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“Um, yes, I want to help! Duh. Where do you want to go? Should we stay in Noir Sands or maybe head to Vilgrain Gulf?”
“Let’s stay here. We can stop at one of the bridal shops downtown to see what they have. I’m so excited!”
My best friend, who also happens to be my bodyguard, hangs up the phone and, moments later, comes in and flops onto my bed. JD crosses her legs and gets comfortable, flipping her phone around in her hands like a fidget toy.
“You know the best thing about living in the room next door? We can hang out together, and I can do my job,” she laughs.
I was fifteen when I first met Jezi Delatrey. She's eleven years older than me, but we’ve always had similar interests. We have the same taste in people, and both fangirl over the same TV show men. She has watched over me every day since, guiding me through life and growing to become my best friend. My father hired her just as a bodyguard, but things never work out how my father wants.
“I’m ready if you are.” I look at JD, dressed in all black. She’s insane and scary, but I love her for it. I wish that I could wear clothes like her, but wearing black and nothing but black just seems to wash me out. She’s always stoic and has icy blue eyes that are too big for her face. They remind me of bug eyes from cartoon movies. Her long brown and black hair curls at the ends, and she has perfectly bronzed skin.
I clap my hands together in anticipation. “Yes, let’s go. I need to find something, like, now– in case it needs to be altered.”
Walking out of my room, I lock the door, head down the grand staircase, and exit the entryway. When we pass the two door guards, I lift my hand and do a dainty wave with my fingers. JD laughs at me, and they both dip their heads in acknowledgment, continuing to stand like statues like they always do for the entirety of their shift. I have yet to spend the time to learn their names since Daddy is constantly replacing men, much like how I change clothes, but they seem nice.
JD and I slide into the black SUV that awaits us and take off towards the city. Night shopping is always better than during the day– I mean, online shopping is better, but this was second best. Plus, I get special privileges because of who I am. As long as I call before closing, most stores will wait for me to shop before shutting their doors for the evening. I can't deny that I’m a spoiled princess on the outside, but on the inside, I’m sullen and lonely.
Finishing up the drive, our chauffeur pulls up to the high-end bridal boutique, and JD and I hop out. I skip into the store as JD trails behind me through the double doors. As soon as we enter, we are greeted by the shop owner, and she directs us to the prom dress section. Smiling at us before leaving us alone to browse as she went to go change the mannequins. Chuckling to ourselves over nothing, we start filtering through the many dresses.
“Ooh, what about this one?” JD holds up a robin’s-egg blue, ruffle-sleeved, floor-length prom dress. She tosses her hair behind her shoulder and waits for my reply. She tries ridiculously hard to pick out things I like, but the things she holds up remind me of my grandmother's style.
“Ew, no.” My face scrunches up in disgust. “I’m thinking black or grey. Maybe even like a royal blue.” I trail the pads of my fingers over hundreds of dresses and still can't seem to decide on a single one.
“What about either of these?”
She now has a pair of perfect dresses in her hands. I have no idea where she found them, as I had just touched the last dress on the store rack.
One has long, off-the-shoulder sleeves made up of black lace that veils a deep sapphire blue bodice with a sweetheart neckline. The ball gown-style skirt is the same shade of blue with identical black lace overlay.
The second is a white and silver wedding dress with long sleeves and two necklines; one is an A-line with thin straps resting on the tips of the shoulders and then cut down to below the cleavage. The other is sheer mesh with a built-in diamond necklace. They blend together in the center of the bodice underneath glittery beading to hide what the wearer wouldn’t want to be shown.
Long mesh sleeves with ombre gemstones travel down to the heavily decorated cuffs, and an open mesh back adorned with a line of tiny white buttons completes the bodice. The full skirt is tulle and lace, with a single layer of silk underneath to prevent irritation. It also has a long train, but I would have to alter the dress so it doesn’t weigh me down.
The gown has so many ornate details that no fabric was left untouched. And yet, because everything is monochromatic, it isn’t overwhelming.
“They are perfect! We should go try them on.”
“No, both are for you. We’ll decide which dress for this year after you try them on. I don't wear dresses, and you know that,” JD explains while ushering me hurriedly into the fitting room, where I make it without tripping. Miraculous, if you ask me.
Each dress accentuates various parts of my body. The blue shows off my collarbone and shoulders, while the white shows off my waist and cleavage. Both fit so well that I swear the designers took my measurements.
“Oh, JD, I can’t choose. You decide. One to wear for my birthday, and I’ll buy the other for next year or something.”
“White for your twenty-first since you can legally do everything. We can say it’s for celebrating your childhood or some shit. And it's more ornate.”
“Yes. Fantastic idea!” I lean in to kiss her cheek before we walk to the front of the boutique, checking out and paying with my credit card. Well, my credit card is attached to Daddy’s account.
“It’s thousands of dollars, Zo. That’s a little much. Is Mr. Connors going to be okay with this?” She asks while picking up the garment bags.
“Oh, it’s fine. Daddy won’t yell at me. I’m his princess, remember?” I bat my thick eyelashes and giggle. It’s nice being a daddy's girl– I could probably even get away with murder.
~
I parade into the house, passing the two guards from earlier and kicking the door closed behind me. JD had stayed behind with my chauffeur so they could talk about business or whatever. Their conversations bore me, so I was now on a mission to find Daddy and show him my purchases.
We lived in what most call a mansion– complete with turrets and a horseshoe driveway. To me, this is just a house. My father had hired a team that added white faux-brick siding upon first moving in, creating a European castle feel.
In the center of the driveway is a small black fountain that waterfalls back into itself. Each window has a coal-colored framework, detailed to match the front door. I love it, although it makes me feel like a little princess up in a tower, waiting for her knight in shining armor to rescue her.
