The Illusion (Book Two in The Illusion of Certainty Series)

Knives again?

We exited the dressing room and told the woman we didn’t find anything. She tried her hardest to sell us something but Sophie and I moved on. The next two shops were like the first. The attendants eager to help us but neither of us finding anything. In the fourth Sophie finally found the right dress, a floor length sheath number. Emerald, just like she wanted and a halter. The attendant was ecstatic with joy as she rang it up and Sophie paid.

She didn’t even comment on me.

I left laughing and Sophie looked fairly amused.

The next shop proved to have the right dress for me. Sophie knew the moment the attendant pulled it off the shelf. It was a dark sapphire, a little sparkle, mid thigh, no straps.

“Twirl,” Sophie said.

I rolled my eyes and twirled. It was free flowing but when I was still the fabric clung to my skin.

“Perfect! Luke!” Sophie called. Luke opened the door; his eyes automatically fell on me. “What do you think?” she asked.

He smiled, a rare occurrence. “Perfect.”

I blushed and smiled back. “Really?”

He came in and closed the door. He rounded the couch Sophie sat on and took my hands. He held me out at arms length.

“Really.”

I sighed. “Ok.”

His phone buzzed then and he released one of my hands to answer.

“Yes?”

I heard my father’s voice on the other end but I couldn’t figure out what he said.

“Ok,” Luke said. “They’re finishing up now.”

My father asked a question and Luke looked at me, the corner of his mouth lifting. “Yeah. She found one.”

I heard what I thought was “Thank God” and then the phone went dead.

Luke squeezed my hand and then pocketed the phone.

“They’ve set the date. You leave right after the formal. I hope you really like that dress. You won’t have time to change out of it.”

I paid for my dress, which the clerk was more than happy to do. We decided to eat and then shop for accessories. I told her I didn’t need accessories but she pouted. We ate quickly and then headed to a jewelry store.

“Those boys are looking at you,” she said while we looked over a case.

I didn’t even look up. “Unless Aidan is with them, I don’t care.”

Sophie laughed and then turned back to the case. “See anything you like?”

“No and I highly doubt my father would approve me buying jewelry especially something this expensive.”

“But do you see anything you like?” she asked.

I pointed down at a sterling silver key. Small diamonds were decorating the bow. Sophie smiled and flagged the sales person over. She pointed at the necklace. “How much?”

The sales attendant looked both of us over. “Two thousand.”

I whistled. “Yeah Daddy would never approve. The dress was already three hundred.”

The sales guy lifted an eyebrow. “I could cut you a deal.”

“How much of a deal?” Sophie asked.

He went back to the register and brought a box over with a note.

“A man came in earlier, said two girls with their parent’s money would be stopping by. He gave me your descriptions. Are you…” he looked down at the envelope, “…Georgiana?”