Page 83 of Forged By Sacrifice

DANI: Dress shopping, remember?

I had forgotten. I was sure I had something in my wardrobe that would have been acceptable. I’d gone to enough black-tie events in New York with Jared and the model clan, but the thought of going in a dress that Jared had seen me in didn’t settle well in my gut.

ME: I believe I can leave by then. Let me just make sure Theresa doesn’t need me.

DANI: I’ll pick you up at the south entrance of campus, unless I hear otherwise.

When I asked Theresa, she waved her hand at me before making sure I was going to make time for her the following day. I agreed and then headed toward the campus entrance where Dani was waiting. She was in her normal office wear of a pencil skirt and button-down blouse, looking like the epitome of a businesswoman—both classy and sexy, somehow. I hoped to get a few pointers from her eventually so when I started my law career, I’d have the same vibe.

“There’s a dress shop just outside town I go to for these things. They’re really good about doing any alterations on the fly, so if we need any, they can still have the dress ready for us by Friday,” she said as I got into the car.

When we got to the shop, it was an exclusive boutique, and I was sure it came with a budget to match. It wasn’t that I didn’t have money in my bank account, but I was trying to be frugal these days. Trying to ensure the money lasted me through law school and any nonpaid internships I needed to get under my belt before being hired on somewhere after passing the bar.

Dani sensed my hesitation before I was able to disguise it with a smile.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t even think to ask how much you wanted to spend.”

I smiled. “It’s okay. As long as the dress doesn’t cost ten thousand dollars, I’ll be fine.”

“It’s not that high class. I’m on an aide’s budget, remember?”

But I had a feeling, after seeing them all in action this past weekend, that Mac’s and Dani’s incomes were assisted by trust funds.

We entered the store and were greeted by a salesclerk Dani knew. Dani introduced us, and they chatted about their lives and people I didn’t know as she led us back to a fitting area. There had been a few artfully displayed dresses on the mannequins out front but no racks of dresses. This shop was all one-off styles by top-notch designers, like the ones I had been used when I’d been with Jared. It wasn’t something I’d thought would come with me into my new life.

“I know what Dani’s looking for because she texted me some details earlier, but maybe I can get a few ideas from you so I can bring out a few things for you to try?” the clerk asked.

“I’m not really sure,” I told her honestly.

“Okay, long or short?”

“She has to go long. It’s the Chinese Embassy; there are all these hidden rules.”

“You have beautiful brown eyes. Should we go with something to make those pop?” the clerk asked.

Dani laughed. “It isn’t her real color. I’m not sure what is.”

They both looked at me expectantly.

“Green. Pale green.”

“And you have the perfect runway figure. Let me get Dani started, and then I’ll pull a few things for you.”

She brought a handful of dresses from the back into the dressing room for Dani. They were in shades of blue and gray that I knew would look stunning on her with her dark hair and blue eyes.

Dani ducked into the cubicle and came back out a few minutes later in an elegant gray dress that fit her at the waist and then flared out from there. It was beautiful, but not really up to Dani’s normal flair. I made a face.

“Thank God,” she said. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to be one of those people who said everything looks good, or if you were going to be honest.”

“It’s not terrible; it’s just not exactly you.”

She nodded. “It isn’t a dress that screams ‘Take me off.’ I want Russell to be thinking that from the moment he sees me.” When I laughed, she frowned at me—so uncharacteristic of her. “Don’t you dare mention that to Rob?Mac,” she said.

“I wouldn’t think of it. So, this thing with you and Russell isn’t new then?”

“This thing with me and Russell isn’t really a thing.”

“But you like him?”

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