any trouble,’ she said, ‘I would love a new dress.’
He smiled. ‘It isn’t! Not at all! I don’t get to meet the customers at the tailor I work for, so it’s all impersonal, but doing something like this is fun for me. I make all of Dania’s clothes, as well, not that the bandri can stay clean for more than a few hours.’
‘Yes, I noticed that,’ Sonya said, with a chuckle.
‘I’ve made loads of alterations to Grandma Kiri’s clothes, so I’ll be happy to do the same for you.’ He seemed excited now, full of energy. ‘Come on, let me take your measurements.’ He paused all of a sudden, his cheeks turning pink. ‘Um, if that’s alright with you, of course.’
‘Yes, of course,’ she replied, but her cheeks felt warm, too. ‘Just give me a moment.’ She didn’t know why she felt nervous all of a sudden. She had her measurements taken often and was used to stripping down in front of her tailors. There was no reason to feel shy in front of Azam.
It was probably because she was so bedraggled. Yes, that was it.
She went to the bathroom and closed the door behind her, then peeled off her dress. It truly was quite dirty, and her skin wasn’t much better.Oh god, do I smell?
She washed herself as well as she could, leaving her chemise, drawers, and socks on, which weren’t exactly clean either, but she had to wear something.
Luckily, the underclothes kept her mostly covered, except for a bare strip of skin on her thighs, above her socks and below her drawers.
Smoothing her hair, Sonya looked in the mirror. She lifted herchin, then walked out, stepping back into the main room where Azam was waiting.
He was playing with the end of the measuring tape, but when he heard the door open, he looked up. He froze. His jaw went slack and his cheeks most definitely darkened in color. Sonya’s pulse quickened.
Azam cleared his throat, straightening his shoulders. He gestured to the box he had put in front of him, an old crate.
‘Don’t worry, it’s sturdy,’ he said with a quick smile. ‘If you could just stand up here.’
He offered her his hand and she walked over to take it, stepping up and onto the crate. She was an inch or two taller than him now, and he looked up at her from under dark lashes. She shivered, suddenly cold in her undergarments.
‘May I?’ he asked. She nodded, squeaking out a sound.
He began, his brows pinched with concentration as he moved the measuring tape across her skin, light as a feather. She caught the scent of strong black tea again, and a strange new emotion stirred deep in her belly, as potent and frightening as lightning.
He was a gentleman. She knew she was safe with him, even though she had only known him for a day. Still, to have him so near—it made her dizzy. He measured her shoulders, then the length of her arms; the length down to her hips; the length down to her calves. He measured her bust, and she looked up at the ceiling.
His hands hardly touched her, and he worked quickly, until he was nearly done. He measured her hips, then all that was left was her waist. The measuring tape wrapped around the smallest part of her torso, and she felt his fingers skim across her stomach. A tingle ran down her spine. The tape tightened, and the slight tug made her unsteady.
She sincerely hoped she wouldn’t faint again, but she did quite literally feel faint in that moment.
‘Finished,’ he said, voice hoarse. She watched the way his throat moved as he swallowed, blood rushing in her ears. He dropped the measuring tape, and the point of contact between them broke. Her skin prickled with gooseflesh.
Sonya caught her breath. Their faces were so close to each other’s then, especially since they were nearer to the same height now. She could gaze deeply into his eyes, and as she did, his eyelashes fluttered, like a raven’s wings flapping. She felt a little weak in the knees, and then she swayed.
He caught her waist. ‘Steady, there.’
Her hands moved to his shoulders, and his fingers burned into her skin, the thin material of her chemise hardly a barrier at all from the warmth of his hands.
‘Are you alright?’ he asked.
His eyes were so very brown. She swallowed, trying to find her voice. ‘Just a bit tired,’ she replied.
