As they quietly walked along the corridor, Karyn turned round to Jon and asked, "What's happening?"
"Not now. I'll tell you everything when we get to her office. No one can hear us there." Jon answered.
Madeleine turned round and gave them both a look they had only ever seen on the face of one of their schoolteachers before turning to face forward again. Although Jon knew where they were heading, Karyn did not, so all she could do was follow the French woman in front of her.
Every movement reminded her that she was no longer wearing her own clothes. However had she managed to dance with the others on the stage without falling over? She would never know.
The costume she was currently wearing felt expensive.
The fitted bodice hugged her torso with surprising firmness, gently supporting her posture until she found herself standing far straighter than she normally would. The cool satin was trimmed with countless tiny crystals that sparkled beneath the warm backstage lights.
Not new, but meticulously cared for.
The satin carried the faint softness of countless performances without ever feeling worn out. Beneath her fingertips, every embroidered flourish and rhinestone had been stitched securely into place by someone who clearly took immense pride in their work.
She glanced down again.
The ivory satin shimmered with every step she took beside Madeleine and Jon, the light catching the crystal embroidery in thousands of tiny flashes that seemed almost alive. Long panels of feather-light fabric drifted gracefully from her hips, brushing gently against the backs of her legs with each stride.
Those same legs now seemed to draw the attention of many of the men in the corridor. Or perhaps they always had, and she had only just begun to notice. She had almost got used to men staring at her because of that stupid wish of hers, but this was a whole new level. She hadn't really noticed people looking at her on her way to the stage. She had been far too caught up in everything that was happening at the time.
Now she noticed the men lining the corridor ahead of her staring openly. They weren't even trying to hide what they were doing. Some watched her legs, while others allowed their gaze to drift towards the low-cut bodice, which revealed far more than she felt comfortable displaying. Had this been happening while she had been on stage earlier? How had she not noticed?
"Quickly, in here." Madeleine said, her lightly French-accented English carrying the calm authority that came so naturally to her, as they reached a black door about halfway along the corridor.
Great... maybe I'll finally get some answers, Karyn thought to herself as she followed the French woman inside, Jon entering close behind her.
