Page 91 of Until the Sea Runs Dry

“I’d love to, but this is all for Jane. There’s no way I’d be able to afford a dress like this. It’s way, way out of my ballpark.” Clare deflated a little, embarrassed by the very admission.

Fiona refused to accept her answer. Her chin tilted up stubbornly. “You’re here, anyway. Who knows when you’ll come back again. It’s no problem for me if you try the dress on. I don’t work on commission.” She winked, letting her know that she meant it.

“You’re sure that’s OK?” Clare could feel herself caving. The dress was just so beautiful. When would she ever get a chance like this again?

Fiona escorted her to the changing room. “Here you go. I can’t wait to see how you both look.”

Inside her own changing room, Jane stripped down to her underwear and slipped into the dress. It fell over her body like a ripple of air. Though the dress covered her in all the right places, she felt as if she wasn’t wearing anything at all.

There wasn’t a mirror in the changing room, which must have been by design.

She stepped outside. The end of the short hallway spilled into that lounge area where mirrors abounded. She went there now, wondering if the dress would even suit her. Wouldn’t she look ridiculously out-of-place wearing something so luxurious?

When Fiona saw her, she drew in her breath.

“Oh, Jane. Sensational. Just sensational.”

Jane stared at the woman in the mirror, shock radiating through her body. The comparison she had made in her mind to air, was perfect. The dress caressed her body in such a lover’s embrace that it was almost impossible to see where the dress ended and she began.

She turned to inspect herself from all angles. Every curve, every line of her body was on display.

Though maybe a bit too much.

There wasn’t an inch of her that wasn’t exposed: the dress left nothing to the imagination.

Trailing skirts and bare feet padded behind her until Clare’s reflection came into view. Jane’s mouth fell open.

“Clare! You look wonderful!”

And she did.

The emerald green silk dress she wore really showed off her curves, and the color made her bronze skin seem as if it glowed. Clare beamed, pleased by the compliment, a rosy flush on her cheeks. Stepping around her, her eyes widened when saw Jane full-on.

“I’m sorry. I was expecting to see my friend, Jane, and not this sexy model who could give Marilyn a run for her money.” She circled her, taking it all in. “I don’t know how you’re wearing that thing? It doesn’t even look real.”

She made a curvy gesture with her hands. “It is very va va voom. Methinks, Logan — and just about every man in the universe — will lose their minds when they see you in that.”

Far from being pleased by her comment, there was an anxious flutter in Jane’s stomach. “You don’t think it’s too revealing?”

“You can’t see through any of it. It just lets everyone know what a gorgeous body lies beneath the dress,” Fiona jumped in.

Jane inspected her reflection, still with that flutter. “I’m not sure I want to be exposed like that to the world.”

“But… a body like yours needs to be admired. I’d kill to have curves like yours.”

Fiona twisted her slim, manicured hands, thinking that Jane was out of her mind to not show off her every asset.

“I believe Jane might be less Instagram Kardashian and more Oscars red carpet, am I right?” Clare addressed the question to Jane who nodded, surprised for the moment that she even knew who the Kardashians were from memory — and quite a bit so, as the dangerously sexy and heavily made-up Kim flashed into her mind. But she had not recognized Logan that first day.

The irony wasn’t lost on her.

“Yes. I’m sorry, Fiona. I’m just not comfortable revealing so much of myself. I don’t want to be that kind of spectacle.”

Fiona did an admirable job of swallowing her disappointment. “No fear, I have many more dresses for you to try.”

“I guess I’ll just have to keep you company then.” Clare pretended to sigh. “Can’t have you feeling lonely, even if this dress needs to come home with me — I for one, have no problem letting the world see my fabulousness!”

Jane shot her a grin that lit up her whole face. Reaching over, she squeezed Clare’s hand. “I’m so glad you’re here with me.”

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