An Escort's Contract

Chapter 5

She didn't know how it had happened, but she'd woken up in her bed, snuggled under the sheet. Adela sat up and stretched before hopping out of bed, only to stop short at the bedroom doorway. The smell of toast assailed her as she made her way to the kitchen and saw something that made her mouth go dry. Ethan was making breakfast in....how had he found one of her dad's old shirts? It was a little on the small side for it hugged him like a well pleased lover. Her eyes trailed down his back before she cleared her throat and poured herself a glass of water before turning back around to face him. Her cheeks were still a little flushed but not nearly the dark pink they had been when she'd first spotted him.

"Where did you find that?" She croaked before he glanced up at her and indicated the shirt which said 'Born to fish, forced to work' across it in faded cream letters.

"I looked through one of your laundry baskets to find it. I didn't want to sleep in my suit and wanted something comfortable to wear, I hope you don't mind?" He looked a little concerned for a moment, as though he was so sure she would get mad at him over a shirt.

"I don't mind; it just looks so strange to see someone wearing it again." Adela responded, forcing herself to cross the lino floor to poke her head under his arm. "Peanut butter and honey? A man after my own heart you are."

She laughed and saw him raise one dark brow questioningly before handing her the plate of toast. She took it, only to crinkle her nose at the coffee he'd made and give it a wide berth whilst trying to hold back the urge to gag a little. Even though the morning sickness was mostly gone, the smell of coffee was still decidedly unpleasant to her. She sat down and was about to start eating when he stopped, plate in hand to study her for a moment.

"I've been thinking, now before you shoot it down. Please hear me out," He started as she went to open her mouth with a small frown on her face, "with time running out, we need to get you an outfit for this event, correct? Is there a theme?"

"Alice in Wonderland, the movie version....my sister doesn't exactly read a lot of books." She saw him chuckle softly and then he came over before sitting down at the small table opposite her.

"So what do you want to be?" He queried and she smiled mischievously before taking a small bite of one bit of toast and then waited until she'd finished her mouthful to respond.

"I always did like the Cheshire Cat...and my sister will undoubtedly demand that only she gets to be Alice. So why don't I be the infamous Cheshire?" She responded and he quickly looked up what the cat had looked like in the adaptation the sister had specified.

"That seems easy enough, black and blue, or dark blue with some sort of sparkly overlay thing right?" He asked before making a thoughtful sound.

"Let me guess, we'll be going shopping after breakfast?" She asked dryly and he looked surprised at her tone before nodding with a small laugh. She gave him a confused look and he gestured at her with his bit of toast.

"You're getting more backbone already, that's good." He explained before trying to finish his coffee when he spotted her eying it with distaste. They finished their breakfast without much else in terms of talking, each of them stuck within their own thoughts.

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Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the price tag on the dress she had liked. Had, being the operative word. At almost $600 it seemed decidedly pricy. But she tried it on anyhow, walking out in her kitten heels and clearing her throat so Ethan would turn around. He looked her up and down, that was all it took for her heart to try and jump out of her chest. The low neckline had worried her, but she had enough there to actually make the dress compliment them for once. The fabric was semi-transparent and silky smooth to the touch, navy at first glance but stripes of silver and onyx shimmered into being at closer inspection. The skirt of the dress flowed like a waterfall, luckily she had worn black underwear as the floor length gown was decidedly close to sheer when it got down past the waist line.