Page 29 of Love Will Save the Day

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This is ridiculous. I’m already palming Henry off because I’ve been lying to him about who I am. I may not directly be conning Auguste but I’m lying to him too. I cannot be having lusty feeling towards him because the truth is that I’m gonna have to come clean to him too, as well as Henry. Fancying Auguste is the opposite of productive.

Get it together, Bess.

I clear my throat. Okay. Having a man zip up your dress doesn’t have to be erotic. Not if you think about something super un-erotic. Like Mr Hemmings. I feel Auguste’s breath on the back of my neck as he tugs slightly on the zip of the dress. I conjure up as vivid an image as I can of Mr Hemmings peevish, shiny red face.

‘All done,’ Auguste says eventually.

Phew.

I press my slightly frizzy hair down self consciously. ‘Great, thanks.’

There. All done. Not erotic at all.

Except it totally is.

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