AFTER DARK | Johan Liebert

Chapter 20: Costume hunt

A/N: Hello everyone. I'm finally back again, after a whole month of hustling to get important things done. I have finished them for a week, but this chapter took me longer to write because I initially wrote it from Johan's POV, and then realised midway that this wasn't going to work out. BUT there will be Johan's perspective in the next chapter. Perhaps you might be able to deduce what Klara's behaviour says about her past?

It took a while for us to get to the costume shop - Hamburg was busy as always. I was happily eating my pastry, and Johan smiled at me, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. Eventually, he was able to find a parking spot and we went into the shop.

The costume shop was full of different costumes and accessories. My eyes scanned the rows, looking for a fitting costume. "Perhaps there is a section with celebrity costumes? Or maybe a historical one?", Johan asked. I nodded. "I'll look into it."

I was so excited to try on the costumes. I went farther into the shop, looking closely at the different costumes.

"Ah!"

I pointed at a corner to our right. "I can see the special shade of pink from here! Let's go there!"

And indeed, it was one of Marilyn Monroe's dresses - a long, strapless one with with a bow on the back. When I took it in my hands, I observed it precisely. Then, I looked at Johan, who was returning my gaze curiously.

"What do you think? Is this dress good? Or am I too pale for this colour?"

"You should try it on first. Also, the dress is supposed to fit you, not the other way around." I thought about his words, then nodded. "You're right. But I'll take this one with me as well!" I pulled out the iconic, white dress of Marilyn Monroe. "I'll try on both. You're my jury, Johan." He laughed. "Alright. I'll wait for you in front of the fitting room, then."

First, I tried on the pink one, including the long gloves. I liked how it looked in the mirror - luckily, I had a small waist, so the dress accentuated my figure quite well with the bow. But perhaps it was too boring? I opened the curtain and let Johan take a look. "What do you think?" He observed me, nodding slightly. "It looks good on you." "Which number out of ten?" He shrugged. "I can't tell. But I'll give you my opinion which dress looks better once you try on the second one." "Fine." As I closed the curtain, I glanced at his face - he was laid-back and seemed to enjoy hearing me talk - at least that was my impression.

The white dress was rather short and had a cleavage. Actually, the dress was one size small for me, but I couldn't find my size earlier, and it was better to take a smaller dress than a larger one. I stared at myself in the mirror, thinking. It reminded me of a very similar situation, many years ago, at one of the parties, where I had to wear a dress that was too small for me. Now, I thought about which dress to take. The skirt was still long enough, but my chest was quite visible. Well, Johan would like this one more, wouldn't he? I looked quite sexy in that dress, and I admit I kinda liked it as well. Confidently, I opened the curtain again. "What about this one?" I turned around to show him the back, then turned back to him again. "Looks good, right?" "I agree." His answer was quite calm. I felt like, unlike before, he didn't even observe my figure. It made me feel uneasy inside.

"Which one do you prefer?", I asked, not so confidently as before.

"That's up to you, eventually. But if you ask me..."

He made a pause.

"The first one was better."

"Huh?" I was confused. "But I thought this one suits me better. Also, the pink one is too long for a warm day, so-"

The shop's bell rang as a guy came in. Quickly, Johan grabbed me and pushed me towards the fitting room.

"W-What are you doing?", I asked, slightly reproachful. He walked into the fitting room after me, closing the curtain.

"I don't want others to see you like this."

"Don't you like this dress?", I asked him. Hearing this from him hurt me, for some reason. I looked at myself in the mirror, contemplating.

"Don't get me wrong, Klara. It looks good on you. But I can guarantee that men and women at that party will stare on your chest. You might be uncomfortable with that, especially among so many people."

"But..." I lowered my head. Why was I so disappointed about this? I wanted him to like me and charm him with my looks.

"You don't need to show intimate parts of your body to impress others."

My heart skipped a beat hearing that. I looked up to him. He seemed troubled and a little sad. Johan turned his gaze away from me, staring towards the ground. "You look beautiful either way." 

His words hit me like a bus. Admittedly, I wasn't sure how to react. Had any man ever said this to me?  I turned away, blood rushing through my cheeks. Even Johan seemed quite flustered for his usually calm behaviour. "Well, I hope I was able to help you", he mumbled. I nodded. "Thank you. I'm going to change, then." "Right." He opened the curtain, but before he walked out, he turned to me again. "Please don't get the wrong idea, Klara. If you like this dress, take it. I'm just concerned... for your own comfort and safety." I shook my head. "No... you're right."

After changing, I took one of the dresses and put it on the counter at the checkout. "The pink one, please."

As I drove back home in the evening, I couldn't help but wonder. Klara, why are you so eager to prove your worth by showing your body?