Chapter 50

I was excited when Victor picked me up the next day after school. We were going to Gisele’s to choose my ball gown.

It was where Mrs. James told me to shop. I stifled a giggle when I envisioned myself telling her that’s where I bought my wetsuit.

The ride to Gisele‘s villa in the Lamborghini was a lot of fun. The weather was beautiful, and I enjoyed how the air washed over me.

I could feel the slight changes in temperature as we went from full sun to shade, and I could smell many different scents, like flowers, trees, and freshly mown grass.

Victor glanced at me, and we exchanged a quick smile.

He was such a skilled driver that the Lamborghini hugged the road and around the curves.

Before I was ready for the ride to be over, we arrived at our destination. Victor parked in front of the Villa, and we went inside.

“Ah, hello, Mr. Klein and Miss Wilson,” Gisele said as we entered the shop. “What can I help you with today?”

Instead of answering for me, Victor put a hand on the small of my back and pushed me forward a few inches.

“Good a … afternoon, Gisele.” I looked around the store. “I’m here to find a gown for my ball.”

A smile split her face. “Of course. I was expecting you sooner, and I put my best gowns aside for you.” She motioned me to follow her to the back of her shop.

After giving two of her workers orders, they came forward with gowns in various colors and materials.

She took a green dress from one of her assistants and held it up for my inspection. But Victor reminded me that Amy would be wearing green.

“You’re right, Victor,” I said. “What other colors would you recommend for me, Gisele?”

Gisele personally examined the racks and chose several gowns in deep jewel tones. “Please, come with me to the dressing rooms now, Miss Wilson.”

The first gown I tried on was pretty, but with its many layers of sparkly pink tulle, it made me look like a cupcake.

I saw Victor shaking his head behind me in the mirror and went back into the dressing room to change into another of Gisele’s choices.

The next gown was gorgeous in its design. It had a low back, a sweetheart neckline, and a knee-high slit in the skirt. But it was scarlet red, which was much too bold for me.

I could tell by the look on Victor’s face that he agreed. “It’s nice, but I think you could do better.”

The next dress I tried on, I thought it might be the one. It was a deep, midnight blue and had spaghetti straps. The bodice fell gracefully from my bosom to my hips, where the skirt flared gently to the floor.

Victor had me turn slowly as he examined me.

“It’s very nice, Daisy. But it’s not quite what I had in mind. You are an Alpha Princess, and you should have a gown that announces that fact to the world.”

I looked at him sideways. “ I think this gown is great. Are you trying to make this harder for me?”

Victor tilted his head and looked me over it one more time. “If you truly like it, it’s fine.”

I let out a frustrated sigh. “All right, I’ll try on one more. What do you think of this one?” I asked and held up a gown in gorgeous, cinnamon-colored silk. The dress seemed to glow with its own light.

Gisele declared the color was perfect to bring out the green of my eyes.

With her help, I tried on her beautiful silk creation. When I emerged from the dressing room and stood before the mirrors, I couldn’t believe the lovely young woman I saw was me.

The dress was stunning. The fitted bodice had an off-the-shoulder neckline, a tight waist, and a flaring skirt. And the cinnamon-colored silk made my skin glow, and my eyes seem greener.

I couldn’t resist twirling in front of the mirror. The dress made me feel like a princess. On my second twirl, I saw Victor a few feet away with a smile on his face.

“That’s the one,” he agreed. “That gown is perfect for you.”

“Yes, I must agree,” Gisele said. “The male guests won’t be able to take their eyes off you any more than Mr. Klein can now.”

A quick peek in the mirror told me she was right. Victor’s eyes were glued to me as I admired my reflection in front of the floor-length mirrors.

I didn’t ever want to take off the gown, but it was getting late. I went behind the curtain to let Gisele help me remove the dress. “Can you deliver it to my home the day before the ball?”

“Yes, Miss Wilson,” she said. “But if you hold still for a moment, I want to put some pins in the bodice near your hips. The gown must be taken in just the slightest bit, and it will fit you perfectly.”

After Gisele put the pins in the dress, she helped me out of it, and I put my jeans and shirt back on.

“Do you have any shoes that would go well with the gown?” I asked.

“But of course,” Gisele replied. “You wear a size eight shoe, correct?”

“Yes,” I said, amazed she could tell what size shoes I wore by looking at my feet.

Gisele went into a back room and returned with two shoeboxes. Inside the boxes were high-heeled slippers. One pair was the exact shimmering cinnamon color of the gown, and the other was made of shiny golden leather.

“What do you think, Victor?” I asked.

“Go with your instincts,” he replied,

I took the golden pair from the box and tried them on. The heels were higher than anything I’d ever worn, but they were gorgeous and fit me perfectly.

“I’ll take these,” I told Gisele and took one tottering step. Before I fell over, I quickly took them off. “What other accessories do you have that would go well with the cinnamon gown?”

Gisele looked at Victor.

“Gold,” Victor said. “Gold jewelry, perhaps accented with pearls.”

Gisele led us to a long jewelry case along one wall of the shop.

Victor studied every item in the case. “Daisy, what do you think of this gold and pearl choker, the gold bracelets, and that gold hair accessory?”

Gisele put the items he mentioned on top of the case. I looked them over and immediately loved them all, especially the gold wolf hair clip with emerald eyes.

“I think they’re beautiful. I’ll take all of them,” I said and handed Gisele my debit card.

“I will alter the dress and deliver it to you but the day before the ball,” Gisele said. “The shoes and jewelry you can take with you today.”

I couldn’t stop grinning. I couldn’t believe these lovely things would be mine, and I couldn’t wait to wear them to the ball.

After Gisele handed me the bag of jewelry and gave Victor the shoes, I followed him out of the shop. But before we got more than a few feet from the door, a beautiful woman walked up to Victor and put a hand on his chest.

“Hello, Victor,” she purred. “I haven’t seen you in months.”

“Hello, Jenna.” Victor gave the woman a smile that told me he knew her very well, and I felt my blood begin to boil.

“Meet me for a drink this evening,” Jenna said as she leaned close to Victor

Victor looked at me and said to the woman, “I’m afraid I’m busy, Jenna.”

Jenna looked me over for a few seconds and then returned to Victor. “Did you finally replace Findlay?” she asked.

“Excuse me, but I must get home.” The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. I hated confrontations, but this Alpha female thought she owned Victor.

“I’m not sure I like your new assistant’s attitude,” Jenna declared. “You need to find someone else quickly, Victor.” She put her hand possessively on his arm. “This girl won’t do at all.”

I was shocked into silence. Jenna was the woman I had seen with Victor at Mr. Gray’s restaurant. She had been sitting with him and was playing with his leg with her bare toes.

The fact that she suddenly appeared and laid claim to Victor infuriated me.

Finally, Victor spoke, “Daisy is not my new assistant. Don’t you read the news?”

He pulled away from Jenna and took my hand. “Jenna, may I introduce you to Daisy? She’s also known as Alberta Wilson, my fiancée.”