The dress
Chapter 16
The Dress
Amara Queen had a problem.
A serious problem.
A deeply irritating problem.
The problem currently sat across from her desk looking entirely too pleased with himself.
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Lorenzo Vitale smiled.
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Amara hated that smile.
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Not because it was unattractive.
Unfortunately.
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Quite the opposite.
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The realization annoyed her.
Deeply.
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"Stop that."
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Silence.
Immediate silence.
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Lorenzo blinked.
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"What?"
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"Whatever that is."
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The mafia don looked genuinely confused.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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"I'm sitting."
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"You're being smug."
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Silence.
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The smile widened.
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The traitor.
The complete traitor.
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Amara immediately regretted speaking.
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Because now he looked delighted.
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Unacceptable.
Completely unacceptable.
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The office door opened before she could continue the argument.
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One of her assistants entered.
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Carrying a large garment bag.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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Amara frowned.
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"What's that?"
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The assistant hesitated.
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Then looked toward Lorenzo.
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Silence.
Immediate silence.
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Amara slowly turned.
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Dangerously.
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The mafia don suddenly found the ceiling fascinating.
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The betrayal.
The suspiciously-quiet betrayal.
Undefeated.
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"Lorenzo."
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His name came out slowly.
Carefully.
Like a surgeon selecting instruments.
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"Yes?"
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"What did you do?"
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The assistant wisely retreated.
Immediately.
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Very smart woman.
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Very, very smart woman.
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The office door closed.
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Leaving the garment bag behind.
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Evidence.
Damning evidence.
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Lorenzo sighed.
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Immediately.
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The universal sound of a man who knew he'd been caught.
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"I bought you a dress."
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Silence.
Absolute silence.
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Amara stared.
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Then stared harder.
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Because surely she'd misheard.
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Possibly hallucinated.
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Maybe she needed more sleep.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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"You what?"
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"A dress."
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The answer came confidently.
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Which somehow made everything worse.
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Much worse.
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"Lorenzo."
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"Amara."
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The audacity.
The complete audacity.
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She pointed toward the garment bag.
Immediately.
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"Why?"
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The mafia don leaned back.
Comfortable.
Relaxed.
Dangerous.
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"I have an event."
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Silence.
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Amara waited.
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Then:
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"And?"
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"And I want you there."
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The room froze.
Immediately.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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Because something about the statement felt different.
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Not business.
Not strategy.
Not the underground hospital.
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Personal.
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Dangerously personal.
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Amara crossed her arms.
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"No."
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The answer came instantly.
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Without hesitation.
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Without mercy.
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Lorenzo nodded.
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Like he'd expected that.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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Then:
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"I already RSVP'd for two."
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Silence.
Absolute silence.
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The betrayal.
The premeditated betrayal.
Undefeated.
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Amara considered homicide.
Briefly.
Professionally.
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Then she stood.
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Walked toward the garment bag.
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And unzipped it.
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Silence.
Immediate silence.
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Because the dress was beautiful.
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Annoyingly beautiful.
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Deep emerald green.
Elegant.
Sophisticated.
Expensive.
Very expensive.
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The kind of dress that looked timeless.
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The kind of dress designed for queens.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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Amara hated how much she liked it.
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The traitorous dress.
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The complete traitorous dress.
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Behind her, Lorenzo smiled.
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The worst kind of smile.
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Victorious.
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"Don't."
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Silence.
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"What?"
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"Look victorious."
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The mafia don laughed.
Immediately.
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The sound echoed through her office.
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Warm.
Rich.
Dangerous.
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A growing problem.
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A serious problem.
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The evening of the gala arrived three days later.
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Amara spent exactly forty-five minutes deciding she hated formal events.
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Then another twenty deciding she hated Lorenzo.
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Mostly.
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Possibly.
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Not really.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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The dress fit perfectly.
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Of course it did.
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The man apparently investigated clothing sizes now.
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A concerning development.
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Her Afro had been shaped and styled.
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Gold jewelry rested against dark skin.
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The emerald dress hugged her curves beautifully.
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And for the first time all week...
Amara felt nervous.
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The realization horrified her.
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Immediately.
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Because Dr. Amara Queen did not get nervous.
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Ever.
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The knock on her penthouse door arrived precisely at seven.
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Naturally.
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Lorenzo struck her as the punctual type.
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The door opened.
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Silence.
Absolute silence.
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Lorenzo Vitale froze.
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Completely.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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The man stood in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo.
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Handsome.
Dangerously handsome.
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The kind of handsome that should probably be regulated by the government.
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A public safety issue.
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His dark eyes met hers.
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Then remained there.
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And remained there.
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And remained there.
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The betrayal.
The staring betrayal.
Undefeated.
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For the first time since meeting him...
The mafia don appeared speechless.
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Amara immediately decided she liked that.
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Very much.
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Finally...
After nearly a full minute...
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Lorenzo cleared his throat.
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Once.
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Then said:
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"You look beautiful."
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Silence.
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Dangerous silence.
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The kind that settled somewhere beneath her ribs.
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Warm.
Unfamiliar.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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Amara stared.
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Then adjusted her bracelet.
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A tactical retreat.
Nothing more.
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"You're staring."
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The words came out softer than intended.
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Lorenzo smiled.
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Slowly.
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Dangerously.
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"Yeah."
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A pause.
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"Because you're beautiful."
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Silence.
Absolute silence.
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And for the first time in a very long time...
Dr. Amara Queen had absolutely no comeback.
End Chapter 16