The Horde Twins

4

Jenny couldn't believe Brett Horde handed Layla his credit card to purchase things for her.

"This is insane, Layla. I can't use Brett's money," she objected as Layla pushed her into a high-end dress store.

"Of course you can. The man is smoking hot and so is his brother. I've never seen them do anything like this. I've heard a rumor around the office that they only take women together."

"You are kidding!" Jenny shook her head. The two of them were hot as sin.

"It is only a rumor. Come on, you need a dress for tonight. I am excited for you to finally get out of that awful apartment of yours. If Brett and Dustin are going to spoil us, I for one am going to let them. Here, put this on." Layla handed her a red dress with sequins around the bust.

"That is awfully bright," Jenny replied, taking the dress.

"Your complexion is perfect for red." Layla picked up a sapphire blue one and shoved it into her hands too. Jenny followed Layla around the store, watching her pick out dresses for Jenny to try.

"Okay, we have enough. Let's go to the dressing room and you can model dresses. We will find you a dress that will make Brett and Dustin drool over you." Jenny let her friend take charge and usher her into a dressing room. They spent the next hour trying on all the dresses. They finally settled on the sapphire blue one with a Grecian look. Jenny liked how her rolls and fat were covered. She wasn't always comfortable in her own skin.

"Beautiful. Next nails, hair, and makeup. I texted my guy Jimmy, and he said they had two openings for deluxe treatment." Layla held up her phone, showing the text chain between her and Jimmy.

"Deluxe treatment, Layla I think that is too much. Brett just said to get a dress," she objected, worrying they would spend too much money.

"Nonsense. These guys are billionaires. We won't make a dent in his wallet. Did we pick shoes?" Layla became distracted by the display of shoes.

"I want flats. I don't want to fall on my face," Jenny told her when Layla picked up a pair of sky-high heels.

"Fine. Come on." Layla and Jenny tried on plenty of styles until Jenny settled on a pair of silver flats that complimented her dress.

"The weather is getting cold, you need a wrap." Layla picked up a sheer silver wrap to go with the shoes.

"Layla," Jenny warned. Her friend winked and placed everything on the counter. She handed over the credit card Brett gave them without a second thought. Jenny couldn't believe they spent five thousand dollars on a dress, shoes, and a wrap.

"Okay, Layla, no more." Jenny took the card and put it in her back pocket. Layla laughed and took the bags from the saleslady.

"Let's get our spa day on."

"Spa? The party starts in two hours," Jenny replied, looking at her watch.

"You need to be fashionably late. I told you, I've never seen Dustin and Brett act the way they did with you around any other women. Dustin brought you back to the office. That is not something he's known for. Brett gave us his credit card for you. Girl, I think you might be their mate!" Layla squealed and hugged her tightly.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. Dustin said he wanted me to see my hard work in person." Jenny couldn't let herself get her hopes up. She was nothing special, and after the way, Justin dumped her for his editor, she didn't want to hope these men would be different.

"There is no way I can hope to keep both of them. Justin dumped me for Stella," she reminded her friend. Layla rolled her eyes and put Jenny's things in the back of her car.

"Justin is an asshole. You know how shifters are. Once they find their mate there is no one else."

"Enough, Layla. I don't want to assume their generosity is more than just helping one of their employees." Jenny sat back and tried not to watch her friend zip around the city to her salon. Her friend drove almost as fast as Dustin had on their way back from her apartment.

"Inside Jenny." Layla stopped on the side of the road and pointed to a massive salon.

"I'm going to park. Tell Jimmy who you are and he will get started on you first," Layla explained, unlocking the door. Jenny climbed out and watched Layla peel out into traffic and turn down a side street. Walking into the salon, the smell of hair products overwhelmed her.

"Can I help you, sweetie?" A man with platinum blond hair and blue highlights asked, giving her a once over.

"I am friends with Layla Smith. She called ahead to get us appointments," Jenny answered. In an instant, she was being hustled to a chair in the back.

"Your hair is a mess. We need to cut it and then we can style it. When was the last time you had this cut?" The man she assumed was Jimmy asked her, holding up her long hair. The frizzy curly mess stared at her in the mirror.

"Uh, maybe a year?" she answered, trying to think back on the last time she had a haircut.

"Oh no, no. Sheila! We are going in deep." Jimmy hurried her to the shampoo station and let another woman take over. Jenny stared at everyone moving around her, hurrying back and forth as they took care of Layla and her.

"What color do you want your nails?" Another woman asked as Jenny sat under one dryer with a curl treatment on her head.

"My dress is sapphire blue," she told the woman.

"Red or pink?"

"Pale pink, please. I rarely have my nails done." Jenny never worried about her appearance anymore. The last time she had a manicure was at her baby sister's wedding over a year ago.

"I have the perfect pink." She walked off and came back with a shimmery pink. Jenny sat back and enjoyed the pedicure and manicure, telling herself she would have to get them done more often. She enjoyed seeing her nails not chewed up and broken.

"Jenny, after they do your hair we will get dressed here and head over to the party," Layla announced once Jenny was back in the salon chair. Jimmy cut three inches off her hair, leaving plenty for her to work with later. He took a curling iron to it, giving her ringlet curls. Jenny watched as she transformed into a beautiful woman and not the plain Jane she was used to staring at in the mirror.

"Here." Layla handed a set of jeweled combs to keep the hair out of her face to Jimmy. Jenny caught a glimpse, thinking they were fake diamonds on the comb.

"Finished!" Jimmy announced a minute later with a look of triumph on his face. Jenny got up and looked at herself. She was beautiful.

"Use the changing room and get into your dress." Layla pointed to the room, handing her the garment bag. Jenny moved into the room, careful not to touch her hair as she changed out of her sweater and jeans and into the dress. The look was complete when she wrapped the sheer shawl around her shoulders. Stepping out of the changing room, Jenny heard all noise stop.

"Oh girl, you look amazing." Layla had a sheen of tears in her eyes.

"Thank you, everyone. I feel amazing." Jenny looked around at all the people who helped her. Maybe taking time to take care of herself was something she should do more often. In almost two years Jenny felt beautiful.

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