Page 74 of Defend Me

“Very nice, very nice,” Giuseppe says as he circles me like I’m a horse at auction. “Yes, we will turn you from rags to riches, my boy. Chiara!” He claps his hands. “Champagne!”

A tall, dark-haired woman comes over with a tray carrying two flutes of champagne. It’s only eleven am, but I feel like this is definitely a moment for a drink. I gratefully take a flute but then Giuseppe immediately snatches it from my hand and shuttles me up onto a platform in the back of the room, facing an enormous three-sided mirror. Von relaxes onto a small couch nearby. My image is everywhere—I can’t escape myself.

“This is weird,” I say, as she laughs.

“I promise you’re in good hands,” she says.

“Can’t we just get a suit at Macy’s or something?”

Giuseppe looks as if I’ve suggested we go club some baby seals. “Macy’s?” he gasps. “Siobhan, is he making jokes?”

“He’s just new to this experience,” Von says. “Be gentle with him.”

The woman, Chiara, brings her a series of ties to sort through and she turns her attention away from me.

Giuseppe leans in. “My good sir,” he says quietly. “Ms. Evertonhas never brought a man into my shop before. You must be a very special person in her life.”

“Oh,” I say, my neck going hot. “Um, no, it’s not like—I’m her client.”

He gives me a wink. “Of course.”

“No, really,” I say, but Giuseppe ignores me and begins to take my measurements. Chiara leaves Von with the ties and comes over to takes notes.

“Let us try you in charcoal first,” he says, clapping his hands, and Chiara scurries off to retrieve a jacket and button-down shirt. “Off, off,” he says, indicating my shirt. Von has gone completely still on the couch, running her fingers over a royal blue tie, her gaze fixed on me. A slight playfulness tugs at her lips, and I see the same flash of lust in her eyes that I saw in the elevator. While I would love to be shirtless with Von, I was kind of hoping there wouldn’t be any other people around when it happened. I clear my throat and slip my V neck over my head. Von’s gaze rakes down the bare skin of my back. Giuseppe turns me away from her, but I can see her reflection in the mirrors, watching me.

I can’t wait to kiss her again.

I button up the shirt and slip into the jacket. It’s the nicest thing I’ve ever put on in my life. The material is exquisitely soft, and the color compliments my skin. When I look into the dizzying array of mirrors, I feel…good. I look like someone who could be seen with Von. It makes me stand up a little taller.

Giuseppe claps his hands. “Yes!” he cries. “Look at that posture. You feel good, yes?”

“Yeah,” I say, a little bemused. “This is really nice.”

“Nice, he says, nice,” Giuseppe tuts, shaking his head as Von’s mouth curves into that private smile I love. “This is the finest vicuna wool!”

“The color is perfect,” Von says.

“Of course it is,” Giuseppe declares. “Now let’s adjust the fit.”

He pins and shapes until he’s satisfied and then he tells me togo change into the pair of trousers Chiara holds out. Thankfully I don’t need to do that in front of everyone. I slip behind a curtain into a dressing room and change into the pants. Once Giuseppe finishes pinning the hem and measuring the inseam and whatever else, I study myself in the mirror.

“Damn,” I say, turning this way and that. Even with all the pins, I can tell this suit is going to look terrific. I’m like a heightened version of myself. I’m not quite sure how I feel about that—it’s not reallyme.But I think about what Von said about juries. And wearing a well-tailored suit one time in my life isn’t going to change who I am as a person. I glance at her for approval.

“Excellent work, Giuseppe,” she says, standing. “We’ll take these.” She points to various ties.

I step down off the podium to join her.

“It reallysuitsme, huh?” I say, winking at her.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Von groans. “Go get changed. I need to stop by the office.”

I step down off the podium and head back to the dressing room. Once I’m in my regular clothes, we say our goodbyes to Giuseppe and get back in the car.

“I’ve been thinking,” Von says as we turn down Fifth Avenue. “You should stay at the house when we go back to Magnolia Bay for the pretrial hearing. To be honest, we’ll probably stay there until the trial. There will be jury selection, and prosecution witnesses to interview, and I’m tired of Everly Harris dominating the narrative. You’re not going to be in hiding anymore.”

I swallow hard. “Stay in your house?”

The idea of being around Caden and Von at the same time is deeply unsettling. Somehow, I don’t think he’d like the idea of me kissing his sister.

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