Page 45 of Worth Every Game
Marie screws up her face. “Lydia will never know if you dress up for Jack or not.” She waves a limp finger towards the nipple holes in the bra cups. “You don’t need to do this.”
“Yeah, butI’llknow, and I’m not having my actions dictated by a beautiful woman with fake eyelashes.” But the nipple holes are a bit excessive, even for me. I put the bra back and keep searching.
Marie tuts as she flicks through a rack of crotchless panties, then abruptly abandons her perusal and pins me with a pointed stare. “I’m going to put it out there. You need to put an end to this game.” I pull a ‘how dare you tell me what to do’ face, but Marie keeps going. “This is Jack Lansen we’re talking about. Slept with half of London. Dreadful flirt. Ego the size of a small planet. Not to mention he’s your best friend’s brother. Don’t get involved. And definitely don’t do it to spite some woman who assaulted you in the supermarket.”
“I’m doing it for the cash,” I say matter-of-factly, although the words don’t have the heft of truth, and I wonder if Marie will pick up on it. “A hundred thousand pounds. It would take years for me to earn that much.”
I hold up a black corset with purple trim and a matching suspender belt. Marie rolls her eyes, but I like it, so I keep hold of it and lead the way to the changing rooms. Marie takes a seat outside my cubicle as I hurriedly undress.
“That man has more money than sense,” Marie muses. “You must’ve really got under his skin.”
God, I hope so, because he’s already so deep under mine that I’m not sure I can get him out.I haul on the corset, striving to keep my voice calm. “Maybe. I guess.”
I check out my reflection. This outfit is hot. I might be in flats and no make-up, but my breasts are falling out of the corset in the best way, making me feel ridiculously sexy for a Friday morning. It’s so much better than Lydia’s underwear and trench coat affair.
The curtain to my cubicle opens and my hands fly to cover me in the scant underwear. “Hey!”
Marie pays my outburst no heed as she stands there with her mouth open, her eyes darting all over my face. “You like him. I can hear it in your voice. Fuck, Elly.” Her hands slap against her cheeks, and I’m desperately trying not to react, even thoughmy heart is rampaging around my chest likePhil Collinson the drums. “You’re into Jack Lansen.”
“I’m not… I don’t… this is just about the money.” I blink like I’m using my eyelashes to fend off a swarm of mosquitos that are set upon draining all the blood from my eyeballs. “I don’t actually want to sleep with him.” A strange tightening sensation corkscrews through my chest.What’s that about?
“You sure about that?”
“Yes. I do not fancy Jack Lansen.”Ugh, that corkscrew sensation again. This time, a brief flicker of illumination comes with it.I’m lying.
I fancy Jack Lansen, and I absolutely want to fuck him.
I’m mildly shocked by the clarity of the realisation, despite having known it for weeks.
“Wow,” Marie says, interrupting my thoughts. Her gaze is fixed on my body for the first time since she pulled back the curtain. “What are you going to do in this getup?”
“Dance in it.” I wiggle my hips. “I used to work as a stripper at uni. Paid a fortune. I was the richest student on campus.”
Marie’s eyebrows shoot up. “I didn’t know that. Well, you look great. I’d get on my knees for you in this outfit.”
“Thanks. Could you give me a moment?” I say, and Marie steps back so I can close the curtain again and get changed.
When I come out, Marie has a thoughtful look on her face. “Is Jack sleeping with anyone else?”
The question catches me off-guard. I hadn’t considered it. I’m not sleeping with anyone, so I’d kind of assumed, while we were locked in this bizarre agreement, that Jack wouldn’t be either.
Marie gives me a sympathetic look. “Use a condom. That’s all I’m saying.”
“I’m not going to have sex with Jack.”
But I totally want to.
Marie shakes her head dismissively, like I’m a lost cause. It’s clear she knows I’m lying. “What are you going to tell Kate?”
“Nothing. She was fine with me and Jack living together, but she definitely wouldn’t be okay with this, so I’m not going to mention it.”
Marie looks at me like this is my stupidest idea yet, but thankfully she doesn't call me out on it. Although, to be fair, the look is enough to have ants squirming beneath my skin.
We spend a while longer flicking through the clothes and examining a bizarre array of sex toys. When we’ve finished, I take everything I’ve chosen to the till—a corset that pushes my boobs up so much they might fall out, a suspender belt and stockings, and a pair of platform PVC heels. It’s not tasteful, but it’s certainly a look. The cashier rings it all up.
Marie’s eyebrows shoot up at the total. “Fuck, that’s expensive.”
Holy fuck, it is.“It’s an investment,” I quip. “The return on this is going to be huge.”