Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Bella
I stood outside the boutique and stared through the tall glass doors. I’d walked past stores like this plenty of times. Stores I never had a reason to go into because they were way out of my price range. Until Simon Montclair handed me his credit card and told me to buy a dress.
I pulled open the door and stepped inside. The boutique was quiet and elegant, and it smelled of expensive perfume. Racks of formal dresses lined the walls, with a crystal chandelier hanging overhead and a curved staircase that led to a second floor.
“Good morning.” A woman dressed in black approached me with a smile.
“Good morning.” I smiled back.
“Welcome. I’m Celeste. Is there something special you’re looking for today?”
“Yes. I need a dress for a charity event for Saturday night. It’s black tie.”
“Wonderful.” She smiled. “Do you have a designer in mind?”
“No. Not really.”
“A color?”
“Not yet.” I shook my head.
She smiled. “Even better.”
I wasn’t sure how that was better.
“Come with me.” She gestured. “Tell me about the event.”
“All I know is it’s a black-tie charity event.”
“And who are you attending with?”
I wasn’t sure why that was any of her business.
“Simon Montclair.”
She stopped walking and looked at me. “Mr. Montclair?”
“Yes.”
“I see.” Her smile brightened, and I furrowed my brows.
“Is that important?” I asked.
“No. Not at all.”
Liar.
She told me to have a seat in the waiting area that housed two cream velvet chairs and a sofa.
“Have a seat. I’ll bring you a few options.” She smiled.
“I can look through the racks,” I said.
“Absolutely not.”
“Excuse me?”
“Forgive me. I meant that you don’t need to. Let me take care of you. Can I offer you a glass of champagne?”
Was she serious?
I glanced at my watch. “Well, it is five o’clock somewhere.” I smiled.
A young woman out of nowhere appeared carrying a silver tray with a glass of champagne on it. I picked up the glass and took a sip. Maybe shopping with Simon’s credit card wouldn’t be so terrible after all. I was loving this experience so far.
Celeste returned carrying several gowns over her arm.
“I pulled a few different styles so we can figure out what you love.” She smiled as she hung them on the hook.
She handed me the first dress, and I stepped into the fitting room. It was black, fitted, elegant, and beautiful with a low back. The second dress was champagne-colored and covered in delicate beads. Not really my style. I tried all four dresses on and really wasn’t feeling them.
“I have another for you to try on.”
I opened the fitting room door and took it from her. I changed into the emerald gown, stepped out of the fitting room, and stared at myself in the three-way mirror. It was beautiful.
“No.” Celeste shook her head.
“No?” My brows furrowed.
“Beautiful dress. Wrong woman.” She brought her finger to her lips.
“I think it looks good,” I said.
“It does, darling. But good isn’t what we’re doing today. We’re doing unforgettable. I’ll be right back.”
She brought me three more dresses. One in a darker champagne color. One in burgundy. And one in a midnight-blue. I didn’t like any of them.
“I have one more,” Celeste said, standing outside the fitting room door.
“You said that three dresses ago.” I opened the door and took the garment bag from her. “What color is this one?”
“Just put it on.” She smiled.
I shut the door, unzipped the bag, and removed the rich, deep red gown that wasn’t bright or flashy.
It had thin straps and a fitted bodice that flowed into a long skirt.
The back dipped low, and there was a slit along one side that revealed just enough leg without being too much.
I tried it on, and stepped outside the fitting room.
I barely recognized myself in the mirror.
It was as if the dress was made just for me and nobody else.
“Oh.” Celeste smiled. “There she is. Miss Unforgettable.”
As I stared at myself in the mirror, I imagined walking into the charity event, wearing this dress, holding Simon’s arm. It was elegant and sexy. Then I imagined Simon seeing me in it. My belly fluttered at the thought.
“This is the one.” I smiled.
“I totally agree,” Celeste said.
“How much is it?” I asked.
Celeste walked over and began adjusting one of the straps.
“Celeste?”
“Yes?”
“How much is the dress?”
“I don’t think we need to worry about that. Mr. Montclair is paying, correct?”
“How do you know that?” I stared at her.
“I saw you pull out his card and stare at it before I went to collect some dresses.”
“How much?”
“$10,000.”
My jaw dropped. “For a dress?”
“It’s couture.” She smiled.
“Does it come with a car?”
“Unfortunately, no.” She laughed.
I turned back to the mirror and stared at myself. There was absolutely no way. The guilt would consume me.
“I can’t spend that much money on one dress,” I said.
“Do you love it?” Celeste asked.
“Yes. That’s the problem.”
“Then I’m not sure I understand.”
“Normal people don’t spend that kind of money on something they’re going to wear for five hours or less.”
“Mr. Montclair isn’t exactly—”
“Normal?” I interrupted her.
“I was going to say financially constrained.”
“That too.” I laughed.
I walked back into the fitting to change out of the dress when I heard my phone ding in my purse. There was a text message from Simon. His ears must have been ringing.
Find anything?
Are you tracking me?
Should I be?
I found a dress.
Buy it.
You don’t even know how much it costs.
Don’t care.
Of course he didn’t.
You should care.
Bella.
Simon.
Buy the dress.
It’s ridiculously expensive.
Do you love it?
Yes.
Then why are we still having this conversation?
Because unlike you, I have a normal relationship with money.
That’s debatable. I’m on my way to a meeting. Buy the dress. End of discussion.
“Everything okay?” I heard Celeste’s voice from the other side of the fitting room door.
“Yes. I’ll be out in a minute.”
I looked at Simon’s message again. Suddenly, three dots appeared.
And shoes.
Jesus Christ.
Three more dots appeared.
BUY. THE. SHOES.
I couldn’t stop smiling.
Fine. Goodbye.
I changed into my clothes and opened the fitting room door.
“I’ll take the dress,” I said to Celeste.
“I knew you would.” She smiled.
“And apparently, I need shoes.”
“Now, you’re speaking my language.” Her smile widened. “Shoes are on the second floor. Follow me.”
Twenty minutes later, I was sitting on a velvet sofa surrounded by boxes of shoes.
The first five pairs I tried on weren’t comfortable.
She returned with another box, took out the shoes, and placed the strappy heels in front of me.
I tried them on, looked in the mirror, and smiled.
They were not only perfect. They felt comfortable.
“I’ll take them.”
“Would you like to know how much they cost?” Celeste asked.
“No.” I smiled.
“Good girl.”
When everything was boxed and wrapped, I walked to the counter and happily pulled Simon’s card from my purse. Celeste took it without batting an eye.
“Would you like everything delivered?” she asked.
“You do that sort of thing?”
“Of course.” She laughed. “I’ll just need your address.”
I rattled it off, and she stopped typing and looked at me.
“You live with Mr. Montclair?”
“You know his address? Does everyone in the city know him?”
“Pretty much.” She smiled.
“Excuse me.” I heard a woman’s voice from behind.
I turned and looked at her.
“Are you, by any chance, Bella?”
“Yes, I am. Who are you?”
“I’m Mary.” She smiled. “William Montclair’s girlfriend. He’s told me all about you.”
“Oh my gosh. I didn’t know he had a girlfriend. But then again, I’d only spoken to him twice.”
I stood there and wondered why Simon never mentioned her.
“It’s nice to put a face to a name. You’re absolutely stunning.”
“Thank you.” I smiled.
“I’ll let you go. I’ll see you on Saturday evening. We can talk then.”
“Oh, you’ll be there?”
“Of course. Montclair Development Group is the one hosting it. Simon didn’t tell you that?”
“Uh, no. He didn’t.”