Page 225 of Vicious Saint
Oopsies.
He tilts his head to make a suggestion in Italian.
“A necklace? Really?”
Carlo chef kisses the air, making me laugh.
“Well, then I guess we’ll go looking for one, then.”
“Great idea,” the assistant cuts in with a sarcastic smile. “Maybe he should start now.”
“Fuck off, lady.” I say as I return to the dressing room. “Doubt you get paid enough to catch a beating.”
Her threat to call security is the only reason I instruct Carlo to head back outside the room, along with the sound of someone changing in the stall next to mine.
It takes memultipleonceovers, squished faces, and contemplations to seek the opinion of a stranger before stripping off the dress, and would’vesocaved to the last one if the chick wasn’t huffing dramatically over whatever she tried on.
After all is said and done your girl’s a struggle-bussin’ mess with dresses, boots, and bag in hand, dealing with a handle to a door deciding to get stuck.
I twist. Then twist some more. Until the door flies open, and I stumble forward, along with everything I’m holding onto, including my open bag.
Karma must be a minimum wage Macy’s employee.
“Fucking aye…” I curse and drop onto my haunches, collecting my entire life off the floor.
“Here, let me help.” Huffy chick appears out of the stall, with blonde hair, dangling a Louie and gown.
I take note of a subtle accent.
European maybe?
“Thanks,” I tell her when she lowers in front of me, then again when she hands me my wallet.
“No worries. Happens to me all the time.”
“What’s your name?”
“Leerie,” she states, picking up my school I.D. and looking it over. “Hendrix Montgomery.”
“In all my glory.”
Leerie grins, doing the honors of placing the I.D. in my bag. “Hendrix…that is quite the unique name.”
“So many people say.”
“After the musician, I assume?”
“Grandfather loved him.”
She studies me intently, gathering my pencils. “I love the color of your eyes…they’re pretty rare.”
Uh. Am I getting hit on right now?
Not mad about it…just taken aback by the forwardness.
With an awkward smile fit for a straight person, I tell her, “Many people say that too.”
Another grin widens Leerie’s lips as she puts the last of the pencils in my bag, then, once it’s filled and the dresses are on my arm, we climb to our feet.
