Hollis
The girlthat looked back at me from the full-length mirror in the dressing room really was pretty.
She was everything I ever wanted to be and never could outside of my brother and Bates.
I pushed a strand of hair behind my ears as I turned to the side and looked myself up and down.
I knew he’d want me to pick out something sheer, but I don’t think I’d ever be comfortable enough in something like that, so instead, I chose a jade satin teddy that hugged the curves of my body.
All of them.
Even the one I hated the most.
The sides were sheer enough to satisfy him, but also made sure I didn’t show more than I felt I could. The top part was pretty enough to make me smile slightly.
Black lined and looped around my breasts, standing them up firmly and serving them up to him on a platter.
I closed my eyes for a moment and told myself that it would be okay. That this was the perfect choice and that we’d both be as happy as we could with it, but when I opened them and saw my reflection again, it was still there.
Prominently displayed, taunting me almost, and shifting my demeanor from almost happy to downright miserable again.
With a frustrated grunt, I began to undress, turning my back to the girl in the mirror so that I wouldn’t have to see myself as I really was.
This will have to do, I decided as I placed it on the bench in the dressing room, before I pulled on the clothes I came in with.
I figured, at the very least, he’d like the color and the feeling of the satin against his skin, and this wouldn’t have been a wasted trip.
I didn’t want to come into this store; hell I didn’t want or need anything new, but telling Bates that would have deflated his hope for a good day and I couldn’t do that to him.
“I’ll take this,” I mumbled to Nala as I pulled open the door and walked by her quickly on my way to the register.
The faster I can get out of this goddamn store, the sooner I can stop pretending.
___
“What’d ya get?” Bates asked me with a grin on his face as I exited the store. He got to his feet, picked up his bags, and walked over to meet me.
“This,” I replied softly as I opened the bag just enough to let him peek inside.
“Just one?” he asked me curiously as he raised his eyes to mine. I nodded and he gave me a rueful smile, shifting both bags to one hand, then wrapping his arms around my shoulders. “Then I guess I’ll have to do my best to leave it in one piece.”
I forced a smile onto my face for his sake, leaned into his body, and let him lead me through the mall.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the way we came, so I knew he was trying to make the most of getting me out of the house.
Bates led the way toward an escalator and as I stepped on, I glanced at the people heading the other way.
None of them seemed preoccupied with anything other than their own agendas. Even when he wrapped his arms around me from behind, and gave my belly an affectionate tickle.
No one here is looking at me any differently.
It was a thought I let settle once we reached the top floor, finally feeling at ease that maybe today would be a good day after all.
Bates took my hand in his, gave it a gentle tug when I hadn’t moved yet, then smiled at me when I looked up at him.
“Hungry?” he asked in a cheerful tone.
I nodded.