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“You ready to be dolled up, darlin’?” she asked with a grin as I approached.

“Fairy godmother me.” I held my arms out. “I’m ready.”

With a hoot of laughter, she led me into her home. The entryway opened into a cozy foyer. To my left was a formal dining room with an enormous fireplace. The windows shone bright sunlight over the table. Straight ahead, a welcoming living room boasted plush heather gray sofas and windows looking out to a fantastic outdoor area.

Ivy swung around a corner and up a set of stairs. “This way.”

I craned my neck to get a better view of her pool and forested backyard before I headed up after her. The upstairs areas had the same luxurious cheer as the rest of the house, and Ivy led me through a large bedroom into a masterpiece of a closet.

It was bigger than my last apartment. Parquet floors hid beneath lavish white rugs. The walls were lined with garments of all colors, hanging in some order I couldn’t discern. On one wall, her shoes sat in tidy pairs on lighted shelves. Across from them hung her array of handbags. The middle of the room was taken by an island of drawers, topped by glass display cases.

Wait. Not display cases. Jewelry organizers.

“Holy crap,” I muttered.

With a smile, she cocked her head toward the far corner. “My gowns are over here. Come take a look.”

I drifted that way, taking in more details as I went. This was amazing.

“The theme is Star Light, Star Bright.” She eyed me critically. “I’m thinking blue. Or maybe silver. Thoughts?”

“Blue is nice,” I said.

She shifted hangers back and forth. “You’re not as tall as me. Let’s see.”

While she searched, I touched a pair of crystal-encrusted pumps on the shelf beside me.

“Perfect!” She slipped a deep blue swath of shiny material from her bevy of gowns. “I had to wear flats with this one. We’ll put you in some tall shoes.” Her gaze fell on my fingers still resting against the crystal shoes. “Yeah, maybe those. Strip to your skivvies, please.”

Eyes locked on the dress, I obeyed, throwing my shoes, sweater and leggings into a pile on the floor. She helped me into the garment. It hugged my body, then flared around my legs. Tiny crystals embroidered the cap sleeves, and an elliptical keyhole showed off a flirty amount of skin on my chest.

I admired myself in the full-length mirror. “This is so pretty.”

“It ain’t the dress.” Ivy said, tugging a gold number from her collection. “It’s the woman.”

“Aw.” I shot her a smile.

She hung the gold dress up, then faced me. “Let me do your hair.”

Taken aback, I touched my curled locks, pinned back in a simple style. “Is something wrong with it?”

“Not at all, darlin’, but with a dress like that, your hair needs to be up.”

“Oh—”

She grabbed my hand, and we marched into her attached bathroom, me tugging up my dress so as not to trip. A vanity sat between two sinks, complete with flattering lighting surrounding a mirror. I sat on the velvet stool before it, and she set to work laying out pins and sprays and brushes.

“We’ll keep it real simple-like,” she said.

“Thank you, Ivy.” I met her eyes in the mirror. “This is really nice.”

“It ain’t no thing. It’s my pleasure, really.”

Talk turned to work, then her latest irritation with Bennett, who’d adamantly demanded to change his emergency contact person on Friday, only to return with her info, labeled under the name Poison Ivy.

“I mean, but he made you his emergency contact. That’s⁠—”

“Oh, he don’t mean nothing by it.” She scowled. “He’s just an ass.”