Devious Man
Dahlia
Vex chucks the wrapper into the bin right as two men open the doors for us. It’s grand, ostentatious, and perfect for this place.
A woman right around my age rushes up. “Good morning, Vex.” She smiles like she knows him.
“Hello, Crystal. How are you today?” He gives her a friendly nod. His lips tip up slightly but don’t quite make it to a smile.
“Wonderful.” Hers gets even wider. “Nic loves the beer you sent over. I can’t believe you were able to get it. We haven’t been able to find it anywhere in Urbium.”
“Glad to hear that.”
Vex got a present for this woman and—based on the two rings on her finger—her husband.
“I have a room all set up for you and your friend.” Her eyes move to me for the first time. They’re assessing. She doesn’t miss the fact that I’m wearing Vex’s clothes or that my hair doesn’t have a speck of product in it. “I’m Crystal. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Prudence, but please call me Prue.”
“Vex said this trip is all about you. What are you looking for today?”
To run home and hide. I certainly don’t want to explain what I want to her. “We can just wander around and browse.”
Her face falls like I broke her heart.
“What Dahlia means is we’d love your help to look for several outfits for her. Dahlia is just a bit shy.”
Crystal perks up.
Several? “Just one. All I need is something to wear today.”
“Oh?” Crystal’s gaze moves back to my outfit.
“All my clothing was ruined, and Vex kindly lent me something to wear.”
Crystal leans forward and conspiratorially whispers, “Vex is one of the kindest men I’ve ever met. Don’t let his scary exterior trick you.”
“He does seem like a nice man.” I smile over at him. “But I haven’t known him very long.”
“Shall we walk and talk?” Crystal motions to me.
I let go of Vex’s arm and move to her side. “So how long have you known Vex?”
“Since I was a child.”
It’s interesting that she didn’t mention Vex being one, too. “Oh really? Then you’re the one to ask for all the dirt on him.”
She freezes. “No. I’m not. But I can tell you some good things about him that others don’t know.”
“Crystal,” Vex all but snaps.
“Don’t worry. His bark is worse than his bite… mostly.” She winks .
Vex takes my hand and squeezes it as the three of us step into an old manually operated elevator. Every piece shines like it’s brand new, even though it’s got to be a hundred years old.
We step off onto a floor labeled women’s wear, and Crystal takes the lead.
“So why didn’t you want Crystal to tell me good things about you?” I whisper so that only Vex can hear me.
“Because I’m not a good man, and I don’t want you to ever say I tricked you into thinking I was.”
What a peculiar answer. Most men want their good points shouted to the rooftops. They don’t lead with their flaws.
She stops just in front of the first section of clothing. “Now, I know you mentioned wanting to wander, but if you give me a clue as to your style and sizes, I can expedite the process.”
“Think sexy librarian,” Vex answers before I can.
Is that how he sees me? No one has ever described me like that.
“Noted.” She pulls out a tablet. “And is there anything you’d like to add, Prue?”
Modest grandmother better describes my style, but there’s no way I’d say that out loud. “I’m looking for something comfortable. Nothing too clingy.”
She nods.
“Stylish enough not to look out of place standing next to Vex.”
Her finger taps the tablet. “Sizes?”
“I’m an eight to a ten in pants and a fourteen to sixteen for my shirts.” Those numbers would be more embarrassing if men knew anything about clothing sizes.
Crystal lifts her eyes from the screen and stares at me dubiously. “Are you sure about those sizes?”
Very. “Yes.” I tug Vex’s coat tighter around me.
“All right then. We can start over here.” She walks a few feet in and pulls out an emerald silk shirt with darts at the waist and pearl buttons running up to a ruffled collar. It’s lovely. “That won’t fit me. ”
“We have it in both a fourteen and a sixteen.”
No. No. “I’m sure the size is fine, but that style won’t fit me. I need something… um… looser around the um waist.” Those darts will never come in close enough to fit my actual waist, but just enough to highlight what I want hidden.
“She’ll try it on.” Vex walks over to stand next to me.
My head practically snaps as I twist it to look at him. “But it won’t fit.”
“If Crystal says it will fit, it’ll fit. She’s good at her job.”
“I am.” She walks over to another rack. “If you don’t like the green, this burnt sienna would look amazing with your hair.” Crystal lifts up another fitted shirt. This one buttons down the back with a belt at the waist.”
That dusty orangey-red color does look good on me. And Crystal’s picks would be spot on if I had anyone else’s body, but on mine it would look vulgar and garish. “How about a sweater? A nice thick cable-knit?”
“Sweaters are upstairs, but I’ll pull a few for you.”
***
After seemingly forever, we head up to the dressing rooms. Most of the time, Vex and Crystal ignored my suggestions and picked what they wanted.
But that doesn’t matter, I’m going to buy what I want. None of that sexy librarian stuff is coming home with me today.
We have a suite, not a simple changing room. The outer room’s décor feels more like a stuffy living room with a little stage and mirrors on one side.
“Some of your selections are already in the fitting room. I’ll alert you as soon as the rest arrive.” Crystal opens the door to another room that is bigger than my childhood bedroom. One wall is covered with a rack of clothing.
That emerald shirt jumps out at me. I’d love to wear it.
I can’t stop myself from putting it on with a simple knee-length skirt.
Crystal lightly knocks on the door. “How is everything going in there? Do you need any help?”
