Chapter 13

Chapter

Thirteen

Olivia

T he cab's interior smelled of pine air freshener and stale cigarettes, a far cry from the crisp winter air and Ruune's intoxicating scent. I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing, but all I could see was Ruune's face, his eyes dark with desire as he'd held me.

The whole point of this fake relationship was to keep things simple. To help Ruune avoid complications while he was on Earth. But the stirrings I felt when I was with him? Those were anything but simple.

As we weaved through the city streets, I tried to pull myself together. It was just a kiss. A very hot, very public kiss, but still just a kiss. It didn't have to mean anything.

I pulled out my phone. Caroline had just gone through this with Griff. She would know what to do.

Hey, Caro. I heard the horse and carriage was your idea.

The text bubbles danced as I waited for a reply.

LOL. How was it? I know you’ve always wanted to take one of those rides.

I rolled my eyes. We used to make fun of couples in carriages and call them cringe.

Not so cringe. The banana pudding was amazing. Thx for that.

More text bubbles.

So how goes the fake dating?

Great question. Should I tell her that it didn’t feel so fake?

I tried to set some rules. Then I broke them.

Haha. Sounds about right.

I huffed out a breath. I guess the only person I thought I was fooling was me. Before I could respond she texted again.

You aren’t a rules girl, Liv.

“And that’s worked so well for me so far,” I muttered to myself.

Maybe it’s time to change that.

I sent my text as the taxi pulled up in front of Saks. I swiped my card in the reader attached to the back of the headrest before hopping from the back and heading through the front doors.

I didn’t waste any time heading upstairs to The Fifth Avenue Club, crossing my fingers that Pippa was done dressing the Pomeranian. My heels tapped the floor as I strode toward the vertical slats that separated personal shopping from the other departments.

Pippa was sitting at the shiny copper desk, grinning as she looked up. “I saw you sneak out with your alien hottie. You’re back quicker than I expected.”

“We took a carriage ride around Central Park, but I wasn’t going to leave you to handle the entire department by yourself.”

She pressed a hand to her heart. “A carriage ride? So romantic!”

My cheeks warmed. “It was nice, and Ruune is already working on getting one of his fellow Valorians for you.”

She squealed and clapped her hands, making me wonder if she’d been a cheerleader once. “Thank you, thank you!”

“A promise is a promise.” I walked around the desk and took the other ivory chair. “How was dressing the dog?”

“Not bad. Dog moms are willing to drop some cash.”

It never failed to amaze me how much people spent on their pets, especially the ladies of the Upper East. I was glad that Pippa would get a good commission.

“Good, now I need another favor.”

Pippa’s smile wavered. “Just because I dressed one Pomeranian does not mean I want to take on all of them.”

I flapped a hand back and forth. “It has nothing to do with dogs, but it does have to do with dresses.”

“O-kay.” Pippa sounded skeptical, and I didn’t blame her.

“It’s for me,” I admitted. “I need a dress for a New Year’s Eve party, but it can’t be like the dresses I typically wear.”

“What do you typically wear?”

“Something too short and too low cut just to piss off my mother.”

Her eyebrows flew so high they almost vanished beneath her bangs. “There’s a story here.”

“Not a good one. The long and short of it is that I need a nice dress to wear to a party my mother is throwing on the Upper East Side. I don’t want to look like I’m one of her old lady crew, but I don’t want to look like I just stumbled in from a block party.”

Pippa appraised me. “Why are you asking me? You have more experience as a personal shopper.”

“It’s one thing to shop for other people, but it’s another to be able to look at yourself with fresh eyes. I know what I like but that doesn’t mean it’s the best choice.”

My new colleague bobbed her head up and down. “I get that.” She slapped her hand on the desk so hard I jumped. “I know what dress would look amazing on you. It’s in the bridal department—one of the samples—but it looks nothing like a wedding dress. I think it’s supposed to be a bridesmaid’s dress, but it’s crazy expensive so none of our brides have gone for it. It’s Oscar de la Renta couture, and it’s gorgeous.”

I shook my head. “I might work here, but I cannot afford Oscar.”

She winked and lowered her voice to a whisper. “It’s a sample, silly. You don’t buy it, just borrow it for the night.”

My pulse jackknifed. Even if it was a sample, I’d never done the wear-and-return gambit at Saks, and the last time I’d attempted it, I’d been much younger and much more foolish. “I don’t know.”

“The party you’re going to sounds pretty tame. It’s not like you’re heading to Times Square. I’m sure the dress will be fine. And like I said, it’s a sample that no one tries very often. Soon, it will be last year’s sample and shoved in the back.”

I wasn’t so sure about the plan, but I followed her to the bridal department anyway. When she held up the sparkling ombre gown, my breath hitched in my chest. The bodice started silver and then slowly turned to pale gray as the sequins hugged the waist and then ivory as the sequins changed into beaded fringe below the hips.

“Oscar de la Renta is a genius,” Pippa said in a hush.

It was sophisticated but still young, and I couldn’t resist brushing my fingers across the scoop neckline. This was a dress that would impress even my mother. I knew without asking that it cost more than my monthly salary. Probably more than two months. But it was a sample, albeit one in pristine condition. It wasn’t like Saks was selling it. And how often did I get to impress my mother with an Oscar de la Renta dress and a hot boyfriend?

I locked eyes with Pippa. “Let’s do it.”