With less than three hours to the gala, sitting and staring around wasn't an option.
I asked the receptionist for directions to the nearest shopping mall where I could get a dress on a short notice.
She scribbled some address on a piece of paper and I got a taxi to drive me there.
The place seemed to be a spa of some sort and it had exactly everything I needed. I spent over and hour dress shopping and I had to video call Leah just to be sure I made the right pick. I got an excellent new pair of Certia Partio heels and spent another hour getting a full body spa treatment.
I had my hair washed, straitened and styled and then mild makeup applied to my face, I got jewelry to match my outfit and headed to the cashier where I paid for everything with his card, hopefully it wasn't that expensive but the again, it was his fault that I wasn't prepared.
I hurried back to the hotel but hesitated at the front door of our room,
"Just knock and go in, he doesn't bite" I gave myself a pep talk.
I had never spent so much time getting myself ready and I really hoped he liked it, because he pai d for it though, not that his opinions on how I looked mattered but then again, he was my boss so it probably did.
I decided to stop getting in my head and I walked right in closing the door behind me but forgetting to knock.
Big mistake.
He stood in the room bare chested trying to fasten his belt.
"I'm sorry, I'll leave now" I voiced out surprised hurriedly turning around.
"Stop" he voiced out leaving me frozen in my tracks.
His voice just as commanding and seductive as the night we met, his body, even more perfectly sculpted than I had imagined, I had accidentally looked for less than five seconds yet every single image seemed to be stuck in my head.
"Turn around" his magnetic voice came again. I didn't want to but I was already facing the other way before I could even align my thoughts.
He stared at me for about a minute but it seemed like more as I stood perfectly still feeling smaller than ever.
For the first time in a really long time, I was grateful for how cold the room was, I didn't have to worry about sweat ruining my make up.
"Aren't you going to get changed?" he asked.
I wasn't sure but it sounded like he wanted me to change right here in front of him. That would be completely unprofessional but I wasn't mentally sure that I would have been able to decline such requests from him.
"Are you sure you didn't mess up our rooming arrangements on purpose, you seem to love staring at me improperly"
"No, it was a sorry, no, I mean it was a mistake, sorry" I blurted out like a fool.
I picked up the bag containing my dress and I hurried to the bathroom to get changed and also to hide the fact that my cheeks were flushed red from embarrassment.
I put on the gown, struggled to zip it up for a few moments and stared at the mirror.
My reflection, it looked beautiful but I didn't know who it was, she wasn't me but at least she would fit into this shinny new world. I just hoped she wasn't overdressed.
I took a deep breathe and went back outside. I had forgotten my jewelry on the table.
He sat on the bed focused deeply on whatever it is he was reading on his phone.
And I stood struggling to put on my necklace due to the length of my nails.
I was contemplating going downstairs to ask the receptionist for help until he walked up to me.
I held my hair up silently letting him help.
Neither of us said a word and the silence seemed to echo, his warm breath trickled down my neck leaving me weak in my knees, his fingers sent warm down my spine as they grazed my skin softly and I could have sworn I felt him linger a bit longer but for a split second.
I bit my lips slightly before sighing, I wasn't sure what I was feeling, I had no affection for this man but he had such an effect on me.
I turned around to say thank you and our eyes met, his gaze softer and deeper than usual.
"Thank you".
"You'll do" he said flatly shifting his attention to his cufflink that seemed to be coming loose.
"Do you need some help?" I asked reaching out to his sleeve
I was inches away until he lifted his arms swiftly.
"Go wait in the car" he growled.
I turned around and walked out abruptly.
He was unbelievable, an emotional roller-coaster.
How could someone who had been so gentle moments ago become such a dismissive snub.
Whatever sort of emotional longing I was feeling minutes ago had melted into pure anger and frustration.
I wasn't going to let him mess with my emotions anymore.