Page 44 of Savage Ruin
I make a note in my phone about the items I can wear with the black blazer, and he raises an eyebrow in disbelief.
Pink rises on my face. “Hey, this is not my area of expertise. I need notes and pictures. And Grayson purchased the clothes.”
His mouth quirks. “I knew it. He’s got truly incredible taste and knows how to dress a woman’s body.”
My mouth turns down at the thought of how many clothes he’s probably bought for women over the years. “The man definitely has great taste.”
He quickly helps me pull together a few business outfits for the trip. “What about dinner? Don’t most of those things include dinner at a swanky restaurant?”
I lift my shoulders. “This is my first business trip. Pack it if you think I’ll need it.”
“Nope, you’re going to pay attention and learn how to do this yourself,” he says sternly. “First outfit—business. This cream blazer, matching blouse, and these navy pants. This works for a business dinner, too. Or you can pair it with jeans for a more casual look. We’ll do shoes in a minute. Take a picture.” He continues to pair options and hold them up for me to snap a picture of each one.
“I think that’s enough. I’m only going for a couple of days, but I love this approach. I can scan through the pictures and pick. It’s a great way to help me find outfits quickly,” I enthuse. Smart man. “Okay, what about shoes for the trip?”
He pulls a pair of navy wedges from the pile on the floor. “Try these on.” When he sees them on my feet, he gives a satisfied smile. “Those shoes will work with any outfit. Always take a pair of flip flops.” He hands me a plain black pair. “Those are from the store. Tag is on them.”
I peel off the tag and lay it on the bed.
He hands me a pair of white chunky-looking tennis shoes. “These are street tennis shoes, and they’re perfect with anything casual, even a dress. I’m not sure if you’re going to do a lot of walking, but it’s good to have a pair with you, just in case.”
“Anything else?”
He picks out a few accessories and adds them to the pile. “You can mix and match the jewelry. This camel-colored belt goes with all the outfits. Done.”
“Wow, we’re done already?” I exclaim.
He laughs. “We’re done with packing for your trip and organizing your closet. Now, we’re getting to the good part—dress up!” He shoves the dresses he picked out for the yacht party in my hand and gestures to the closet. “Go, change, and parade them for me to see.”
For the next three hours, all I do is try on clothes. Mr. Perfectionist looks at every single line, hem, strap, and whatever else is on the item of clothing to make sure it’s up to his very, very high standards.
“Okay, I’ll alter these and get them back to you. Don’t worry, I’ll tag them with the correct area of your closet,” he assures me. “The rest of the rack won’t work for your coloring or body type. You might want to return or donate the additional pile in the closet. And now, we’re done.”
I walk into the closet and look at all the clothes hanging from the rack and the shoes lining the shelves. “I don’t think I’ve ever owned this many clothes in my life.” Our house was simple and cozy. We didn’t have a lot, but I never lacked for anything. Clothes were never a priority for me. Studying was always first.
Peyton comes to stand beside me. “It’s an excellent start. You need a few more dresses for events, but we can add those later.”
I wrap an arm around his waist. “It’s fabulous. You’re fabulous. Thank you. Now, how much do I owe you? Am I going to have to hock my car?”
He’s silent for a moment. “I’ll send you a bill.” He laughs. “The business has been a side dream of mine for a while, but I didn’t take it seriously enough. Things changed when you forced me to attend that ball. For the first time, I could see what it would mean to be a full-time designer. Now, my brain is on fire with all the creative ideas that are popping into my head night and day.”
He bends my head down to look at my roots. “Speaking of… I brought the hair supplies, too. They’re in the bathroom. Why don’t you color your hair, and I’ll get the rest of this cleaned up and back to my car. Then we can go to the beach and relax.”
My mouth quirks. “Oh, thank goodness. My roots have been showing pretty badly.”
“You know, I’d have guessed your hair would be light brown, not blonde,” he replies with a curious look on his face.
“I’ve always liked playing with color. Why be blonde when you have a whole rainbow at your disposal? Pink’s my current favorite.” I shrug, telling him the truth. “Although my absolute favorite was a pretty lilac color, it was too hard to maintain.” I head into the bathroom, letting him clean up the disaster in my room.
* * *
“Okay,spill. What happened with that gorgeous man you met at the ball?” I take a sip of the frosé he brought while I wait for him to answer my question.
He gives a dreamy sigh. “We’re dating. It’s serious, not complicated, and hot, so very, very hot.” His hand waves back and forth. “His name is Cole. He’s a lawyer, but I try not to hold that against him. Some baggage, but nothing I can’t handle. Confident. Knows what he wants. I kind of keep expecting the other shoe to drop. It’s that good.”
“That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you. If you two get married, I’d better be invited to the wedding,” I warn him with a smile.
He shudders. “Marriage is too conventional for my tastes. A piece of paper isn’t really what I’m looking for. I want an interesting and confident man, who supports my dreams as well as his own. Someone who isn’t afraid of life and all its messiness. And above all, a man who doesn’t cheat on me. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but do you know how hard it’s been to find a man like that in Miami? Who wasn’t already taken? Impossible, damn near impossible.”
