Page 29 of Madam Alana

While Celine loaded up on more clothes than she could reallyhold, I found the clearance section and picked through those items, finding alot in my small size. I’d always been thin and petite in stature, but I was tooskinny. The past year hadn’t been very kind to my body. Then again, I’d had aton of rich foods over the past few days, courtesy of a man who loved to eat,so I knew I’d pack on some much-needed extra pounds, filling out to a healthiersize I preferred. I smiled at the thought, making sure I was picking items thatwould be loose on me now, so I’d fit into them with the weight I planned to addover the coming months and years.

When I’d found a couple dresses, pants, and tops that weremarked down, I headed to the dressing room where I could already hear my friendcackling and going through her large stack. I knocked on the door and it openedwith a flourish as she tugged me inside.

I placed the handful of items I’d picked on a hook.

“That is all you got to try?” She pawed through the items Ichose while standing in a stunning cocktail dress that fit so perfectly itcould have been made for her. “And marked down, I see. You know, there’s areason why these are half-price?” She placed her hands on her hips and cockedher head to the side in judgement.

“Leave it be. I’m trying. Until I have my own money, I’m notgoing to go overboard on anything. I want Christophe to keep me.”

Celine dropped her hands to her sides. “They can send usback?”

“Didn’t you read the contract? They can divorce us at anytime, and the money they owe us in the end will be based on time served, not onthe initial commitment. However, I think if we want out, wehavetoalso give back their deposits.”

“Damn. Well, thatdefinitely addsa new level of concern.” She shrugged. “Ohwell, it’s better than being on the streets or having sex with strangers everyday for money, right? I’ll ride the Darren train until that puppy ends at myfinal destination.”

I chuckled and removed my dress to start trying on what I’dpicked out.

When Celine removed the long-sleeved cocktail dress andreached for a new item, I got a good look at her wrists. They were black andblue.

I reached out and grabbed her elbow, bringing her arm higheras I moved my fingers down to her wrists, tracing the dark bruises. “Good Lord.Is he keeping you restrained?” I gasped as my eyes filled with tears.

She yanked her arm out of my hold. “No. I told you. He’sintroducing me to new, kinkier things. He ties me down on the bed and teases meuntil I beg him to take me. He loves when I struggle. I get off on watching himget excited. As I said, we’re trying new things and they can get rough or alittle out of hand. It’s part of learning what the two of us like as a couple. It’snot a big deal.”

“It sure looks like a big deal. Are you sure you’re okay?He’s not hurting you on purpose?” I asked.

Celine sighed. “If I needed help, I’d ask for it. I’mperfectly capable of taking care of myself. I have been for many years, as youknow.”

“I do know that. But we’re a team. We protect and take careof one another,” I countered.

Celine shook her head. “Not anymore, Alana. We have husbandsfor that. It’s time that we counted on someone else. Of course, we’re alwaysgoing to be there for one another, but wehave tobeable to get through the next five years without each other.”

“I don’t like seeing you hurt. It brings up a lot of badmemories and feelings,” I admitted.

Celine pulled me into a hug. “I’m fine. If I wasn’t okay,you are the first person I’d tell. Now, let go of your fears, and let’s have alittle fun. We have never been able to shop with no budget in sight. We can buywhatever we want. Do you know how freeing that is?”

Honestly, I didn’t. I could hardly believe my new husbandhad handed me his credit card and told me not to be frugal. I could have robbedhim blind and disappeared. Not that I’d ever do that, but he was certainly tootrusting in my opinion.

I put on the first dress I’d found. It was marked down toone hundred and eight dollars. Still way higher than I’d ever spent, but it hadoriginally cost close to three hundred dollars, so I figured it was a deal.

“That looks beautiful on you,” Celine said. “You have to getit.”

I looked at myself in the mirror and viewed the dark purpledress from side to side. It did look nice on me, and my black hair shimmeredagainst the fabric. “I’ll take it!” I announced with more confidence than I’dhad when I entered the store.

“Now you’re talking!” Celine high-fived me. “Put on anotherone!”

It took me only twenty minutes or so to put on the few itemsI’d chosen. I only liked three of them which added up to three hundred andeight dollars. I was practically hyperventilating at the cost until Celinegrabbed her huge pile of clothes, and, together, we left the dressing room. Shedumped the lot on the checkout counter unceremoniously.

The cashier’s eyes bulged at the sheer size of the haul. Ibit down on my nail and worried a chipped edge with my teeth as the cost of heritems kept climbing. The total reached four thousand, and I almost passed out.

“Celine,” I whisper-hissed. “It’s too much.”

She grinned. “I know! Hopefully he’ll punish me later in allthe best ways,” she said, finishing with a saucy wink.

The sales associate added up my three items and then we wereoff to the next store. It was filled with lingerie. I purchased one black braand panty set, one nude set, and splurged on four nightgowns. I figured I couldrotate them with my red one from the auction every other day and still look classywhen going to bed. I added a satin black robe and then spied a male robe thatmatched. The robe wasbuyone, get one half off, so Igrabbed one for Christophe. He hadn’t worn a robe at the hotel, but I waslearning that my Christophe liked silky things. He also liked to lounge andrelax, so this would be a nice gift.

Was it still a gift if I was using his money to purchaseit?

I was mulling over the idea when Celine came up behind meand held up a pale-pink teddy with black lace edges. “Youhavetoget this! It would look incredible on you. And it willdefinitely haveyour man crawling all over you in seconds,”she giggled.

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