𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐄 | 𝐌.𝐌.

Chapter 1

September 9, 1999

Khrys' POV
Khrys blew out a puff of air as her stylist removed the excruciatingly tight corset from her waist. "Diana, please remind me again why I have to wear that torture device tonight?"

"Because," Diana started, with a playful roll of her eyes "your waist has to be snatched hunty." She chirped, clicking her tongue.

"I won't have a waist to snatch ever again in my life if I have to wear that. Besides, Christina is wearing a sheer top and a mini skirt. Don't you think I'm a bit over done anyway?" Khrys tried to reason with her exuberant stylist.

Diana dismissed the girl's question with a wave of a hand, as she rolled her chair around to critique the back of her gown. "Sweetheart, you're five-foot-nothing and you're built like a pear. We have to accentuate that body and that 'big ol' butt' as Sir-Mix-Alot once said. Who's gonna remember a simple top and skirt? What is she trying to do, break high school dress code?" She laughed, sticking a needle through the delicate fabric of the dress.

Although she wanted to argue with Diana, Khrys couldn't help but laugh along with her. "I suppose you're right. Do you at least think I'll be able to sit down?"

"Let's test that out right now, my pretty princess."

Diana pulled the last needle through the dress, before helping her client down from the step. She pulled out a chair and guided Khrys into the seat, making sure to smooth the gown out to prevent an uncomfortable pile under her bottom. Once she was done, she stepped back to take a look.

"So, how does it feel?" She sing-songed.

With a small grin on her face, Khrys nodded her head approvingly. "You know what, it's actually not that bad. Why do I have such an issue with it when I'm standing up then?"

Before Diana could answer, the two women heard a door opening, followed by commotion. There was a mass of masculine voices heard down the hall coming towards the dressing rooms. While they didn't seem to be arguing, the noise was enough to shift the focus of anyone who was working in the once peaceful area.

Diana being her bossy self ran over to the door and cracked it enough to stick her head out of the door. "CAN YOU ALL PLEASE REDUCE THE TESTOSTERONE TO A MINIMUM PLEASE?" She yelled.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you want mama." replied a man with what could only be described as a voice that definitely gave away the fact that he was from an urban neighborhood.

"Thanks, fucking dicks." She replied back.

"I have one, wanna see?" The voice taunted. And with that, Diana shut the door and went back to work.

Khrys furrowed her eyebrows, curious about the whole exchange that unraveled in front of her. "Who was that?" She asked, eyebrows still knitted with wonder.

"Just some up-and-coming guy. Reese's, Skittles, hell I don't remember. Why?"

"Just, think I've heard that voice somewhere is all." She answered, honestly. The voice in the hall did in fact, sound very familiar. However, the name didn't. Khrys couldn't exactly pinpoint where she had heard that voice so, she shook it off.

"Honey, don't even get worked up over him." Diana shrugged as she got back to work on her client's dress.

Marshall's POV
Marshall chuckled quietly to himself, as he heard the slamming of the door down the hall.