heavier on the eyes than normal. I’d always been a light mascara kind of lady. Tonight I had on eyeliner and shadow. I’d looked online for a technique, attempted it three times, and finally figured it out.
I didn’t know the person staring back at me, and I didn’t want to. My real life was in shambles. It was a clusterfuck of madness. I was determined to be someone else for just one night. I needed to feel empowered, and this was the only way I saw it happening.
At three-forty five I heard a car pulling in the driveway. My heart started thumping as I took one last look in the foyer mirror. “This was a mistake,” I thought to myself. Before I could rush in the bathroom and wash off an hour’s worth of makeup, the doorbell was ringing.
I tugged down the dress so it wasn’t so high up on my thighs and took a few deep breaths, determined to act like nothing had changed. I assumed the driver would be picking me up, but instead opened the door to find Chad standing there. He was wearing a pair of dress pants and a button down shirt. His tie had been removed and the first two buttons near his collar were unfastened.
I loathed the way he took in my appearance, and rolled my eyes as he did it. “Excuse me, I’m looking for Rachel. Have you seen her? You must be her younger sister.”
I shoved past him. “Shut up, Chad. I got my hair cut today, and my washer broke, so I had to wear something of my daughters.”
He laughed from behind me. “You should dress like this every day. Damn, woman, no offense, but your husband is a lucky man.”
I froze. Not that I’d ever take anything Chad said serious, but his words this time were like someone putting their hands around my neck and slowly choking the life out of me. I didn’t know how to respond, and I certainly didn’t want this kid to know my personal business. “He is,” I responded, before coming to realize we weren’t going to dinner in the company vehicle. “What happened to the car?”
“Oh, my grandfather needed it for a charity event. You were supposed to attend, don’t you remember?”
It had entirely slipped my mind. I felt like a disappointment as I stood there looking half my age in heels that were definitely going to break one or both of my ankles. “Shit. I forgot about it. It’s been a hell of a week so far.”
“No worries. If you’d like we could swing by after dinner. It’s not a big deal. I’m sure he’d like to see you. My grandfather thinks highly of you. He warned me not to let you go. He told me it was important to do whatever necessary to keep you around and comfortable.”
It wasn’t how I saw things the other day, but I understood why he’d been hush hush. I’d never been able to keep secrets, especially when they involved people losing their jobs. “I have a heart. That’s what he admires about me. Most people in our line of work look for the dollar signs. I’ve always enjoyed what we do.”
He clenched his jaw like he was taking in what I’d said and processing it. It was strange how he wasn’t looking at my body anymore, but more trying to read me from the inside out. I felt uncomfortable.
“We better get going. Traffic was a bitch getting here.”
His steel toned Porsche sat low to the ground. He opened the door for me, while I struggled to find an easy way to climb in without my crotch displaying. I held onto the hem of my dress and basically fell into the seat, finally bringing my legs around in front of me. He closed the door without saying anything, and while he walked around to the driver’s side I thought about getting out and calling it a night.
This didn’t feel like a business meeting. I wasn’t used to tight fitting dresses, or feeling sexy. I didn’t have a dresser full of lingerie. I wore nightgowns and pinned my hair up. The person in this body wasn’t me.
Why was I trying to change again? What had I done wrong?
I started to open the passenger door when he climbed in next to me. “What’s wrong? Did you forget something?”
“I think I should change.”
Chad reached over and touched my knee. I jerked it away as a gut reaction. “Don’t. You