“You flirt with the boss enough, you get the best.” She squeezed her biceps against her breasts, causing them to push out even further. “I think he thinks these are real, bless his heart.”
Did Ethan know?
“I offered to share with Avery, but he turned me down.” She wiped at her eye and then curled a finger at me in a come-hither motion. “All right, miss Kay-Bay-Bay. It’s time for team Fuck You again. F. K. You. Actually, let’s change that.”
“Because using the same name is cliché,” I said.
“Right,” she said. “Let’s try team Kick Ass. No...that’s been done. Team...damn. Thought I had something.”
“Can we focus on getting dressed?” Axel asked.
“Sure, sure,” Fancy said. She waved her hand at him. “Sit down, sweetie. I’ve got some work to do. I may need to order up some more clothes. I’ve got some outfits but we need a different style between the two of us. If they aren’t attracted to me, I need them to be attracted to a different type and that will be you.”
It turned out the getting dressed part was only for me and nothing to do with Fancy. She worked in the robe the entire time, much to the horror of Axel. He focused on the floor as Fancy pulled out her outfits and mixed and matched socks with shoes and dresses and shirts.
I argued against a dress, but she didn’t have much in the way of pants that weren’t leather, Spandex, or very short shorts.
In the end, I wore a light beige corduroy dress, light colored knee-high socks and brown leather loafers. She used double sided tape to ensure the sock stayed above my knees. I kept wanting to slide my foot across the floor because I was afraid the shoes would fall off, being that my feet were swimming in them.
“We’re not exactly the same shoe size,” she said.
“You’ve got much bigger feet,” I said.
“Blame my big man piece,” she said. “You know what they say about big shoes.” She reached down and adjusted herself a little through the sheer material. She turned then, catching how Axel was looking at the floor. “Are you even paying attention?”
“I’m listening,” Axel said.
“Do you even see this girl?” she asked. “I was going for smart-ass Kayli, cute and diminutive.”
“It’s the only dress with pockets,” I said.
Axel looked up, at first catching an eyeful of Fancy and quickly looked at the wall. His eyes shifted again, going more slowly until he focused on me. His lips parted slightly. He tilted his head as he checked out the loafers and then the dress. “Is that even you?”
I turned slightly, holding my arms up. The dress only showed a hint of my boobs, and it was mostly showing off legs. Cute, but not really me. “Dorky?”
“It’s a different you,” he said. He stood up and then made a circle around me. I started turning to face him as he did, but then he put his hand up in a stopping motion. “Don’t move,” he said. “I just want to look.”
“The skirt is too short,” I said. I smoothed my palms down, and my fingertips were brushing against skin at my thighs. “I feel like I’m going to flash my butt.”
“Good,” Fancy said. “You should flash some ass once in a while. Make them crawl to you, begging to give up their dirtiest secrets.”
“Is that your angle?” Axel asked. “We didn’t even talk about your role in all of this.”
“My role is kicking ass with Kayli,” she said. “We’re going to work with that floor.” She motioned to me. “Diminutive, innocent and smart or…” she slicked her hands down her stomach and her hips. “Take a chance on the seductive and steal-you-away-from-your-wife Fancy.”
“I hope you’ve got a plan B,” Axel said.
Fancy put her hands down in a harrumph. “My plan B is a Glock in their nose until they confess to everything. No one can ignore a gun.”
“Let’s try to go without the guns,” I said. “We’re just looking for info.”
Fancy looked at me and then slowly trailed her eyes up and down my body. “You know, it’s missing something.” She went to a handbag that was on a side table near the bed and pilfered through it. She plucked out a pair of large brown-rimmed eyeglasses and brought them over to me. “Try these.”
“I don’t need glasses,” I said.
“They’re for fashion,” she said. “Clear lenses.”
I put the glasses on, finding them to be decorative rather than prescription. They were a little weird-feeling. I thought they’d fall off my face so I kept touching the bridge over my nose and then holding onto the side of them. They didn’t seem to move but still felt loose. “I’m going to lose these,” I said. “I feel like they’re going to fall off.”
“They just need adjusting,” Axel said. He scooted around again and then for the first time since he’d been on board, he actually smiled. “Fancy,” he said. “Don’t believe anything anyone else says about you. You’re a genius.”
“What are other people saying about me?” she barked, almost dropping into her man voice. Then she waved her hand as if to ward off his answer. “Doesn’t matter. Nope. This Fancy doesn’t give a shit. Jealousy is the only thing she hears.”
“Right,” Axel said. “Anyway, if you can pick out more outfits for her that are like this one from the shops downstairs, we can work this angle. And if you’re willing, flirt with the men from Nightingale to see if they’re receptive. Are you comfortable with that?”
“Never a problem,” Fancy said, swinging her hips as she went to pose. “Do you want me to get down and dirty with them?”
“Ew,” I said.
Axel didn’t react. “Actually, if you’re willing, do you think you could capture a couple of dirty images if you do?” he asked. “Discreetly?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Let’s go, Kayli,” Axel said.
“Why are we doing this?” I asked.
Axel shrugged and then moved tow
ard the door. He put his hands into his white pants pockets as he moved. “We might need them later.”
“Why?” I asked, clomping after him in the oversized loafers. I turned and went back for my clothes, and realized I wasn’t going to be able to pick up the boots and other things without bending over, and then I’d be flashing my bits at them. “Axel,” I said.
He stood at the doorway but didn’t turn. “Because there’s going to be a time when we’re going to try to knock a few out of their positions. We might need the blackmail.”
“Axel,” I said again with a little more whine.
“I don’t suppose you have another suggestion.”
I blew a raspberry to get his attention. “Axel.”
He turned this time and looked at me.
I pointed to the clothes on the floor. “Half of those don’t belong to me,” I said. “I need to give them back.”
“Burn them,” Fancy said, waving her hand at the pile. “Don’t even bother.” She moved to the suitcase, and this time, she bent over, pushing the one on top out of the way to get to the one below it. She was exposing her butt to Axel, all the deep dark corners of it. “But now it’s my turn to dress up.”
Axel crossed the room, picked up the clothes, grabbed my elbow and practically carried me along with the clothes to the door. “Thanks, Fancy.”
She wiggled her butt in his direction and then stood slowly, winking over her shoulder at him. “Thank me later, sweetie. Maybe you and I will get to go over those pictures privately.”
MAKING AMENDS
As we left Fancy, I slipped down the hallway in the loafers, trying to get used to them, as Axel carried the clothes. It wasn’t until we were several doors away down the hallway that I realized I’d have to return tomorrow for another outfit. I’d have to go through that again? “When we get back to Charleston,” I said, “and if we’re still involved in this, I’m going to need my own wardrobe. I don’t know if I can handle this every morning.”