I Play for Keeps

Chapter Twenty Four

“So when did you intend on telling me this?” I asked Gabe the next morning. He had visited me bright and early at 9:00 AM and said he was taking me out. He gave me five minutes to dress myself before whisking me out of my warm, comfy apartment to God only knew where.

Turns out he was taking me to a nearby clothing store. When I asked why he simply reminded me that I was going on tour in a few days and I needed an appropriate wardrobe. Oh yeah, who could forget such a minor little detail?

“You go one way, I’ll go the other.” I nodded and we split up, each grabbing concert clothes. We reconviened twenty minutes later, each of our arms loaded with clothes. I decided that we would try on my clothes first, since I knew I would like all of them.

Most of the outfits I had picked out were just jeans and t shirts. I had never been to a concert before. This wasn’t something I was used to preparing for. So I just picked out clothes that I’d normally wear. But each outfit that I showed Gabe normally ended up with rejection. I was growing more frustrated by the second.

“What is it that I was supposed to grab?” I demanded, throwing one of my last few articles of clothing I had yet to show him. It was a golden dress that flowed past my knees. It was shimmery and I only picked it cause it was on sale for 50% off.

“You weren’t supposed to—,” Gabe stopped when I emerged from the changing room. I examined myself nervously, not used to the stunned silence.

“What? Is there a stain? Do I look bad?”

“Far from it. You’re getting this dress.” I opened my mouth to protest, to say that I really didn’t like it, cause I really didn’t, but Gabe wouldn’t have it. “No ifs ands or buts. You’re getting it.” I pouted and retreated back into the changing room, knowing that arguing would get me nowhere.

“I’m out of clothes. Toss me yours.” Suddenly a shower of dresses and shirts and pants flew over the door and landed onto me in a heap. I groaned but pulled out the first outfit and grimaced.

“Really Gabe?” I asked, eyeing the think piece of material. There was no way in hell I was putting this on. I tossed it back over the door and he groaned. “There is no way I’d put on such a thing.”

“I’ve seen you in much less, sweetheart.” My cheeks flared up, and if I wasn’t so almost naked and had actual clothes to put on, I’d go kung foo on his ass. I decided to scour through the rest of Gabe’s selections to see much of the same. All slutty outfits that would not work on me at all.

“You know, I don’t work in a strip club anymore.”

“Those aren’t strip club clothes! They’re just Taylor Swift gone risqué.” Gabe answered. I could so see that stupid smirk on his face right now. What I wouldn’t give to smack it right off of him… “Let me at least see you in something!” I grumbled but obliged and slipped on a slinky black dress. It barely covered my butt and the chest dropped so low, I’m surprised you couldn’t see my bra. There was no way this was going to work. But I cast my doubts aside and decided to step outside in the black dress. It was the most modest thing Gabe had picked out for me.

Gabe’s eyebrows lifted and I put on my best smile. He nodded once before circling me like a hungry predator. I felt uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze, but he finished circling me and smiled broadly. “I like this dress. Maybe not for an afternoon performance, but for a night performance, this will work. You’re getting it.”

“Aren’t there any like shirts and shorts I could wear?” I grumbled once inside the changing room.

“Haven’t you seen any concerts? The performers don’t wear pants! They always wear dresses. Some more risqué than others, but always dresses.” He tossed a black dress with fringe over the door. “Try this one. Hopefully this one will be more…appealing to a girl like you.” I didn’t know whether to be insulted or pleased. The dress itself looked nice. It was black with silver fringe. When I twirled around the fringe moved with me. I was so getting this dress. I stepped out of the dressing room, smiling and Gabe’s smile matched my own. “I figured you’d like this one. We’ll get it.” He handed me several more dresses that looked to be more my taste and instructed me to try all of them on.

The next dress I tried on was white. It only had one strap that draped across my left shoulder. The chest was plane. Around the upper stomach was a line of diamonds and underneath the diamonds was a layer of white feathers. It was so fluffy and comfortable! The dress went up to my mid thigh, but I didn’t mind it at all. Gabe approved of this dress as well.

The next dress was a high-low dress. It was a pretty blue, the color of Gabe’s eyes. It was strapless and the chest area was badezzled with a single strip moving  down my stomach past my belly button. Once the dress hit my lower stomach, the diamonds stopped and the skirt part of the dress started. It was layer after layer of frills. The front part of the frills stopped mid thigh and the back flowed down and trailed around me when I walked. It wasn’t my favorite, but Gabe deemed it necessary, so it too we bought.

Finally, the last dress I bought was my favorite. I knew exactly what song they wanted me to perform in this dress. It was a white dress that was covered in rhinestones. The dress itself was a strapless white, but there was a sheer fabric that went up over my shoulders and down my arms. The fabric itself also had all sorts of diamonds so when I put it on, it looked like I had also placed several jewels across my chest and arms. The back was very open, perfect for two applicable angel wings. So I guess Angel with a Shotgun would be my album’s biggest hit.

“So I’m assuming this dress is for Angel with a Shotgun?” I asked once stepping out of the dressing room in the white bedazzled dress.

“How’d you know?” Gabe teased. “It wasn’t my choice. The boys at the studio who are currently compiling your CD figured that this would be the album’s main song. So that’s what your first album’s being named.”

“How does it look?”

“Like everything else. Stunning.” Gabe lightly shoved me back into the dressing room. “Now keep that dress on and hurry with me. We’re running late and there are a few more things I need to bring you to.”