Page 72 of My Merciless Don

Ihad Lucia and Kylie on a Zoom call as I was totally desperate to find something to wear on my date. It was embarrassing to admit this was the first date that I had ever been on, which wasn't connected to a job.

After emptying almost my entire closet onto the bed, we had narrowed the choices down to three dresses: a little black dress, an elegant form fitting scarlet number, and an emerald green gown. Since the date was a surprise, I had no idea where we were going, but Marco had said to dress formal.

Lucia and Kylie were going back and forth, extolling the pros and cons of each dress. The green gown was the first to be eliminated on the grounds that it was the least versatile. “You'll save that for when you're sure you're going to a benefit ball or something like that.” Lucia said.

I bowed to her superior expertise and returned the gown to the closet. They asked me to try on the scarlet number, and then the little black dress.

“I mean the red is super sexy,” Kylie said.

“Yeah, it definitely stands out. But are we sure we want to stand out? What if it's not that kind of place?” Lucia asked.

“What kind of place is that kind of place?” I asked with trepidation.

Lucia laughed, “Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's not that kind of place. But since we don't know for sure, I would suggest the black. The scarlet is very confining. It outlines your figure faithfully but also kind of locks you in. There's no give in the satin. The black dress on the other hand is made of stretchy material, so it's more versatile. Plus, the length really allows you to show off those sexy legs. I know Marco will be dazzled.”

I laughed albeit nervously. “You really think so?”

“Yeah. I vote for the black.”

I looked to Kylie expectantly. She shrugged. “I mean Lucia made some good points, so I choose the black as well.”

I nodded with relief. “Great at least that's decided.”

Lucia leaned forward, “Now to the important bit. Accessories.”

I groaned. “What? We're not done yet?”

“Sorry girl.” Lucia said sympathetically before launching into a long dissertation on the virtue of silver versus gold accents to go with the black, and how high a heel I should wear. I let her and Kylie hash it out because I just wasn't in the headspace to make decisions. I didn't think I had ever been that nervous before. Which was weird because Marco and I practically lived together. We did things like walk to the corner coffee shop on a Saturday morning to drink coffee and people watch. Marco particularly enjoyed my take on just who a person was based on the few instants they were walking past us.

We were so domestic, tooth-rottingly so. There was no need for me to be this anxious. But I meant it when I said I wanted this to be a new start for us and this was the beginning of that. I finally tuned into the conversation to find that my two friends had agreed on a silver chain with silver earrings and red bottom heels.

“Thanks, you guys. You are life savers.”

“Have fun with my brother. Drinks tomorrow and a postmortem?”

“Definitely.” I said.

“Okay, then bye.” Lucia signed off immediately.

Kylie gave me a look. “How are you? Are you gonna be able to pull this off?”

I expelled a nervous breath. “No idea. Ask me tomorrow.”

She laughed. “Yeah, alright, see you then. Good luck.”

I gave her a thumbs up and she signed off as well. Grabbing my towel I went to shower.

Once I was ready, I examined myself critically in the mirror. The dress was asymmetrical, with one side being off the shoulder and the other reaching down to my wrists in a belled sleeve. It hugged my curves, but loosely, and fell to just above my knee.

I decided that it wouldn't hurt to wear flesh-colored thigh high stockings with my black Louboutin pumps. I added a silver choker to my neck and put silver hoops in my ears as well as a thick silver bracelet on my sleeveless arm. My hair was piled up in an untidy beehive atop my head, a few tendrils hanging down my face. The mirror was telling me that I looked tall and elegant. I kept my makeup minimal, a soft brown lip and smoky eyes. Looking myself up and down I had to admit that I looked good. Just as I finished, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

I turned around to face Marco. He too, was formally dressed in a black Italian suit, a dove grey satin shirt, and a tie that matched his eyes. I walked slowly towards him letting him feast his eyes on me. He didn't look away for one second until I was standing in front of him.

“You are stunning.” He said in a voice filled with genuine admiration.

I couldn't help blushing, and I felt hot all over my body. I reached out and ran a hand down his chest. “You don't look so bad yourself.” I said in a low voice.

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