Hidden Love by MINK
1
Pandora
“Are you sure you can afford this?” The sales lady eyes me in the mirror.
No, I can’t afford this dress, but there isn't really much of an option. This is an all or nothing kind of place I’m in. I’m either going to get what I’m after or I’ll crash and burn. I’ve come this far, so no point in stopping now.
“Can you spread it across a few cards?” I ask.
She gives me a look of what I think is disgust.
I bet she can’t afford the dress either. It makes my blood boil a little that she’s being so judgy. Then again, she isn’t the one trying it on and wasting someone else’s time. I smooth my hands down the sides. “Sorry.”
Her eyes soften on me.
“I just don’t want you to waste all your money on a dress.” She walks over toward me and pulls up the top of the dress a little. I am a touch on the top heavy side, but for once I think it’s going to work in my favor. This is a game of seduction, after all. One I’m not really sure how to play, but like most things, I should be able to wing it.
“I need it.”
“No one needs a dress. Especially one this expensive.” Her lips pull up in a half smile. “Don’t tell anyone I said that. I don’t think my boss would approve of me dissuading customers from buying things.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” Now I understand she wasn't trying to be rude, but she was worried I was making a mistake. Maybe I am. There’s only one way to find out.
She sighs resignedly. “If you have to have it, that’s okay with me, Cinderella.”
“Pandora,” I correct her. I thought I gave her my name earlier when she’d introduced herself to me. She looks at me for a second before she takes a step back. Once again, I’m staring at her in the mirror.
“I’ll put the dress on your credit cards. You can wear it tonight and then bring it back to me tomorrow. I’ll return it, no questions asked, and refund your money. Don’t worry about the paper tags. I can get them back on. Just try and leave the one on the care tag toward the bottom hem. That’s the only one that gives me trouble.” Her words surprise me, but I’m not one to pass up an opportunity, so I’m going to do exactly what she suggested. It may have taken me a moment, but now I get the Cinderella reference. If she wants to act like my fairy godmother then I’m going to let her. I could use one right about now.
“That’s so sweet of you.” Something is playing in my favor for once. My cursed luck might be finally running out.
“You going to need shoes and some freshening up? I can get the girls in the beauty department to help.”
I swear I feel as though at any moment she’s going to whip out a magical wand and wave it around. I’m not sure what I did to deserve her kindness.
“Why are you being so nice to me?”
She unzips the back of the dress. “Sometimes a girl can use a little help.”
“Thank you.” I swallow the lump in my throat. I can’t get my makeup done if I’m crying.
I give a silent thank you to my grandma. I know she has to have some hand in this. She was always saving the day for me and maybe she’s somewhere out there doing it again.
“You remind me of my daughter.” Her eyes fill with tears that she blinks away quickly.
I hold the dress to my body as I reach out and pull her into a hug to let her know that I appreciate everything she’s doing for me. She hugs me back tightly.
“Come, I’m sure you have somewhere to be.” She helps me out of the dress. I pull my jeans and shirt back on before slipping my flip flops onto my feet.
She arranges the dress on the velvety hanger and heads out of the dressing room. “Can I ask where it is that you’re going?”
“Anonymous Love.”
She stops walking to turn and look back at me.
I almost run right into her.
“You have a ticket?”
“Not really.” A ticket costs more than the dress. It costs more than my rent for a year. But I don’t plan on letting that stop me.
“You have a date with a ticket?”
I shake my head no. “I’m going to sneak in,” I whisper to her.
“It’s a red carpet event.” She gives me an incredulous stare.
“Why is the carpet red? Does that mean something?”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Her stare turns sympathetic.
“Yes,” I say instantly. I have to do this. Gaines Braeburn has something I want, and I intend to get it back. This is the first place I could find that he was going to attend socially. He’s either at his office or home. Both are impossible to get into. Believe me, I tried. The man doesn't go anywhere else. I think he needs to get a life. I guess if you buy all the beautiful things in the world and shove them into your fancy homes, you don't have to go anywhere. I figure the only way to get inside of his house is for him to take me there. That’s why I need a killer dress.
“I can tell I’m not going to be able to talk you out of this.” She starts walking again. “That necklace you’re wearing could get you a ticket.”
I reach for it. My hand wraps around the gold key that’s covered in jewels. It hangs from the thin chain. The chain might look delicate but it isn’t; there’s no breaking it. The necklace is locked around my neck, not that I ever want to part with it. It’s been with me for as long as I can remember. My grandma told me it would never leave me. It’s the only way to open the box. The box she said belonged to me. The one I know Braeburn has.
I drape it against my chest. “You’d have to cut my head off to get it.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t say things like that tonight.”
“It’s the truth.” I shrug as she leads me over to a high makeup chair in the middle of the cosmetics department. I think she might be right, though. Braeburn is probably looking for the key. He has the box, after all. My box. I want it back. Okay, maybe not back because I’ve never had it, but it still rightfully belongs to me. I want to know what’s inside.
I’ve heard Braeburn’s not a very nice man. If he wants something he’ll get it one way or another. Based on the stories about him, he might not mind chopping my head off to get the key.
I’ll just have to hide it from him and make him fall for me enough to take me to his house. I can get what I want if he desires me more than the key.
“How do you plan to get into this event?”
I arch a brow at her in the mirror. “Seduction.”
