Page 81 of A Barista's Guide to Love & Larceny
“Dani,” McKenna said at once.
“Why me?” Dani protested. At McKenna’s glare, she set down her flute and clawed her way out of the sinkhole of the couch. “What do I do?”
“Just step up on the platform,” Emmanuel said. “The mirror will do the rest.”
The edge of Dani’s boot caught on the top step and nearly sent her sprawling across the dais, but something caught her at the last second: an unseen force field supporting her from all sides. Its magnetism drew her toward the center of the platform and held her there, suspended, boots dangling a few inches off the floor. She could hear McKenna’s sounds of wonder coming from behind her, but the mirrors showed nothing of the store in the background, only her own luminous figure against an umbral landscape. As she hovered,the force field slowly began to turn her in place, until she had made a single full rotation and could glimpse herself in the mirror once more. Light haloed her, rising from her feet to her head, until it had concealed her whole body, which was tingling madly at this point, behind a radiant golden shield.
“Don’t be alarmed,” came Emmanuel’s voice from somewhere far away. “It’s calculating the perfect outfit for you based on your physical attributes and detectable personality traits, as well as what I’ve already input into our system about the occasion you need it for.”
Dani was a little alarmed, truth be told, yet there wasn’t much to do but let the enchantment have its way with her. After a few more seconds of tingling, the sheath of light began to dissolve into raiment, and as its glow faded she saw the gown it had chosen—designed?—for her.
A full black ball gown skirt swept the floor, her arms left bare and collarbones accentuated by the slight scoop neck. A slender panel of mesh cut like a blade from her neck to her waist, and a purple sheen in the skirts glimmered when it caught the light just so. All things said and done, the dress was subtle in its details, but it made her look like a goth Cinderella, the lightest purple in her hair bright against the black.
She realized suddenly that the manufactured dusk had evaporated. McKenna, visible in the mirror once more, was predictably fawning over the results.
“Dani, you lookravishing. Doesn’t she look ravishing?” she asked Emmanuel with an air of menace.
“It suits you,” Emmanuel agreed.
Dani clasped her hands beneath her chin, overcome with emotion. She felt both unexpectedly at ease and beautiful in the gown, like an oracle emerging from a December twilight—but also more than a little forlorn.
“Your system is fascinating,” McKenna said. “How does it work, exactly? Do you have a collection of designs that the enchantment randomizes, or is it truly bespoke?”
“I’m afraid that information is classified,” Emmanuel said, “but we do have a catalog you can browse of our renowned designers.”
“Hmph. Yes, I’ll have a look once we’re done,” McKenna said. Her disgruntled expression eased into a smile when she looked at Dani again. “In any case, the dress is perfect on her.”
“It is indeed,” Emmanuel said, addressing Dani. “Are you satisfied?”
Dani dropped her hands from underneath her chin. “Would it be possible to add some gloves?”
“As in opera gloves? Absolutely. I’ll make a note of it.” Emmanuel offered a hand to help her from the dais. As soon as she stepped down, the dress melted away, leaving behind her street clothes, which seemed plain and boring in comparison.
“My turn, my turn,” McKenna said, practically leaping onto the dais. Dani returned to her seat at the end of the couch to watch her friend fall under the store’s spell, but only a fraction of her mind was present in the room. There was a soreness somewhere near her solar plexus—because when she’d been up there on the dais, feeling like royalty in that dress, she could only think about one thing: the look on Kass’s face if he could see her in it.
The rest of the weekend slipped away quietly, like a sugar cube dissolving in a cup of Earl Grey, and the calendar flipped its invisible page to December at last. Dani spent the time she wasn’t working in the library, occasionally joined by Oliver, but McKenna disappeared with Gingerbread into the forest for the duration of the weekend, with the vague explanation that she needed to prepare for the gala. A cold front moved in on Sunday night, and Monday morning found the six of them back in the dream lab, teeth practically chatteringfrom the chill and from anxiety—this was their final meeting, the gala only four days away. The event was being hosted at the university’s art museum, and Professor Silva expected it to be both well attended and highly publicized.
With the plan already in place, Silva used their time together to comb through it, getting granular with each person’s role and possible backup scenarios. Oliver, having had decent success with the concoctions they’d been making from the graft, insisted they were up to going into OneiroLabs with Wyatt. When it came to Dani, she was pleased to learn her task was blessedly simple: keep the rest of the team apprised of every move Dr. Rodriguez and her father made at the gala.
“If they happen to speak to you, that’s fine,” Silva said. “Maintain your story of writing an article for the paper. But you don’t need to go out of your way to talk to them.”
This was the first time since she’d joined the project that Dani’s mission didn’t involve using her power in some way, which was cause for relief. It was true she’d gotten more comfortable with actively using her ability—even curious about it—but calling on it in high-pressure situations was still nerve-wracking. She was happy to play the role of observer and communicator, with the heavier burdens shouldered by the others. Especially now that she knew about Kass and his family.
“I’ll be at the gala as well,” Silva said. “We can be seen speaking to each other, but we shouldn’t acknowledge each other beyond our relationship as professor and student. You’ve had me in your introductory course, that’s it, should anyone ask.”
She turned to McKenna next. “Miss Amari, we have never met, though Miss Lionet can introduce us if the need arises. As for your diversion, I understand you’ll need a bit of time to ensure everything is in place at the gala. You shouldn’t be the subject of much scrutiny there, so you can excuse yourself when you need to.”
“Is there an exit from the side garden?” McKenna asked. “I’ll need to be able to leave the premises.”
Silva nodded. “Yes, there’s a gate that acts as a fire exit. I’ve already checked that it isn’t alarmed.”
“What exactly are you planning on doing?” Katya asked McKenna.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” McKenna said mysteriously.
“Suffice it to say that it will be ideally disruptive,” Silva added. Katya let out an irritated huff, but she didn’t press the point.
The professor continued through the rest of the night beat by beat, minute by minute, until they all had it memorized. Then, when there was really nothing more to be said other than to repeat herself, Silva found her favorite spot on the edge of the desk and surveyed them.
