One Weekend with the Billionaire novel Chapter 17

Cindy is such a nice person. She makes me feel absolutely welcome as we stroll along next to each other in one of the most expensive shopping districts in the city. It’s as if I’m with a friend.

We don’t talk about the proposal Mr. Merriweather has made to me. We really don’t talk about him much at all, except for when Cindy says how nice he is and how glad she is to work for him. She says he’s the best boss she has ever had, the best boss she could hope for. She also says not to worry about spending too much money, that Mr. Merriweather will be disappointed if I don’t get everything I want.

I find it hard to unabashedly spend someone else’s money, but I do buy a few things I really like. Cindy won’t let me look at the price tags as she makes a collection of dresses for me to try on. When I go into the dressing room to try them on, she makes me promise not to look at the price while I’m in there either. I try to keep the promise, but it’s hard. At least I try on the first one before I look. It is a short, black cocktail dress, and even though I believe what Jeff tells me about my butt being too big and my boobs being too saggy, I don’t think it looks too bad on me. I think I might get it. Cindy asks me to come out so she can have a look.

I can feel my face turning red as I step out in front of her, afraid of what she might say. "Oh, Julia! That’s breathtaking!" she says. "You must get it. Mr. Merriweather will love you in that."

The thought that she is helping me pick out a dress for someone to love me in that is not my husband might bother me if I hadn’t already seen that Jeff signed that contract before I did. He already agreed to this before I did, after all. What did that tell me? That he was more concerned about his job than his wife, that’s what.

"Thank you," I say to Cindy, still not sure about the dress. "Do you think it’s too short?" It lands about four inches above my knees. I don’t think that’s too short, but Jeff would say it was for sure.

"No. It’s perfect!" she says. "Go try on the red one."

I smile and go back inside, taking the dress off carefully, but then, I accidentally look at the price tag and almost stop breathing. "Cindy!" I say in a voice that will give me away. "I don’t think I can get this one."