Page 25 of Tamed

“It’ll fit you,” Zara said from the other side of the cubicle door.

“There’s not enough room it in for me and my bra,” I complained. “I’m not even sure panties are going to work.”

“Don’t wear them then,” Zara said cheerfully, as if it was an easy enough decision. “You’d better hurry, though. Your security is going to start getting antsy and I don’t want them doing so until we’ve gotten a good head start.”

I sighed. I could handle not wearing a bra, but ditching my panties was a bridge too far. And if that meant some serious VPL then so be it.

I scrambled into the gold dress, and Zara was as good as her word, it did fit, and it fitted well. It was, in fact, the sexiest, most provocative dress I’d ever worn, and my father would no doubt have been horrified, which was an exceptionally pleasing thought.

There were some strappy gold sandals and a tiny gold mesh purse in the bag, too, and I put the sandals on before stuffing the rest of my work clothing back into the bag and transferring my wallet and phone to the purse. Then, feeling self-conscious, I opened the cubicle door and stepped out.

Zara had changed too and was now swathed in a very long, voluminous, not to mention incongruous, red cloak. Her silver blonde hair was loose, flowing down over her shoulders from beneath the hood that she’d drawn up.

“Wow,” I said, staring at her. “Red Riding Hood?”

“Indeed.” She gave a little bow. “I’m now ready for my wolf.” She straightened then gave me a critical survey, nodding in approval. “I knew it. The dress is perfect. You look fabulous.”

I felt fabulous too, though I wasn’t brave enough to glance in the mirror above the sink. Not that I had a chance since Zara had already turned away and was heading to the cleaning cubicle again.

“Where did you get the dress?” I asked as I followed her. “I hope you didn’t spend any money on it.”

“No, don’t worry. It’s mine. I thought we’d be the same size.” She knocked on the narrow door in the cubicle since it didn’t look as if it could be opened from this side, then glanced back at me. “Follow me out. I’ve got an Uber waiting.”

A second later the door opened, and Zara stepped through it. I followed her into a very narrow back hallway. She was talking to a man who’d opened the door, giving him a smile and a “Thanks, Jay. I owe you.”

He nodded but said nothing as we quickly went past him and out another door that opened into a narrow alley. The Uber was waiting, and Zara headed straight to it.

We got in and then a minute later we were headed back into Manhattan’s traffic.

I sat in the back seat, my heartbeat thumping, glancing out the back window, almost expecting J, J, and M to come charging along the street after me, but there was nothing.

“I…can’t believe it,” I said after I’d checked for the umpteenth time. “I think we did it.”

Zara sat beside me, wrapped in her red cloak, and looking very smug. “Yep. Never doubted for a second.”

“How did you know about that door?” I asked curiously.

“I used to work at Stan’s a couple of years back.” She shrugged. “I always knew that door would come in handy one day.”

I finally relaxed, allowing the nervous tension that had been building all day to bleed out of me. “Zara, you're a goddess. You know that right?”

She inclined her head regally, accepting her due.

It was a heady feeling, freedom. Which sounds dramatic, but when you’d been followed by no less than three men the entirety of your teenage and adult life, your every move under intense scrutiny, questioned constantly about where you were and what you were doing, the feeling of being on your own for once was….amazing.

For the first time in years, no one knew where I was. No one knew where I was going, or with who, or why.

I could do anything I wanted. Anything at all. Such as going out to a secret sex club and maybe —maybe— finding a man I liked and who liked me and something more than just kissing would happen. Though I’d settle for just kissing. Ridiculous to be twenty-three and never kissed anyone before, but when you had a dad like Tennyson Fox the only way it was going to happen was if no one knew who I was.

Tonight, I was going to leave Isabel Fox at the door.

Tonight, I was going to be someone totally different.

“If you’re Red Riding Hood,” I said, “what should I be?”

Zara gave me a considering look. “Scarlet,” she said after a moment. “Either that or Little Orphan Annie.”

I rolled my eyes. “It doesn’t have to have anything to do with my hair you know.”

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