Resisting Sin (Gold Diggers #1)

Episode 12 : Late Expectations

Hayley found it kind of weird that all the dresses the stylist brought out for her were... modest. Not entirely modest — most of them had sheer fabrics that would require her to wear a slip or at least a very pretty bra — but all of them had sleeves and skirts that fell below the knees. She didn't mind, though. Showing off her body wasn't much of a priority when she dressed, and the clothes were all so beautiful. Expensive. She wondered if she could pick one that didn't cost too much and then insist on paying for it herself.

When Hayley stepped out of the fitting booth into dressing room, Deborah Williams swept a critical eye over her. A stylist whom Hayley had admired for as long as she could remember, Deborah wore a black and white print dress with clean lines and white stilettos. She was a black woman in her thirties, beautiful with perfectly coiffed curly hair and a quiet elegant air. It was unnerving having a perfectly-dressed woman stare at Hayley, but not only was Deborah nice, but she recognized that Hayley had an eye for style herself when they were picking out accessories. The outfit Hayley was wearing was a sheer off-white dress with elaborate embroidery in black and silver thread. It had a full multi-layered skirt whose hem brushed her ankles and sleeves that covered her upper arms. A thick, wide lace-trimmed belt wrapped snugly around her torso like a corset. "Maybe the belt is a bit much," Deborah said.

Hayley nodded in agreement. She glanced at Gabriel, who sat, legs crossed, in a large wing-backed armchair. His face was impassive as he regarded her outfit. "Do you have anything you can't..." he said, then cleared his throat. "Something you can't see through?"

So the long skirts and sleeves were his idea, Hayley thought. She felt blood rush to her head in embarrassment. Was her body so unattractive that he wanted her to cover up?

"This are this season's designs," Deborah said. The corner of her mouth pulled up in a grin. "If you like, I could go through last year's."

He sighed. "Never mind." To Hayley, he asked, "Do you like it?"

She swallowed her hurt. It felt like he had looked her over and found her wanting. Well, she couldn't exactly help the way she looked, could she? And he was the one who decided she was good enough to be his pretend girlfriend, so he had to deal. "I do. But there's another one I'd like to try," she said, glancing at Deborah, who nodded.

Hayley stepped back into the fitting booth and pulled off her dress. It was all it took for her to hide her embarrassment during the past hour they'd been going through dresses. Gabriel found fault with everything — each dress was either too short, too loud, too skin-baring. Luckily for her, they were at a private fitting. She knew that couture fashion shops had private fittings for select clientele but she never imagined she would ever experience it. Not only was she in a private fitting, but Gabriel had hired one of L.A.'s most sought-after stylists to assist her in picking out the dress. If only she could enjoy the whole thing. She grit her teeth with determination as she put on a skirt. It was one of the shorter ones, with a tasseled hem that fell just around her knees. She paired it with a white sheer full-sleeved top edged with black embroidery and some black lace, under which she wore a lace camisole and her bra. There, she thought as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, that should be enough cover up even for Gabriel.

His eyes lit up in approval as she walked back into the room. But a stubborn part of her refused to give him victory. She was a grow-ass adult. She would choose her clothes. "I like this one," she said firmly. If he was buying her this dress, it would be because it was her choice, not his.

"Turn around," he said.

Gritting her teeth, she did as he ordered. "Well?"

He nodded at Deborah. "We'll take it."