Amour éternel

chapter 20

Jacky pulled Anaïs into the guest bedroom as soon as she got back to the apartment. She told her that she had a date, though of course she didn’t mention that it was Dominic, and that she needed a girl’s opinion on the dress she had chosen. 

Anaïs gushed over the silky fabric and declared that Jacky has amazing taste in shoes.

“These heels are absolutely gorgeous,” she said, “Black stilettos with red bottoms make a sexy statement and they definitely compliment the dress. Quick, put it on to see how it looks together.”  

Jacky slipped into the dress enthusiastically and breathed a sigh of relief when everything fit into its right place- The fabric hugged her form, dipped in a provocative V over her breasts, and created a marvelous silhouette that made her gasp when she looked in the mirror. 

“I didn’t know I could look like that,” she marveled, “I almost look… hot.”

“You’re gorgeous; the man you’re going out with tonight isn’t going to stand a chance. 

He’ll be a puddle at your feet the second he takes a look at you.”

“You think so?” Jacky asked.

She looked at herself from every angle and smiled. She felt feminine and sexy and ready for anything. She felt like she could take on the world. Who knew a simple black dress with no decoration and no flash could make a woman feel so powerful. She felt… well damn it, she felt pretty and she hadn’t felt that way before. 

“I absolutely know so.”

“Even if he’s rich and high class and probably used to dating models?”

“If he has a heart beat, trust me, he will.” 

Jacky grinned at Anaïs and dared to believe her. Maybe Dominic was a temperamental, rich artist or maybe he was a psycho with a tendency to stalk- either way, she knew she looked good and the self-esteem boost helped win back her confidence. That woman at the shop had very nearly made a dent in her spirit… now Jacky couldn’t even remember the sting. 

****

“What was all the screaming about?” Ryder asked when Anaïs returned to his side. He had just gotten off the phone with Nikolas. He was pleased to hear that Iris’ pregnancy was going well. No morning sickness so far. 

“Oh just girl stuff,” Anaïs answered, “were you talking to the pilot again?”

“No with Nikolas. He finally convinced Iris that she didn’t need to go to the airport with him and put herself in danger.”

Anaïs chuckled, “How did he manage to do that?”

“I haven’t a clue. How are you feeling?”

Anaïs knew it wasn’t a simple question. Ryder was studying her closely and it made her wish she was better at hiding her emotions. She was worried and she was sad. She was angry at herself for being in the situation that she was. She was happy for Nikolas and Iris and excited to see them again. She was… tired, so goddamn tired. What was worse, she couldn’t see an end to this mayhem. Shapeshifters were so terribly hard to capture. They could be anyone.