of disappointment must be plastered on my face and quickly put on a smile.
“Of course,” I try to give a casual shrug.
“So, what would you like to start with, Miss Madison?”
“Could you call me Lilly, please?” I feel uncomfortable having a girl who is surely the same age as me refer to me as miss.
“But of course. Lilly, it is.”
“A new dress to start would be nice.” I gesture towards the rumpled floral mess I’m wearing. “This one is done, I’m afraid.”
“Sure thing.” Sarah guides me towards a rack of gorgeous dresses. “I think a dark blue might be nice with your coloring. What about this silk? It’s a bit more daring than what you have on now but certainly still appropriate for daywear.” I eye the plunging neckline of the dress she holds up for me dubiously, but agree to try it on. Within minutes, Sarah has pulled a selection of items for me to model for her, chattering to me all the while.
“Oh, you look absolutely lovely,” Sarah exclaims when I parade out of the dressing room with the first look, a creamy white backless romper that leaves me worried I’ll expose a nipple to all of Fortuna casino.
“It’s not too much?” I ask cautiously, surveying myself in the mirror.
“It’s perfect. People labor under the delusion that you have to be tan to wear white but the big secret is, wearing white makes you look tan already.” She’s flurrying around me as she talks, adjusting a hem here and a strap there. “We’ll just pair it with this Gucci belt,” she wraps it around my waist before I can protest, “and you’re all set. And then some plain white sandals. I’ll send you on to the shoe shop after this,” she says kindly, looking skeptically at the beat-up old sandals I currently have on.
“Thank you so much, Sarah.” I feel myself start to breathe easier. This is racier than what I’d wear at home but it’s still me.
“Of course. Just doing my job. Any special guest of Mr. Milner’s gets the VIP treatment,” she gives me a wink. “And every girl needs a little Gucci on her birthday!” She gives a giggle.
“How does everybody know it was my birthday?” I blurt the question out before thinking. But she’s the third person to make mention of this fact even though I don’t recall ever telling David about it.
“Oh, it’s likely in your comp file,” Sarah shrugs like this is no big deal. “Your name appears in red in the system so we know to comp you. Were you celebrating yesterday? Ordering birthday shots or anything?”
“Yeah, we ordered birthday shots after playing the slots.”
“That’s probably it.” Sarah gives me a grin. “The eye-in-the-sky is all-knowing. Let me get some more looks for you.” She bustles off.
She meant the comment as a joke but the thought of it creeps me out and sends a shiver down my spine. It reminds me of David’s deceit. Although he didn’t technically lie outright, his willingness to indulge my delusion that he was simply a pit boss still stings. Or maybe it’s just making me feel foolish, I bite my lip, looking back at myself in the mirror. Do I really want to spend the next six nights with this man, in this world?
“Here’s some evening gowns,” Sarah hurries up, dragging a rolling rack of gorgeous, floor-length dresses behind her.
“I’m not sure I’ll need any of those,” I hurriedly start to wave her off but she isn’t having it.
“You absolutely will! If Mr. Milner takes you to dinner or a show, I’m sure he’ll appreciate it. And some of the restaurants have dress codes,” she adds, before I can argue further. She’s already hustling me into the changing room and thrusting a dark red, floor-length dress after me. “Try that.”
“Do you like working here, Sarah?” I can’t help but ask through the dressing room door as I struggle to wriggle into the figure-skimming gown.
“Absolutely! Mr. Milner’s casinos are the best in town. He’s an excellent employer.”
“Does he know every employee’s name?” I’m remembering how he seems to address each individual we meet personally.
Sara’s tinkling laugh pierces the partition between us. “I think he just might. I haven’t heard him make a mistake yet and he greets everyone from the pit bosses to the housekeeping staff.”
“I noticed,” I murmur. “Can you zip me up please?” I step out and shuffle towards her. The dress is way too long for me in my bare feet.
“Absolutely.” She zips