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Non. Again. Non. Again. Non. Again.
What I expected to hear played in my head in a loop as I put the jacket
on the form and sat down to find the flaw. It looked perfect, but my instincts
were shot. I’d thought I’d gotten it right ten times already. Maybe if I
looked a little longer.
I was resting my head for one moment, and the next, Daddy’s voice cut
through a dream of pre-worn tweed.
Ah! Oui, little peanut.
He was sitting in front of my fitting mannequin. When I stood next to
him, he put his arm around my waist and pulled me in tight. He kissed my
cheek loudly so a whole empty office could witness his pride. His daughter.
His baby girl who’d finally pleased him, and who was nearly in tears
because of it.
Oui! See how it fits now? Perfect! Look at the lines. Look what you have
done!
The lines. Lines were my job.
I wanted the thrill of making guerilla art in the dead of night, but I
dreamed in beading and boning and woke up to thread and interface.
Fashion was all I knew, and it was a prison.
Now, with the Crowne Jewels a few hours away, I had nothing to wear.
Ridiculous.
We had rooms full of beautiful things at Papillion, but the stuff nice
enough for the party and the surprise wedding announcement was under
lock and key. I could borrow something, but from whom? I knew people,
but not many who would have something that could stand up to scrutiny.
I’d have to steal what I needed, even if it was already mine.
Jean-Claude had the black cocktail dress in his office. He was knocking
it off of course, because he didn’t have a lick of real talent, and I’d told him
so.
I hadn’t regretted my honesty until that day.
I knew the Papillion building better than my own body. I’d mastered the
back halls and service entrances during after-school hours, so I got upstairs
without being seen.
Bianca was meeting with not one but two Drazens.
I dodged left, but Jean-Claude was at his desk, the black dress on a form
next to him and another one of my father’s old gowns on a hanger. The
mauve one Margrethe of Denmark had worn to her sister’s wedding.