Susan Mallery - Hot On Her Heels

She held up her hand before Dana could interrupt. “There’s a big difference between fitting in and selling out. I’m not asking you to be someone else. I’m asking you to dress in such a way that you don’t insult your hostess, who I would like to remind you, is a close friend.”

Dana pressed her lips together. “Fine,” she mumbled. “What should I wear?”

“You’ll probably be more comfortable in pants and a jacket,” Lexi said, moving deeper into the store.

Dana followed her, careful not to brush against anything. She wasn’t sure where exclusive boutiques stood on the “you break it, you bought it” policy, but she and her credit card didn’t want to get into trouble.

“What about this?”

Lexi held up a tailored jacket. Or maybe it was a blazer. Dana wasn’t sure. While she stared at it, her friend was talking. She could see Lexi’s lips moving, but there wasn’t any sound except for a massive buzzing in her ears.

Had someone blindfolded her and told her that her life depended on her describing the jacket, she wouldn’t have been able to do it. Not when all she could see was the small, hanging price tag.

Fifteen hundred dollars. You could buy a used car for that.

“What?” Lexi asked. “Are you feeling all right?”

Dana shook her head and pointed. Lexi glanced at the tag, then shrugged.

“It’s Donna Karan. Her clothes are beautiful and I think they’d really suit your body.”

“Fifteen hundred dollars? It’s a jacket.”

“It’s a designer label.” Lexi sighed. “Dana, this is what quality clothes cost.”

“Are they sewn by albino virgins born on February 29th?”

“Maybe you’d be happier with something else.”

Something that wouldn’t make her credit card scream for mercy.

Lexi circled several racks, then glanced back at Dana. “Would you consider a dress?”

Dana would rather consider quality time in a snake exhibit at the zoo. A dress, as in not pants? “I guess.”

Instead of circling the racks, Lexi circled Dana. “When was the last time your legs saw sunlight?”

“1943.”

“Very funny. Pale is in. Blinding white doesn’t look attractive on anyone. I’ll get you in at the spa. We’ll give you a nice fake tan that glows.”

Dana frowned. “What does it matter what color my legs are? I’ll be wearing panty hose.”

Lexi stared at her. “No. We don’t do that anymore. Colored tights are always a possibility with a wool skirt and boots, but…” She seemed to brace herself. “When was the last time you wore a dress?”

“Prom.”

“High school prom?”

“It’s the only one I went to.”

Lexi linked arms with her and rested her forehead on Dana’s shoulder. “I have to apologize. I’ve totally failed you as a friend.”

“Why? I’m fine.”

“You’re many things but fine isn’t one of them. We’ll go classic,” she said. “A little black dress.” She straightened and smiled. “The good news for you is you can get one for a lot less than fifteen hundred dollars.”

“Lucky me.”

Fifteen minutes later, Dana had to admit Lexi might be on to something with the dress thing. She’d tried on three already and each of them looked pretty good.

The first had been made out of a shiny fabric that was a little stiff. The front came up to her collarbone but the back had a cut-out that dipped down to the belt. Lexi had explained something about a specially designed fancy bra that would hold the girls in place, but Dana wasn’t so sure about walking around with her back exposed.

The second was silk. She knew because Lexi had gushed about it. It had a wrap-style top and a full skirt.

“Too retro,” Lexi said.

“Too girly,” Dana added.

The third, which according to legend should have been just right, wasn’t. It was cut low enough for most of her breasts to show.

“I’m not flashing the world,” Dana said, staring at herself in the mirror and trying not to wince. Then she reached for the zipper and stepped out of the dress. “There will be old people there. I don’t want to put anyone off the appetizers.”

“Or give them a heart attack.” Lexi looked at the remaining dresses. “Maybe. I don’t know. Maybe.”

“What?”

“I’m thinking.”

Dana had to admit there was one advantage to shopping in the exclusive part of town. The dressing rooms were really nice. Large, with a couple of chairs and big mirrors. Now that she thought about it, the space was about the size of her living room.

“Here.” Lexi handed over what looked like a latex tube.

“What is that?”

“Your new best friend. It’s an indestructible man-made fiber designed to hold every inch of you in place. Otherwise known as shapeware.”

Dana turned the black tube over in her hands. “How do I get into it?”

“Wiggling and a lot of prayer.”

