Page 67 of The Virgin Clause (Caprice Langden)

I wanted to go in search of the man. Demand to know who he was and what his words meant. I was about to step into the foliage where he had disappeared but a hand on my arm stopped me.

“Excuse me, Miss. Are you with Mr. Calegari?”

I spun around to face a red-haired woman wearing a floral sundress and a wide, red-lipped smile.

“If you are,” she smiled at me, “then you’re one lucky woman.” She gestured to a garment wrack on the walkway a few feet away from where we stood. “Mr. Calegari said you were to have your pick. Or several, actually. You look upset. Are you alright?”

I nodded quickly. “Yes, yes, I’m fine. Some man came by. Apparently, he was in a hurry. He knocked me off the path into the bushes.”

A frown creased her previously smiling brow. “Really? That’s what you were doing in the bushes, then. I thought perhaps you’d lost something. Are you hurt?”

I shook my head. “No, not hurt. Did you happen to see him when you came along? He was tall with sandy colored hair. He was wearing...” I tried to think about what he was wearing but he had caught me off guard and it happened so quickly. “I think, khaki shorts and a plain white polo? Maybe.”

“No. I didn’t see anyone on the path until I saw you. Here. Let’s get to your bungalow and you can cool out. If you’d like, I can help you report this to management. They won’t be very happy about your experience. Our guests are expected to behave a certain way. Mr. Calegari will be very upset to learn what happened to you.”

I didn’t want to make mountains out of molehills because of one rude tourist and his cryptic words. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the man’s muttered warnings, I wouldn’t have paid any attention to the incident itself.

“I’ll tell Dante, uh, Mr. Calegari, and let him report it if he feels the need to, if that’s alright.”

She looked concerned but nodded her head as she started to push the wrack towards our room. “Of course. As long as you’re not hurt. If you’re hurt, I’m afraid I need to tell someone.”

“No, really, I’m fine,” I insisted as I opened our front door. Before I had left, I closed all the windows and shutters. The room looked ridiculous boxed up, unnatural and phony. I immediately started opening everything again, letting the fresh air and tropical breeze back into the room.

“Well, then,” the woman said as she started to unwrap the wrack of clothing, “let’s get started. My name is Cecile and we have less than an hour and a half to get you ready for the ball.”

My jaw dropped at just the first peak at the dozen or so dresses that hung side by side on the garment wrack.

“These aren’t all for me?” I asked, astonished at the thought. I ran my hand over the shoulders of the dresses which, like the flowers around the bungalow, were in every color of the rainbow.

Cecile nodded enthusiastically. “They are. At least, some of them. Mr. Calegari said you were to have your choice. There are a dozen dresses here. He said you needed enough for a week so there are plenty to choose from. Although, now that I see your coloring, there are a few that I am going to remove before we get started.” Quickly, she pulled out a gold floor length gown and a hot pink sequined maxi dress and put them on the couch. “We’ll try on the rest,” she said, turning to smile at me and clapping her hands.

“Now, let’s get started. What kind of undergarments do you have?”

I blinked at her rapidly, blushing a little. “Just... regular stuff.”

She nodded and reached for a box on top of the wrack. “Then I’m glad I brought a few with me. Depending on which dresses you choose, I’m sure I have some items that will be perfect for you. Now, strip.”

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