Everything is going terribly. The beautiful shirt fits me exactly as I expected… horribly. “Um.” I’m not used to lying, even though a pleasantry like a fine isn’t exactly considered a lie.
Crystal pokes her head in. “What’s wrong?” Her eyes widen as she gets a look at me. “Ohhh. I can see why you didn’t want that type of shirt. Nothing off the rack is going to fit your curves properly unless it’s a knit or stretch material. And even then, it’ll probably need a bit of tailoring to fit. Don’t worry, we have tailoring on site.”
Before I can blink, she’s got pins out and she’s adjusting the material.
It doesn’t take long before she steps back. “There. That looks much better.”
But in this she’s wrong. The shirt fits better, but the woman staring back at me is better suited for a sleazy movie than standing next to a man like Vex. All I am is one big chest.
The urge to wrap my arms around myself and curl into a ball is overwhelming.
No one will laugh at you.
You’re an adult now, not a child
Can’t she see that?
“Where is the sweater I asked for?” My hands shake with the need to pull this off.
“Over in the corner.” She points to a stack of folded sweaters that I hadn’t noticed with all the other clothing.
“Thank you.”
Kudos for her knowing when to step out. I scramble out of the shirt.
Should I text my therapist? I haven’t needed to since the first day I moved to Urbium.
It’s just a shirt. No one mocked me or grabbed me or made fun of me or threatened to hurt me. This isn’t the same.
But someone almost hurt me just a short time ago.
Vex saved you.
All of this anxiety is about a shirt. Nothing more, nothing less .
Go put one of those sweaters on and live your life.
My hand moves to the bulkiest sweater in the stack. I pull it over my head in one smooth motion, avoiding my still wet bun.
The sweater is big, baggy and shapeless.
Perfect. No one will look at me when I wear this.
Not wanting to risk trying on anything else, I step out into the outer room. Crystal and Vex are whispering to each other on the couch.
He stops talking almost immediately.
“Oh, good choice.” Crystal stands up. “I have just the belt to cinch in your waist.” She hops up. “Most people unbutton the buttons on one shoulder and fold the sweater down. I can show you—”
“No. Thank you. I’ll wear it like this.” Without showcasing any part of my body. “I’d like to wear this out.”
“Of course.” She lifts the tablet. “Everything is ready. You can leave whenever you want.”
“Don’t I have to pay?” Not one piece of clothing has a price tag on it which is a scary thought. Are they so expensive that they don’t want you to pass out before you purchase it.
“Everything is taken care of.” Her eyes move to Vex.
No, it’s not. “Would you excuse us for a moment?”
To her credit, Crystal doesn’t even blink
As soon as the door closes behind her, Vex asks, “Are you feeling alright?” He reaches for his phone. “You look pale. We should have stayed in bed.”
‘We’ should have stayed in bed. Those words send a shiver down my spine and all the stress I was feeling before evaporate. Vex’s mind obviously didn’t go where mine did, but that’s because he’s a gentleman worrying about me. And I’m thinking silly, impossible thoughts.
“Do you feel feverish? I’ll get Barb to meet us back at the penthouse. Fever isn’t usually one of the symptoms. You might have caught something.”
“Vex.” I place a gentle hand on his arm. “I’m fine.” Sort of… sometimes.
“Then why is your skin pasty?”
“Because I almost had a panic attack in the changing room.”
His arms engulf me. “You’re safe. That monster didn’t lay a hand on you. No one will ever hurt you again. You’re safe.”
I shouldn’t take advantage of his kindness, but I can’t stop my body from melting into his arms, from taking every ounce of the comfort he’s offering, from savoring the sensation of being protected—truly protected from everything in the world even if all of that will disappear the moment I walk away from him. “Why are you doing this?” I whisper into his chest.
“Because you need help.” His voice is even lower than mine when he says, “And because I can’t make myself walk away from you.”
Could I walk away from him? This isn’t who I am. I don’t trust strangers. And I certainly don’t sleep in their beds. Or seek out comfort from one.
Yet that’s exactly what I’m doing. There has to be a rational reason. My therapist would probably say… “It’s the trauma of what almost happened. We’ll go back to normal, eventually.” Though part of me wishes this was my normal. That a man like Vex was always there to pull me close and protect me.
“Most likely.” He gives me a gentle squeeze and steps back, letting his arms fall to his sides.
It takes a second for the world to right itself. What were we talking about?
My clothes! “Vex, you aren’t paying for my clothes.”
“We already had this discussion.”
Yes, but I didn’t win, so we’re going to have it again. “You aren’t paying for my clothing. I am perfectly capable of paying for my own clothing.”
“When a woman is with me, I pay. End of discussion.”
That’s what he thinks. “My mother wouldn’t approve of a man that I’m not engaged to paying for my clothing. It’s not appropriate.”
“You’re a grown woman. Does it really matter what your mother thinks?” He quirks an eyebrow at me.
Sort of. Not really. It wouldn’t if we were in love. “That’s not the point.”
“Dahlia. ”
I step up to him. “This is important to me. I don’t like to take personal gifts from people that I don’t have a relationship with.”
Vex’s face gets inscrutable. “When was the last time a man bought you an article of clothing?”
A man I’m not related to? Never. “My brother bought me a sweater a few months ago.” The hideous thing is hidden in the back of my closet, never to be seen again.
“Fine. You can pay for those clothes. As long as you don’t give me any trouble for the rest of the day.”
Me trouble? “Deal.”