Diamonds Are Not Forever

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Elliot

I pulled up to her tiny, terraced house the next morning at exactly 9.23am, almost running over a couple of shady looking kids on bikes as I parked my G Class up on the curb and sent Juliette a text to let her know I'd arrived.
Her house looked worse in the light of day.
The street was the kind of street that you saw in true crime documentaries or on the news every time they talked about vandalism rates going up. I knew Juliette wasn't exactly rich, given her eagerness to accept my offer of money in exchange for her becoming my wife. But seeing the cracked paving slabs that lead to her faded blue door, situated next her neighbours boarded up bottom windows and the lone fridge-freezer left at the bottom of their shared front yard, it was a far cry from my penthouse in the city.
The sound of something hitting my car made my head snap round. One of the feral kids had ridden their bike directly into my front tyre, their face ashen when they caught my glare through the windscreen.
I fucking hate kids.
Before I could get out and confront them, Juliette's front door opened, and she appeared on the steps. Her outfit didn't reflect the gloomy sky overhead, the bright florals of her knee length sundress was a stark contrast to the rainclouds overhead that threatened to downpour on our day.
She was a bright dresser, I'd noticed.
The burnt orange blouse she'd worn to the office the day she had come to the contract negotiation in came to mind. Matched with my favourite trousers, she'd looked like the sun, a bright ball of light that lit up the whole room. It wasn't my choice of style, but it suited Juliette well enough.
When she opened the passenger door and slid into the car, she gave me a weary smile. "No sports car today?"
"Not today, figured we would need space for the shopping bags." I started the car, revving the engine to scare the little shits that were still hovering on their bikes. It worked, they jumped a mile and I bit back a laugh as I dove past them and turned out of Juliette's street.
Juliette pulled the seatbelt over her body, adjusting the size and checking it was buckled correctly as I headed in the direction of the city. "How much do we plan on buying?"
"We plan on buying as much as we need to make us look presentable in front of my parents." I smirked.
She shot me a look from her seat, running her hand along the length of the hem of her dress. "You don't like the sun dress?"
I couldn't help but sneak a quick side glance so I could look at her as she spoke. Juliette's face was twisted up in a frown as she looked down at her hands resting on the tops of her thighs.
"Why do you ask?" I was curious.
"You said you want me to look presentable, I was just wondering what was wrong with the clothes I already have?" Her voice sounded distant; her brows furrowed in thought.
I hadn't intended to offend her; I actually quite liked the way she dressed. Despite her curves, she appeared to wear exactly what she liked to wear, even if society would tell her differently.
"You look lovely, Juliette." I stated, straining to see her face whilst still trying to keep my eyes on the road.
My words mollified her a little, but she still turned her head away from me to look out of the car window as the streets slipped past us.
After a few minutes of driving in silence, I felt her mood lift and her body relax into the plush leather interior of the car. She eventually turned to me with a quizzical look.
"Do you always drive in silence?" She asked, pointing to the car's stereo.
"Usually."
I didn't listen to music much, and the only time I had the radio on was for traffic updates or to listen to the news when I was on a long journey.
She hummed in response, clearly unimpressed. "That would drive me insane! I hate silent cars."
I could hear the intent behind her words, she was angling to put some music on and disturb my piece.
After a beat, I gestured towards the stereo and sighed. "By all means, put something on."
"Thanks." Her face lit up as she began messing around with the touch screen of the car's dashboard, her fingers making light work of the settings and connecting her phone via Bluetooth.
The speakers crackled before the car was filled with the acoustic strings of a folksy sounding song. Juliette relaxed back into her seat and began tapping her finger against the handle in time to the beat, gently humming along to the tune as I forced a passive look on my face.
She peaked up at me through her lashes, gauging my reaction to her choice in song, arching her brow when I kept my eyes head on towards the road. "What, you don't like the Indigo Girls?" she asked, her head bobbing along to the two female voices singing along to the strum of guitars.
I scrunched my face up in response. "Its not my first choice..."
"This is the perfect car song, I can't be convinced otherwise."
"What makes you say that?" I couldn't stop myself from asking, despite my better judgement.
"It's upbeat and catchy but has a message in the lyrics." She continued to hum along, her shoulders moving as she became more and more engulfed as each second passed.
I paused to listen to some of the words, grasping very little other than the mention of fear and darkness.
Juliette continued, like she had sensed I wasn't getting it. "Its about taking in life at face value, to stop living in fear and allow yourself to live without having to find the point in everything..." Her voice trailed off as the song continued.
She finished her sentence by singing a line, almost like it was part of her answer. "And the less I seek my source for some definitive, closer I am to fine."
I'd forgotten how beautiful her voice was, the soft and aching tones assaulting my ears in the best way possible. As she gained confidence, her voice got louder and clearer, until eventually she was fully engrossed – singing along and smiling at every word that left her lips.
I couldn't help but smile too.
When the music faded, I turned to Juliette as she ceased singing. She was left with a wistful look in her large brown eyes, her earlier light-hearted mood fleeting from her body like an exhale of breath.
I felt like I was intruding on a private thought as I filled the silence with my voice. "So, Juliette. Are you closer to fine?"
"Not yet." She breathed, a pained look flashing across her face as she stared up at me. "But I hope to be soon."


