ChapterTwo
RAVEN
As it happensthat is a trick question. Not only has Cindy already found a replacement to cover the rest of my shift, she also has a back-up plan for my attire.
“Take your waistcoat and shirt off,” she commands, standing up. Barefoot, she pads over to the door and locksit.
I don’t move from my chair. “Why?”
She comes back and stands in front of me. “Just trust me, okay?”
I look at her warily.
“Please. I never ask you for anything. Just do this forme.”
“You better not be making a fool of me,” Iwarn.
Her unusually beautiful indigo eyes stare intently into mine. “Have I ever done anything to hurt you? Ever?”
“No,” I admit, rising to myfeet.
“Good. Now, get those clothesoff.”
I take my waistcoat and white shirt off while she goes to her cupboard and pulls out the waistcoat that she uses sometimes when she has to do an emergency shift. She hands it tome.
“Put it on without the shirt.”
I make a face. “Why can’t I just wearmine?”
“Just do it and you’ll see for yourself.”
I shrug into it and button up. She’s a B cup and I am a full C so her waistcoat is a tight fit, and there is a lot of me onshow.
“Get out of those shoes,” she orders bossily, as she reaches into her bag and pulls out a pair of fake-crocodile-skin high heels.
I gasp with surprise. We saw this pair in a shop window last Sunday while we were out having lunch at the mall. I fell in love with them, but I decided not to buy them. They were pricey, and I could see no use for them in the foreseeable future. She must have gone back and gotthem.
“Put them on,” she urges.
“They were so expensive. You shouldn’t have, Cin,” I protest in an awed whisper.
“Why shouldn’t I have? I knew they would look terrific onyou.”
I bite my lower lip. I love Cindy and I don’t want to insult her, but I want her to understand that I can manage on my own two feet. She doesn’t need to pity me. “Because you’re always paying for everything. I even have to force you to take the money for our half of the bills and now you go and buy these expensive shoes. It makes me feel as if I can’t manage on my own, as if Janna and I are a charity case. If you keep doing that I’ll end up feeling so bad I’ll have to move out and find a differentjob.”
She rests her butt against the edge of the desk. “Listen, Raven. I didn’t tell you this before, but when my father passed away last year he left me his house in Bayswater. I could have moved there, but part of the reason I rented it out was because I didn’t want to move and disrupt the arrangement we have with Bertha for taking care of Janna. There has already been too much disruption in that poor kid’s life as it is, so don’t you dare talk about movingout.”
I sink down into the chair behind me in shock. “You did that forus?”
She shrugs. “Don’t give me too much credit. I was being selfish. I enjoy living with both of you. I love little Janna and our sweet life together. So please, Raven, stop being so proud and start thinking of us as your family.”
“I—”
“Do you know that Star gave Rosa and me jewelry worth more than a hundred thousand pounds? She’s not doing it to show how rich she is or score points. She did it to show us that she loves us. When I give you something I can well afford I’m showing you mylove.”
The backs of my eyesburn.
“No tears tonight. I know you’d do the same for me if the situation was reversed.” She bends down and pecks my cheek then straightens. “Talking of jewelry …”
I watch her walk to the table and dip her hand into her voluminous bag extracting a blue velvet box. “This is the only piece of jewelry you need tonight. Star gave it tome.”
She takes out a choker made of white stones (since Star gave it to her I’m going to assume they are real diamonds) and red stones, again it is safe to assume they’re rubies that have been designed to look like a bowtie. She dangles it in front of my dazedeyes.
“What do you say tothis?”
“Wow!”
“Stand up,” she orders.
Completely bemused, Iobey.
She fastens it around my neck then whips away the clip holding my hair in a secure bun. It falls in a heavy curtain around my shoulders and back. She turns me around and drags me to a mirror behind thedoor.
“Now tell me you’re not going to turn heads,” she asks with a pleased expression on herface.
I stare at myself. Shocking how a diamond and ruby choker can make a simple waistcoat and black skirt look like it was purchased at some designer store. The whole ensemble actually looks hip and stylish. I touch my hair. My inky black hair is my best asset. It is long and shiny. When I was in school the boys used to call me Rapunzel.
I catch her eyes in the mirror. “It’s really beautiful, but I can’t wear something Star gave you. Quite frankly, I don’t think she would be happy if she knew I was wearingit.”
Cindy frowns. “When you give a beggar in the street a pound, do you then hang around to tell him how he must spendit?”
“No, but—”
“Star gave it to me. It is now mine and I can lend it to you, or anyone I please.” She hands me a lipstick. “Slap it on,” she says and moves away from me to start changing into her dress. I color my lips a deep red then turn around to watch her. Her outfit, an emerald green mini with a high neckline, is classic and luxurious. Delicately, she steps into peep-toe silver sandals and does a little twirl forme.
“How do Ilook?”
I smile. “Like a million dollars. When you’re wearing good shoes and your hair is done properly you can get away with just about anything.”