Bound

Chapter 29 - Elanor

Skylar

It's only eleven o'clock, but I head into the walk-in closet, curiosity finally getting the better of me. I want to see the dresses Dmitri picked out. For me. For this occasion.

I open the cupboard, five dresses and five pairs of shoes neatly beside each other. Off the bat, the first thing I notice is no bling. There is not a sequin or glittering anything in sight. Thank the pope. I'm not too fond of bling things. Anything that brings unnecessary attention to me is a no-go. I give Dmitri a mental pat on the back. The second thing I notice is that none of these dresses are poofy at the bottom. Dmitri, so far, is winning in my books.

Excited, I pull the first one out. It's a gorgeous floor-length dark navy-blue satin dress. It has a lace bodice separated by a three-inch band of satin circling the waist before the dress peters off in waves down to the floor. The two-inch straps narrow down the chest, meeting at a V when it reaches the band. It was nice, but I wasn't sure if I had the cleavage for this dress. My bust size was on the smaller side of a C.

I put the dress back, pulling out the second one. I immediately don't like it. The color, design, and material are all perfect, but it has a sweetheart neckline. Something I vehemently detest, so this goes back in without another look. He tried, I think, chuckling to myself. He would never have known.

Dress number three is not as good as dress number one but still a contender. A wine-red halter neck dress, the back floor length while the front tapered up into a U shape. A mixture of satin underneath and lace on the top. The bodice wrapped over, pushing cleavage up and together. I wasn't sure about that, hence leaving it second on my list.

Dress number four, I don't really know. I would have to try it on to give an opinion. It is a black floor-length dress with a plunging neckline and two thin straps. The material is thin and figure-hugging, with two slits on the sides reaching mid-thigh. It comes with elegant black gloves that reach just above the elbow. Seems very 1940s vibe. I don't think underwear is an option with this one. It is very sexy, very something-I-don't-usually-wear-but-might-consider.

Dress number five is my favorite and suits my style to a T. It is a white bodice dress that reaches just above the knees and is covered in a white lace that reaches the floor and forms the sleeves. It strikes me as a dress I might consider getting married in. It's so beautiful. It's like a bohemian wedding dress.

Not bad on Dmitri's part, considering we've only known each other for a couple of days. He is very observant, which makes me wonder what else he sees about me besides my dress style.

My mind wanders to Elanor and what she is like compared to myself. I shove those thoughts aside as jealousy bubbles to the surface. I don't want that feeling to tarnish the present moment.

I head back to the lounge, plopping down on the sofa. That little event only crushed just under an hour of my time. Hungry, possibly due to boredom, I call room service and order whatever vegetarian option they have on the menu. The room service clerk asks me if there is anything specifically that I would like, even if it is not on the menu, stating that as guests of honor, we can have whatever we want. The guy on the other side of the line, who sounds like he has a colossal carrot up his arse, went into a coughing fit when I asked for a vegetarian pizza. From the snacks served last night, I'm guessing this place is not accustomed to churning out something as mundane as pizza.

Half an hour later, I hear a knock on the door. Must be room service, I think excitedly, my stomach at the point where I feel like it has started consuming itself in an attempt to appease the emptiness.

I throw open the door, only to be met with what can only be described as a goddess. The woman in front of me is wearing a beautiful smile on her face. A heart-shaped face, with two piercing blue eyes staring back at me and luscious red lips offset against white teeth. Her skin, milky and unblemished, sends porcelain with its tail between its legs in comparison.

While her hair is brown, it is not ordinary. Nope. This brown hair reaches her waist and tumbles in voluminous, shiny waves down her back. She is wearing a plain yellow sundress with a sweetheart neckline and bodice, which pushes her cleavage up and together, with an ample amount on display. The dress stops above her knees, leaving stunning long legs for all to see. Matching yellow strappy high heels and a little beige clutch bag finish this ensemble. Her fingers and toes and every inch of her are perfectly manicured. I must be gawking because she chuckles.

"You must be Sky," she sings, her voice sweet and melodic.

"Ahh, yes," I say, smiling. Confusion and stupor must be plastered all over my face. "And you are...?"

"I'm Elanor. Dmitri thought you might want some company," the goddess in front of me says sweetly, no malice in her words.

I must look dumbfounded as her smile falters slightly.

"Are you okay? Can I come in, or is now not a good time?" She asks sweetly.

I regain my composure. "Um, no, sorry, I was just having a moment. You surprised me, that's all. I wasn't expecting anyone except for room service," I ramble on as I plaster a small smile on my face.

"Please, come in," I move out of the way and gesture into the room. She glides in, making her way to the couch, where she elegantly perches herself on the edge.

As I'm about to close the door, a trolley appears in front of me, pushed by the same young man from this morning.

"Excellent, thank you. You can just leave it here," I say, pointing to a spot just inside the door.

He mumbles a quick "pleasure" before darting back in the direction he came from, eyes never meeting mine. Strange. He was smiling at me this morning.

I go to the couch opposite the one Elanor is perched on.

"You can eat if you want. I can hear your stomach grumbling." She's chuckling. Great, her hearing is as good as Dmitri's.

"Do you want some?" I ask her as I get up to retrieve a slice of pizza before taking a bite. It might just be the best pizza I have ever eaten. She shakes her head.

"Dear lord above, this is delicious," I take another bite as I return to my seat.

"You are adorable," she says, the smile never leaving her face.

"When Dmitri ditched me last minute, claiming an emergency had come up and he needed to bring someone else along, I was intrigued as to who was taking my place." She feigns sadness before laughing as I nearly choke on the bite of pizza in my mouth.

"He is just helping me," I say quickly, recovering. "I think I'm more of a burden and inconvenience than anything else."

I didn't want her to think there was more between us than there actually was. He certainly had not indicated anything to the contrary, and at this point, my emotions seemed one-sided. And looking at Elanor, there was no competition.

"I doubt that. Dmitri isn't one to frivolously bring someone he barely knows, let alone a human, to such a prestigious event as this one. Especially as a guest of honor, with all the supernatural races' representatives present. Your name will be circulated far and wide, with people speculating about your relationship. He usually never deals with humans directly if he can help it. So, there must be something else," she says, her head quirking to the side as she observes me.

"You smell like him." I blush furiously at her words, remembering the semen that seemed to have left his scent lingering on my stomach long after the shower I took.

She starts laughing. "Maybe it's because you're so innocent."

"I'm so sorry," I start saying, "I didn't know that Dmitri has a girlfriend-"

I'm cut off as Elanor erupts into a full-on laugh. 

"Sweetie, we're not in a relationship. Dmitri doesn't do relationships. He doesn't share his feelings or display affection publicly or privately. I accompany him to events, and we help each other fulfill certain...needs, but beyond that, there is nothing between us," she says, a sadness crossing her features as the last words are spoken. She recovers quickly, making me wonder if I was mistaken. If he wasn't in a relationship with this beauty, then I definitely didn't stand a chance.

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