Our first stop was a boutique just off of Main Street that Millie had recommended, aptly named Sky High Threads – probably on account of the fact everything in there had a four-figure price tag minimum.
A sales consultant accosted us the second we stepped foot over the threshold, a pale haired middle-aged woman with a face full of botox, dressed in a tight fitted designer suit.
She greeted me first, her eyes assaulting my body as she ushered us further into the store. "Hello Sir, what can I help you with today?"
I pointed my chin in the direction of Juliette, who had already started running her hands across the rack of blouses and skirts in the corner. "Its my girlfriend who's shopping, you should speak to her."
The word girlfriend sounded so foreign in my mouth, but I had to get used to the sound of it.
The sales consultant smiled a fake smile and nodded her head. "No problem-" When she turned to take in Juliette, her face faltered as she moved her gaze between us both, like she was weighing us up. "We stock very little plus size clothes here sir..."
A wave of frustration washed over me as she dragged her eyes over Juliette's body, judging her silently. If Juliette heard her, she didn't let on, she just wondered over to a floor-to-ceiling clear acrylic shelf lined with designer stilettos and heeled boots.
When she was out of earshot, I bit back my irritation and produced my credit card from my wallet. "Well, I suggest you find the clothes you do have in her size, and you bring them to her so she can pick the ones she likes. If that isn't going to be a possibility, I will take my business elsewhere." I waved the platinum card in front of her face. "Understood?"
"Understood." She gulped, snatching the card from my hand and disappearing into the back of the store, the reflection of her burning red face catching in every mirror she passed.
When my temper had levelled slightly, I joined Juliette's side as she picked up a pricey pair of Louboutins. She turned the price tag over in her hand, grimaced at the sight, then quickly placed them back on the shelf.
"Jeez." She muttered under her breath.
"You can get whatever you want. Don't look at the price, just pick what you like."
Juliette's brows furrowed in thought as she moved along to a pair of cream pumps with a six-inch heel, her urge to turn over the tag evident in the way her hands trembled as she picked them up.
"Except those, you can't have those." I gestured to the shoes in her hand, keeping my voice as flat as possible.
Her eyes widened. "Why not?"
"Because Miss St. James," I pulled the shoes from her and placed them back where she found them. "I have seen you try and wear six-inch heels. Those pumps, despite how great you would look in them, would spend more time off of your feet than on them."
Juliette giggled as she hit me lightly on my forearm. She had a brilliant laugh, the kind that filled a space. "You have a point there, Mr Truman."
I couldn't hold my smirk back any longer. "Did you just...agree with me?" I taunted, my voice dripping with false shock as I brought my palm to my chest.
Juliette flashed me a brilliant smile, her dark eyes flickering with mischief. "I believe I just did. Don't get used to it though, it's a rare occurrence."
A smile tugged at the corner of my lips as Miss Botox returned, trailing behind her a clothes rack filled with various outfits.
"Miss, I've selected some options for you if you would like to come and take a look."
With a deep sigh, Juliette moved past me towards the consultant, looking up at me wearily.
"Go, spend my money like its going out of fashion darling." I quipped, taking a seat at one of the white leather divan sofas near the changing room section of the store.

After selecting a few pieces for her everyday wardrobe, an hour of trying on clothes and parading in front of me like a show pony dragging by, Juliette finally came to selecting the dress she would wear to dinner at my parents' house. She poked her head through the grey velvet curtain first, a few locks of her hair tumbling out over her shoulders as she scanned the room for me. When her eyes finally landed, she shot me a shy smile.
"I like this one okay, keep that in mind when you give your opinion."
"You don't want me to be honest?" I quipped.
Juliette rolled her eyes. "Honesty, yes. But I don't want a repeat of the checkered skirt and blouse..."
I chuckled at the thought of her in the first outfit she had come out in, a pink and purple checkered set that made her look like an extra from the Circus, it had been hideous. "I promise, I won't make fun, even if you look terrible."
"Elliot!" She scolded.
"Just come out will you..." I checked my watch for the time, I didn't want to be late for our next appointment.
When I looked up again, all the moisture left my mouth.
Juliette was dressed in Emerald green satin down to her ankles, the cuffs of the dress caressed her wrists and bellowed at the sleeves all the way up her arm. On the bodice sat six small, perfect buttons, traveling from the point of the low-cut V at her breasts to the bottom of her torso. She ran her hand over the fabric as she assessed herself in the free-standing mirror, her fingertips lingering where the satin ruched under her breasts, accentuating her full figure perfectly.
She looked incredible.
"Wow." The word came out of my mouth too easily.
Juliette's cheeks flushed as she looked over her shoulder to gauge my reaction, tendrils of her copper hair falling artfully down her back, complimenting the colour of the dress. "Will this be okay for dinner?"
I was struggling to listen, my body straining at the sight of her. My cock twitched unwelcomely in my pants as I wiped the building sweat from my palms down the legs of my trousers. 
Say something you stupid man, don't just sit and gawk.
I cleared my throat, but my voice still croaked as I spoke. "Yes, that will be okay."
Juliette looked back to the mirror, her palm finding the curve of her waist as she tried to smooth out the already smooth fabric. She seemed lost in thought, staring at herself with an unreadable expression.
I forced myself up from my seat and stood behind her, moving close enough that I could see my own reflection over her shoulder. "As much as I would love to stay here and stare at you all morning, we need to go to our next appointment."
Juliette met my gaze, a small pout forming on her full lips. "Where are we going?"
I reached out and tucked one of the loose strands of her hair behind her ear before trailing it to the top of her spine, my hands desperate to feel how good the fabric would be against her skin, despite the watchful eye of the consultant.
Juliette shuddered at the contact, but didn't move away as I let my hand rest at the nape of her neck.
"Hugo Talls & Co." I breathed when I eventually answered her, cursing myself for the uncontrollable reaction this woman pulled out of me every time I found myself looking at her. It was like I was a school boy with no handle on his hormones, it was frustrating. 
A confused look creased on her forehead over what I had said. " Hugo Talls & Co, as in jewellers? Why?"
"Because," I stepped back, putting some much needed space between us as my body began to cool. "I have something I want you to see."