‘The store isn’t open yet.’
‘I beg to differ.’ She gestured to the staff working to pull dresses, shirts and shoes from racks, transporting them all through a pair of silver velvet curtains.
‘They’ve opened early.’
‘For you?’
‘For you,’ he corrected.
‘Dimitrios.’ She sighed, biting down on her lip. ‘Why are you doing this?’
His hand reached for the collar of her T-shirt, pulling on it gently. ‘Because your clothes are somewhat the worse for wear, and because I can. Because you’re going to be my wife and you will need to dress like it. Because I get the feeling you’ve sacrificed every comfort for yourself over the years just so that my son can have what he needs most.’
She looked up at him, finding his answers strangely breath-taking. She was both embarrassed that he thought so little of her appearance and touched that he understood how miniscule her budget was for her own clothes.
‘It’s been hard,’ she said quietly. ‘But this is too much. I don’t need...’ She reached for the nearest piece of clothing, a pale-pink blouse made of silk with pearl buttons. The price almost made her fall sideways. ‘Dimitrios, this is ridiculous. Who pays this for a shirt, for goodness’ sake?’
He unfurled her fingers from the fabric, then drew her to his side. It was all an act, for the benefit of the staff, but his nearness set warm arrows darting through her body.
‘Don’t think about the price. Just buy whatever you want.’
She shook her head. ‘But I don’t want anything. I know my clothes aren’t exactly glamorous but they’re perfect for me. For my lifestyle. I work from home. I take Max to school. And, whether we’re here or in Singapore, I can’t see that changing.’
‘Last week, the American President came for dinner,’ he said, his voice devoid of emotion. ‘I entertain guests like him regularly. Tell me, Annabelle, what do you have that you would wear to a meal with the President?’
She forced herself not to show how awed she was by that. He was trying to scare her into obedience but that made it all the more important that Annie remember who she was. ‘I’d wear whatever I had that was clean, and a smile on my face, and I’d ask him about his trip to Singapore and his family, and t
hat would be the end of it.’
Admiration showed on his face. ‘I’m not asking you to swan around the house in ball gowns.’ His tone was now one of gentle coercion. ‘Just try a few things on...see what you like. If you decide you don’t want anything at the end of the morning, then that’s fine.’
Gustav returned with a glass so full of champagne it had formed a meniscus. He carried it on a small silver tray. ‘Madam.’
‘Please, call me Annie,’ she insisted as she took the champagne.
‘Yes, Annie. And coffee, sir.’
Dimitrios nodded curtly as he took the cup, making the fine porcelain look unspeakably tiny in his tanned, masculine hand.
His eyes held both a question and a warning. Annie could stand there and argue some more or she could just surrender to this process, try a few dresses on and then tell him thanks, but no thanks. After all, she wasn’t his charity project. She could take her admittedly meagre savings to a department store and buy some new clothes, now that she knew her immediate worries—such as having food on the table—were taken care of.
It was clear that the sales assistants were skilled professionals. The first thing Annie tried on was a linen dress in a colour just like lemon curd. She was only doing it to be obliging, but the second she slipped the dress over her body she felt something click in place. She stared at her reflection for at least ten seconds before reaching for the glass of champagne and taking a large gulp, unable to shift her eyes away.
She looked...like she used to look. She’d never worn anything this beautiful, of course, but the dress brought out the youthfulness of her complexion, reminding her that she was, in fact, only twenty-five.
She stepped out of it quickly, feeling as though the beautiful dress had betrayed her intention not to want any of these designer clothes. White trousers were next, and they were just as flattering. A black-and-white spotty dress followed, then a silk camisole paired with a denim skirt, showing Annie’s slim, tanned legs. An hour passed in a flurry of silk, linen, cotton and chiffon and, unbeknownst to her, a diligent Gustav was piling each outfit she’d tried on beside the cash register. When Annie finally emerged from the sumptuous fitting room—back in her regular clothes—her champagne was empty and her resolve was beginning to soften just a little.
‘Well?’ Dimitrios approached her with a knowing look on his face. ‘Let me guess. You loved them all?’
She had loved them all, but she knew to buy all of them would be unspeakably extravagant. ‘I did. But I particularly loved the yellow dress,’ she qualified, moving towards it and running her fingers lovingly over the fabric. ‘It was...beautiful.’
For a moment, she thought she saw surprise in the depth of his eyes.
‘Then you’ll have it.’ He removed it from the rack. ‘Why don’t you wear it today? It’s appropriate for your next appointment.’
‘Next appointment?’ Despite his generosity, something bristled inside her at his high-handed management of her schedule.
‘A day spa.’