Khrysopos ✔

TWELVE

- Juliet's POV -

"I look like a flamingo," Juliet commented, as Alex looked amused.

Nyssa and Marie grimaced, observing her dress with pained looks.

Cain laughed in her face.

Juliet sighed wearily. "Let's just go to another store."

"Why is this taking forever?" Marie moaned. "I thought it'd be easy shopping for you? You're gorgeous!"

"I want to go and eat somethiiiiiing," Cain complained loudly.

"Shut up, Cain," Nyssa snapped. "Juliet - don't you have any fashion friends who'll lend you a hand? You have lots of friends, right?"

Juliet gave her a look. "Yes, because Irenka will fly all the way from Czech Republic for me, and Bastian will call someone from France and interrupt his schedule just for me, and I'm sure Lia isn't needed in China. Let's not forget how Tirill would love to take a holiday from her job in Sweden and trouble herself just for me."

Cain muttered, impressed, "big dick energy."

Marie said, "don't flex. It's rude."

Nyssa sighed at them all. "I'm lost, then."

Alex walked away from the group, on a call. This irritated Juliet.

"What do we do?" Marie asked, looking frustrated.

Alex came back, his phone next to his ear still. "If you wore a dress to the ball tomorrow - "

"I sure as hell wouldn't go naked, Alex," Juliet interrupted coldly.

He glared at her. "Don't interrupt me. Now," he started again, "what colour would the dress be?"

"Why? You're going to make it for me now, are you?"

Juliet heard laughing from the phone. Alex looked annoyed. "Just answer the question."

"Fine," she sighed. "I'd wear black."

Alex spoke on the phone. "She says black." He paused. Nodded. "Are you sure you want black?"

Juliet stared at him. "Yes."

He sighed. "She says yes." He paused again. "Okay. We will be there."

He cut the call and started walking out of the store smoothly, as if he expected the group to automatically follow him.

They didn't.

Nyssa stared at him. "Oi! Hero! What do we do?"

He paused and looked back with irritation at them, like they were all little pieces of shit. To him, they were. "Follow me."

They followed him. Nyssa rolled her eyes. "I'm related to a dramatic piece of poop. Who does he think he is? James fucking Bond? Follow me," she mimicked.

***

"You look gorgeous!" The middle-aged woman gushed.

Juliet flushed lightly, but still wanted to slap her. She was too giddy and bouncey. It made Juliet nervous. Alex apparently called a friend (her name was Courtney) who was a fashion designer and had lots of dresses in her size. He drove them to her house, and Juliet found a dress immediately.

She stepped out of the closet to show her friends the dress. Her friends. Marie squealed. "Perfect!"

It was full sleeved, and hugged her entire body snugly. It was backless, low necked showing just a sliver of her cleavage, and had a slit on the right so that Juliet would walk freely. The dress was completely black.