Page 11 of Avoiding Temptation
“Okay, we’ll steer clear of Bond Street then.” He chuckles. “I’m not sure they’ll have the kind of thing we’re after, anyway.”
Side by side, we walk towards the tube station. He looks relaxed as ever while I feel like I could pass out any minute at the rate my heart’s pounding in my chest. I might be breaking all the rules, but I’m about to get a taste of the life I’ve always wanted, I’m sure of it.
“I’ve never stepped foot inside a Topshop before.”
“Where did you come from? Narnia?”
“Might as well have been,” I mutter as we descend the escalator.
“We’ll need to be quick. They close soon.”
We step from the escalator and Joe darts right, as if he knows exactly where he’s going.
“Do you trust me?”
“Uh…”
“Go to the fitting rooms, get undressed, and I’ll get some options.”
“How much do you know about women’s clothes?”
“Enough. Now go.”
Thankfully, there’s no assistant hovering at the fitting rooms, so I rush into the first cubicle and strip out of my twinset.
Standing there in my boring cotton underwear, I start to question my sanity. I’m standing basically naked waiting for one of my students to bring me a new outfit to wear on a crazy night out.
I should be concerned, but everything I’ve been worrying about seems to vanish when I'm with him. That might freak me out, but it’s also such a relief after looking over my shoulder every second since I arrived here.
“Quinn?”
“In here.” I poke my head out of the curtain. Joe’s eyes drop despite the fact that I’ve got the curtain draped around me.
“Put these on.” He thrusts a couple of hangers at me, and I slink back behind the curtain.
“Uh...where's the rest of the top?” I ask, eyeing the tiny bit of fabric in my hands.
“Probably in the bin, which is exactly where that bloody twinset is going in a few minutes. Now stop complaining and put it on.”
Rolling my eyes at him, I pull the skinny black jeans from the hanger and attempt to pull them up my legs. I feel like Sandy as she tried to get those leather trousers on inGrease.
Amazingly, they fit like a second skin, and even I can appreciate how good they look. I’ve never seen my legs like this before. I always thought I was a little short and stumpy, but I’m realising that might have been the a-line skirts.
Next, I remove the scrap of fabric that I’m assuming is meant to be a top from the hanger and pull it on. What little there is of it is covered in silver sequins. It’s short enough to expose my midriff, something I can honestly say has never seen the light of day before, and apart from the spaghetti straps across the back, it totally exposes that as well.
“I’m not sure about this,” I say to the curtain.
“Show me,” he demands.
“Fuck.” I stare at myself in the mirror, and it’s like there’s a different woman looking back at me. Gone is the boring, nondescript woman I’m used to, and in her place is a stylish, young lady who has the city at her feet.
I run my fingers through my bobbed hair in an attempt to give it some volume and blow out a deep breath.
My hand shakes as I lift it to pull the curtain back. The second it’s in my hand, I shut my eyes and just go for it.
“Fuuuuuck,” Joe groans, and my eyes pop open in horror. Only, the expression on his face doesn’t show that of disapproval like I was expecting. It’s full of heat, and the sight of it has desire pooling between my legs.
“I feel naked,” I admit, covering my bare stomach with my hands.
