Beneath This Man (This Man 2)

Oh it is. It is also in the realms of ridiculously expensive if the store feels the need to wire it up. There is also no price on the tag – another tell-tale sign that I’ll pass out at the price. I run my eyes down the back of the fitted dress that splays mid-thigh to pool the floor slightly. The design is simple, with a plunged V shaped back, dainty capped sleeves that fall slightly off the shoulder, and a flattering deep neckline. It absolutely screams couture.

‘Jesse loves me in lace.’ I muse quietly. He also loves me in black.

‘Then we should definitely try,’ Zoe hangs it back up. ‘How long have you been seeing Jesse?’ she asks casually.

The question instantly puts me on guard. What do I say? The truth is, I’ve been seeing him for a month-ish and a week of that was spent with Jesse drunk and me nursing a broken heart. A sudden nasty thought invades my mushy brain.

‘Not long,’ I try and sound as casual as Zoe when I follow it up with, ‘Does he bring all of the women he dates here?’

She actually starts laughing. I don’t know if that’s a good thing. ‘God, no! He would be bankrupt!’

It’s definitely a bad thing.

She must catch my expression because she pales a little. ‘Ava, I’m sorry. That came out all wrong.’ She shifts uncomfortably on her heels. ‘What I meant to say was if he brought all of the women he had slept…’ She halts and pales further. I feel slightly sick. ‘Shit!’ she exclaims.

‘Zoe, don’t worry about it,’ I turn my attention to another dress. Who am I kidding? I know he put himself about.

‘Ava, he’s never actually dated anyone. As far as I know, anyway. He’s quite a catch. You’ll be fighting the women of The Manor off, that’s for sure.’

‘Yeah,’ I laugh lightly. I need to get away from this line of conversation. That thought –the one of Jesse with another woman – pops into my head again. Zoe clearly knows his business. ‘Where to next?’ I plaster on a non-jealous, unaffected face, if there is such a thing. I’m bubbling on the inside and bristling on the out. Why did he have to be such a slut?

‘Shoes!’ Zoe sings, leading me off towards the Egyptian elevators.

An hour later, we return to the plush personal shopping area with a young guy pulling a rail of dresses and shoes. Jesse is still sat on the sofa with his phone to his ear.

He smiles brightly and disconnects the call. ‘Have fun?’ he asks as he gets up and smoothers my face with his lips. ‘I missed you.’

‘I’ve been gone an hour.’ I laugh and grip his shoulders as he pushes me back.

‘Too long.’ he grumbles. ‘What have you got?’ He brings me back up to vertical.

‘Too much to choose from.’ I say. I managed to convince Zoe to abandon the lace gown. In fact, I avoided anything that was attached to a security wire.

‘Go try.’ He slaps my bum, and I turn to follow Zoe and the rail into a large fitting room. Zoe’s admiring face doesn’t escape my notice.

For the next few hours, I’m trussed into dress after dress. I count twenty dresses, all of which are stunning and all of which Jesse approves of.

Zoe disappears for a while, leaving me to sit and wonder which bloody dress I’m going to choose. They are all too nice. My head jumps up when she walks back in with another rail of dresses, but these ones are more day dresses and evening dresses, not gowns. I look at her, completely confused.

She shrugs. ‘I’m under strict orders to make you try lots of dresses, so I got these,’ she says as she goes to the back of the rail. She comes back to the front holding the lace gown. ‘And this too.’

‘What?’ I blurt, pushing myself to my feet. I’m in my underwear and gaping like a goldfish.

‘Well,’ She starts towards me, ‘He didn’t say to try this gown in particular, but he did say you must have what you want.’ She smiles brightly. ‘And I know you really want this one.’

‘Zoe, I can’t,’ I stutter, trying to convince my brain that the dress is hideous – disgusting. Damn right awful. It’s not bloody working.

‘If it’s the price that’s bothering you, then don’t worry. It’s within the budget.’ She hangs the dress on the wall hook.

‘There’s a budget? What’s the budget?’ I ask hesitantly.

She turns and grins. ‘The budget is; there is no budget.’

I groan and collapse back into the chair. ‘Can I ask how much it is?’

‘No.’ she replies cheerily. ‘Put this on.’ She hands me a black lace bodice. I start to get myself into it and Zoe turns me around to fasten the row of hook and eyes trailing up the back. I’m distracted from my hesitancy with the thought of Jesse’s face and all this lace. I smile. He’ll orgasm on the spot.

I’m helped into the gown by Zoe and presented to the oversized mirror. ‘Holy shit!’ she exclaims, and then slaps her hand over her mouth. ‘I’m sorry. That was so unprofessional of me.’

Holy shit, indeed. I turn slightly to view the back and gasp a little. It clings to every curve I have perfectly and skims the floor when I raise on tiptoes. The lining under the lace is matt, giving the delicate, intricate pattern a shimmery effect, and the deep neck line is perfect with the cap sleeves sitting just off my shoulders, revealing my collarbones. I hear Zoe scuttle off and return.

She kneels before me. ‘Put these on.’ she instructs. I pull my eyes from the mirror and look down to find a pair of black, sling back Dior heels at my feet. I feel a faint coming on. I slip them on and Zoe stands back. ‘Ava, you have to have this dress.’ she says, deadly serious. ‘Go and show Jesse.’