"Me going with you tonight. I don't want to ruin anything for you."
"Nina, you could never ruin anything for me. You're the woman I love and intend to marry in a few short weeks. Tonight is more for me than anything else. I don't want to go, but at least if you're with me, I'll be happy."
"It's just that..." I stopped myself and then said what was really on my mind. "No matter what Angelo brings for me to wear, I'm not going to look like the women you usually take to these kinds of affairs."
Tristan stood from his chair and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. "I don't have any interest in those women. I've told you that. They're picked because they look like the typical type of woman men like me date."
"But that's the point I'm trying to make. I don't look like that type of woman."
"You don't see many of those relationships lasting very long, do you? What kind of man wants to be with a woman who loves the way she looks more than she loves you?"
I looked down to avoid his stare, no matter how much love I knew was in it. "I just don't want to embarrass you."
He gently forced my head up with his hands on the sides of my face so I had no choice but to look at him. His caring eyes stared intently down into my eyes. "I don't ever want to hear you say that again, Nina. I love you for many reasons, but I won't lie. The way you look is one of those reasons. It may not be the only reason or the main reason, but I think you're beautiful. I don't want a stick woman who doesn't enjoy the food I want to buy her or who thinks spending hours doing her makeup and hair is important. I want you because you aren't like them. I can be myself with you. You don't know how much that means to me. I've spent years around women who I had to pretend with. From the first night we met, I didn't have to be anyone but myself. I love that in you."
His words convinced me. I could be the person I needed to be for these events. "Okay. Let's do this."
"That's my Nina. Now go enjoy a nice bath while I discuss something with Jenson. I'll let you know when Angelo arrives."
The bath helped relax me a little, but the reality was that I was terrified of being compared to those other women he always escorted to events. After spending enough time in the water to get pruney, I dressed in the clothes I'd worn that day and fiddled with my hair to get that upswept look like movie stars wore to award ceremonies. Over and over, I twirled and twisted my light brown hair only to have it fall down in a mess around my face. The problem was that Tristan's bathroom had none of the necessary items required to keep my hair like that.
Sure it was hopeless, I stared into the mirror wondering how I'd ever pull this night off. I could probably do something pretty nice with my makeup, but no hair pins meant my sort of straight in parts and sort of curly in other parts look would be the one I'd be stuck with.
Crestfallen, I tried once more only to have the end result be the same, but then an idea struck me. I tore through the house to find Rogers. If there was a hair pin or anything else that might work, he'd be the one to have it. I found him arranging the silverware in the kitchen and as I tried to catch my breath, pleaded, "Rogers, I need hair pins. Please tell me somewhere in this house there's something that can help me look like the women who go to these affairs Tristan attends."
His expression was blank for a long time, and then his long face lifted into a tiny smile. "I think I might know where one or two are, miss. Give me a moment, please."
Thrilled, I nodded excitedly and watched him walk off toward the area of the house he lived in. I waited impatiently, shifting my weight from side to side as he was gone a minute and then five. Finally, he returned with two silver pins that would definitely work.
He handed them to me with a slight bow. "I think these may do the job, miss."
Grabbing them, I turned to race back to the bathroom but turned back as I hit the hallway outside the kitchen. "Thank you, Rogers! You're the best."
The butler nodded and bowed again, deeper this time. "You're most welcome, miss."
The hair pins did the trick and within fifteen minutes I'd transformed myself into a sexy temptress with a gorgeous upswept hairdo and smoky eyes that were all the rage in magazines. Tugging a small clump of hair near each temple out of the pins' hold, I looked in the mirror, pleased with my efforts. I may not look exactly like those actresses Tristan usually had on his arm, but I was sporting a rather sophisticated look, if I did say so myself.
I heard him call my name and found him and a man who I assumed was Angelo in the foyer near the front door. His shopper was thin, immaculately dressed, and expressive, to say the least. He held five dresses in his hand out to the side and almost above his head—all formal gowns that I was sure would look stunning, even on me.
"Mr. Stone, I have five dresses in exactly the young lady's size. Which do you prefer?" he asked with a flourish of his free hand.
"Angelo, I think it would be better to ask the young lady. I pay you to shop for me for a reason."
The man feigned a bow. "As you wish. Miss, which would you like to begin with?"
I turned toward Tristan. "Do we have time for me to try on more than one?"
My question seemed to amuse him. Smiling, he said, "We have as much time as you need. We'll arrive when you're satisfied with the dress. And if you don't like any of these, I'm sure Angelo has more just outside."
I saw a pained look cross Angelo's face telling me he'd brought no more than what he held in his hand. Stepping toward them, I looked through them quickly and picked a black strapless one with a slight bustle in the back. "Let's try this one, Angelo," I said with a smile, hoping he'd see I didn't want to make this job as difficult as Tristan seemed to.
"Black it is, miss."
I tried to take the dress from him, but Tristan ordered him to follow me back to the bedroom with the dresses. Walking back to our room, I heard him attempt to make small talk with Tristan, with little success. As I entered the bedroom, I turned and took the dress from him.
"We'll be out here waiting, Nina," Tristan said with a wink as I closed the door to the dressing room and bathroom.
I soon found that Angelo was just as good with formal wear as he was with my work clothes. The dress fit flawlessly in all the right spots, accentuating my figure and hiding those areas that I'd always stressed over. My breasts looked perfect, and as I twirled around in front of the mirror, I saw the bustle made my behind look incredible.
Looking down at my bare feet, I suddenly realized I didn't have shoes. I flung open the door and before either man could say a thing, exclaimed, "I have no shoes! I can't go without shoes!"