Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 28244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 141(@200wpm)___ 113(@250wpm)___ 94(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 141(@200wpm)___ 113(@250wpm)___ 94(@300wpm)
When I turn to the mirror, I stop breathing.
It’s gorgeous. Unreal. Bold and timeless. I look like a Bond girl and my hair and make up haven’t even been done yet.
For a moment, I don’t feel out of place here.
The girl in the mirror looks exactly like the kind of woman who belongs on the arm of a billionaire. The kind of woman who dines on yachts and stays in suites with their own private beach.
“What do you think?”
I spin around, marveling at how good my ass looks. This dress is otherworldly. It might just be enchanted.
“I think I’m in love,” I say as I arch my foot, letting the slit run up my thigh. “They’re all so beautiful, but if I have to pick one, I’ll take this one.”
Sabine looks confused. “Pick just one?” she says, tilting her head. “Non, non, non. These are all yours courtesy of Mr. Drake.”
My mouth drops open. “What?”
“Oui Mademoiselle,” she says, nodding. “He purchased them all for you.”
I don’t even know what to say. These are all mine? There must be two hundred grand or more worth of dresses here.
“Now that we have your dress picked for tonight,” she says, moving on to a beautiful large wooden box on the rolling rack. “We should move on to the jewelry.”
“Jewelry?” I say, feeling a little faint.
“Oui,” she says as she opens the box, revealing an assortment of necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Inside shines with diamonds, emeralds, gems, polished gold, and silver. All stunning.
I feel lightheaded as she pulls out a sparkling diamond necklace that should be locked under glass in the Louvre.
“How about this one?” she asks.
I take two steps back and sit on the bed, too lightheaded to stand. “I just need a second.”
What is this crazy world I’ve wandered into?
The surprises don’t stop at the wardrobe and jewelry. While Sabine is doing my makeup, my coworker Wendy calls and she’s ecstatic.
“I know you’re on vacation,” she says with her voice racing. “But I just had to tell you!”
“What?”
“We got a huge donation,” she says. “Maya, it’s massive.”
“From who?” I ask, but even as I say it, I realize I already know who it’s from.
“Are you ready for this?” she asks, sounding breathless. “Ten. Million. Dollars.”
I hold the phone away from my ear as she screams.
Sabine leans back, looking at me funny. “Is everything okay?” she whispers.
I nod, feeling my head swirling. “It’s all good.”
“Can you believe this?” Wendy shouts. “Ten million dollars! We won’t have to turn away any applicants for years. We’ll be able to expand to different cities. This is going to be the best summer ever!”
I hold the phone away from my ear as she screams again.
My heart races with excitement. Ten million dollars. I can’t believe it. We’ve never had this kind of money before. Last year, Wendy and I worked ourselves to the bone and we only managed to raise two hundred thousand.
This kind of money… God, it’s going to change so many kids’ lives.
We chat for a little longer and then she hangs up, saying she’s going to call everyone she knows to tell them the good news.
I’m kind of stunned as I sit here with my heart pounding.
“Should we continue?” Sabine asks, holding up a lip liner.
“Yes,” I say, barely able to focus. “Please continue.”
I want to look extravagant for Adrian tonight. I want to knock his socks off.
I want to make today a day he’ll remember forever.
Because that’s what he just did for me.
When I’m all ready, I don’t even recognize the woman in the mirror. I look like a movie star. I look like a dream version of myself.
The red dress and the diamond jewelry and the professional makeup and my hair swept up into what Sabine called a sleek chignon.… It’s all so ethereal and dreamlike.
It feels odd to see myself like this and a part of me wants to take it all off and be myself. If Adrian can’t fall in love with the real me, do I even want him?
But I already know this man has fallen hard. He fell for me in my yoga pants and my old hoodie on the airplane. All of this doesn’t mean a thing.
Plus, Sabine did so much work and it would break her heart if I took it all off now.
I’ll keep it on and have fun tonight. I’ll play the princess role and then be back to myself in the morning. If he looks disappointed when I wake up without make up on and my hair a wild mess, than I’ll know for sure.
“What do you think?” Sabine asks as she stands back and appraises me like an artist critiquing their own work.
“Sabine, you outdid yourself.”
She smiles. “I think so too. You’ll be married by morning.”
I laugh and turn a little red. “I don’t know about that.”