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“I thought you’d have all the latest tech by now.”
“Yeah, not interested. Can we get this over with?”
The woman went to action. “Of course. Please follow me to the fitting cabin.”
A door Kaia hadn’t noticed slid open. She followed the planner into a bright cabin full of white cushions, white carpets, and white walls. In the middle of it sat a raised white platform and a set of three large mirrors framing it in a semi-circle. A silver clothing rack stood to the side with three hangers, each holding a covered garment. Kaia jumped when a pair of small hands appeared, pushing the clothes apart. A round face popped out between them.
“Hey, girl!”
Kaia startled. Was she supposed to know this person?
The woman bounced from behind the racks and held out her hand in the customary colony greeting.
“Petal,” she chirped as they shook hands. “Designer.”
“Oh.”
Petal stepped back, tilting her head and curling a forefinger over her chin as she appraised Kaia.
“Nice proportions. A bit bony, but still enough curve for the shapes I was thinking, and we can take the waist in a little… Mmhmm… All right, now strip.”
“What?”
“Your clothes. Down to your underwear. Unless you want to try these onoverthat emo outfit?”
Kaia bristled. She had no idea what an “emo outfit” was, but she had a feeling it was a jab at her blending-in attire for the trip to the CRD that morning. Honestly, Kaia wouldn’t mind trying on the dresses over that if it got her out of there faster, but it would probably have the opposite effect. She turned her back to the women and removed her black boots and bodysuit, self-conscious under their nonplussed eyes.
* * *
The makeup was way too much. The planner, Orel something-or-other, insisted on it. Trying out a “look,” as she called it. She saidof coursethere’d be makeup at the wedding. As beautiful as Kaia allegedly was, “Every girl should look otherworldly on her wedding day.”
Kaia wasn’t used to seeing brown kohl turning her eyes into big, elongated orbs, nor the peach and purple eyeshadow over her lids. Luckily, Orel hadn’t insisted on touching the rest of her face, save for covering a few blemishes with a skin-colored cream. She said Kaia’s cheeks were naturally flushed when she was nervous, and she’d be nervous at her wedding. Her skin also passed the test—Orel claimed freckles suited her. At least growing up under the harsh UV rays of Artega Seven was good for something, Kaia supposed. She got lucky. All she got was freckles. Her brother got the full shebang.
The first dress was a masterpiece of galactic proportions that Kaia hated. White as the room, with a rigid fitted bodice puffing out into countless layers of synthsilk that could serve as a portable sitting cushion. The skirt glittered with thousands of sparkling stars that could be used as a weapon to blind the enemy. Kaia’s forearms rested on top of the skirt like a shelf. It carried their weight with ease.
“This one’s fine,” Kaia said.
Her tormentors exchanged looks in the mirror.
“Okay, this is obviously not it.” Petal waved her off the platform, reaching to unzip and unclasp the appliances holding the dress in place.
“Why not?”
“Because no dress that you think is justfinecan be it, Kaia.” The planner uncapped a pen and marked the hanger cover with a small black cross.
The second dress was fine, too. A bright yellow number that consisted of hundreds of disjointed horizontal straps wrapping and crisscrossing Kaia’s body in intricate swooping patterns. It was tight from the hips down to the knees, fanning out into a pool of liquid gold around her feet.
“I think I’m just not a dress person. Any of them will do, honestly.” Kaia was itching to get out of there.
Petal tutted and began unlacing the delicate fabric as Orel unzipped another dress from the confines of its protective sheath.
Kaia barely registered the red material Petal had been working around her. She had learned her lesson. No matter what, Kaia was not about to say it’s fine.
So when Petal spun her around to face the mirrors, her mouth was already spreading into a wide smile, ready to gush over the piece and convince the others that this was it, and she could go now. But the smile crumpled, and a lump assailed her throat when she peered at her reflection. Kaia forced it down as she scanned herself from head to toe.
The crimson straps were thin as threads atop her shoulders, tapering into a delicate V-neck bodice that scooped around her chest. The silk was weightless, shifting with each breath. It turned semi-sheer beneath the chest, melting into the color of Kaia’s skin as the dress tapered into a soft, cinched waist.
Kaia glanced into the rear mirror that Petal had rolled up behind her, bringing her back into view. The top of it was open, exposing her ribs and spine. From the side of her bosom, the fabric dipped into a smooth line that arched over her lower back. The skirt formed a seamless gradient from opaque fiery red to sheer, glistening with crimson and gold details like a spray of stardust at her feet. In the front, two vertical slits exposed her legs to the upper thigh, affording a sliver of flesh to break up the fire of it all.