The task seemed impossible, but Dana stepped into the tube and started pulling up. Lexi got behind her and tugged, as well. It took a few minutes, but finally the tube was in place.

It wasn’t just tight-it pressed in from every direction. She wasn’t sure she could fully expand her lungs. Eating would be impossible.

“I can’t breathe in this thing.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Lexi said, apparently unconcerned about Dana’s asphyxiation.

Dana took a few practice breaths and found that by inhaling slowly, she could get more air in her lungs.

“Try this,” Lexi said.

The “this” was a simple black dress that looked like it had been created by bands of fabric sewn together. They alternated dull and shiny. The neckline was square and the straps were the same width as the bands.

“It’s too small,” Dana said, eyeing the dress and hoping it would look good on her.

“It’s meant to be fitted. Which is why you’re not breathing. Try it on.”

Dana slipped the dress over her head. It felt tight, but not too tight. She eased it into place. Lexi fastened the zipper, then sank into one of the chairs.

“My work here is done,” Lexi said happily.

Dana faced the mirror. The dress was amazing. It clung to every curve as if she’d been sewn into it. She looked sexy and feminine and not the least bit like herself.

“Shoes,” Lexi said, pointing to the boxes they’d brought in along with the dresses. “Try that box on the left. They’re satin, too.”

They were also armed with a four-inch heel.

“I don’t think so,” Dana said, staring at them in total fear. “I’ll kill myself.”

“You’ll look good as you go. Try them on.”

Dana slipped on the shoes.

Despite being a bit wobbly, she looked good. Better than good. Her legs were endless, with great curves. It was like being in someone else’s body but looking into her own eyes. A surreal moment.

Lexi rubbed her lower back. “We’ll get you into the spa the day before the fund-raiser. You can get the fake tan and we’ll do something about those eyebrows.”

Dana peered into the mirror. “What’s wrong with my eyebrows? I have two.”

“You practically have four. We’ll fix it. Then on the day of the fund-raiser, I’ll come by and help you get ready.”

Dana turned around and looked at her friend. “This isn’t me. I’m not into this stuff.”

“You don’t know that for sure. You’ve never tried. I’m not saying you have to become a beauty school graduate, but spending a couple of minutes a day on your appearance doesn’t make you a bad person. Or a weak one. You can still be as tough as you want and dress nice.”

“Maybe,” Dana admitted. It wasn’t about being bad, it was about being vulnerable. Which Lexi wouldn’t understand.

“He won’t know what hit him,” her friend added. “More important, you’ll feel fabulous.”

She was used to feeling competent and in charge. How important could fabulous be?

She glanced back at the mirror. Maybe it was time to try.

DANA DROVE TOWARD HER apartment, doing her best not to think about the packages in the backseat of her rental. She’d never spent that much money on clothes in a year, let alone one afternoon. The good news was the dress and heels together had cost a lot less than the jacket. The bad news was she had to wear them.

Garth had better be appreciative, she thought, both nervous about his reaction and anticipating how he would react. She doubted he expected her to be all glamorous.

She turned left onto her street. It was quiet, as usual. She signaled a few feet before the entrance to her complex. She’d barely started the turn when there was a loud pop and the rear end of her car started to wobble and bump.

Several things happened at once. She checked her mirrors to make sure no one was right behind her, then she jerked the car to the side of the road, braking at the same time. As she quickly came to a stop, she grabbed for her purse and pulled out her gun, then slid down in the seat. Even as she opened the door, she heard a car speeding away. She jumped out to see if she could catch the license plate, but there wasn’t one. Then she leaned heavily against the car.

Her gaze dropped to the left rear tire. There was a hole in it, where the bullet had entered. Had they been trying to scare her or had the shooter missed? Either way, another message had been sent. One she couldn’t keep to herself.

She reached back into the car and dug out her cell phone. She dialed the number from memory. When the Titanville sheriff’s office picked up, she identified herself then said, “I need to report a shooting.”

DANA SIPPED ON THE COFFEE she’d been given, although she figured she wouldn’t need caffeine for a month. She was plenty wired from the shooting. She’d already completed her report about the incident, although she wasn’t looking forward to talking about it. No one was going to want to hear that Jed Titan was her prime suspect.

As she sipped, she watched the door. She knew Garth would show up. He’d been very quiet when she’d called and told him what had happened, but she hadn’t been fooled. He was pissed that Jed had been so blatant.