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up to snuff. And he likes to drive. He feels in control, and he’s incredible behind the wheel. It works
for us.”
Her smile is soft, understanding. “That makes sense,” she says. “I’ve never driven a car, and the
idea of being behind the wheel is a bit nerve-racking. So I get it, a little at least.”
Luis pulls to a stop, and Maya turns to look out her window. I can’t see her face, but her shoulders
drop, and I realize I may have made a massive mistake.
“I thought maybe we could have a do-over,” I say slowly.
“Oh,” she says quietly. She squares her shoulders and turns to me with a false smile. “More
shopping. Yay. Let’s go.”
Yep, this was a stupid fucking idea.
29
MAYA
B ridget breezes into the curtained-off change room with another armful of clothes. “Here we are.
These are all the finest cotton I could get my hands on.” She smiles softly and puts her hand on
my arm. “When Mr. Lee called me, I was so happy. I very much want a chance to find you some
things you’ll love. Then you’ll be able to burn the clothes you walked in with. Except the shoes. They
are, of course, exquisite. But I would expect nothing less from Mr. Lee.” One thing about this woman,
you know exactly where you stand with her. I think I admire it as much as I find it annoying.
She claps her hands and comes at me, pulling and tugging, and before I know it, I’m in an outfit
that admittedly is much nicer than anything I’ve ever worn and feels like cotton balls against my skin.
She spins me toward the mirror, putting her hands on my shoulders and popping her head out beside
my arm. “This is just lovely. The fabric is very forgiving and so silky. It fits you perfectly.” Her
satisfaction with a job well done is clear in her voice.
She spins and tears open the curtain, revealing Zach in exactly the same position as last time. All
of this feels the same…ok, not all of it. My skin is perfectly fine this time, which is no small thing.
“She’s just stunning,” Bridget gushes to Zach. He nods, but he’s not looking at her. His eyes are on
me, heating my skin and making the back of my neck tingle. This level of attraction is baffling to me.
How did I go my whole life, barely noticing people, and then suddenly be so hyper-aware around this
man? Is it him? Or am I finally just waking up to the world?
Maybe it’s about timing, and any man would give me the same reaction now.
