Wonder peered at the suitcase Amanda had packed full of beautiful clothes for her when she’d arrived. Now it lay open and empty on her bed, waiting for her to fill it up again.

The best thing would be to just put everything back in, add a few toiletries, and she’d be ready for the trip. After getting used to wearing Amanda’s fancy designer stuff, Wonder had a hard time putting on her old clothes, or even the few new items she’d bought when Anandur had taken her shopping. They were fine for work or for hanging around the house but not for taking on a romantic trip.

Amanda had spoiled her, and now she was stuck desiring things she couldn’t afford.

But hey, with Amanda supplying her with her discarded wardrobe items, Wonder could get by with never spending a dime on apparel again. The only things she would have to buy were panties, bras and shoes. And socks.

In fact, she felt bad about troubling Magnus with going to the shelter and packing her old things. Her purse and her laptop were all she really needed. He could’ve left everything else behind.

“Knock, knock.” Amanda pushed the door open. “Are you done packing yet?”

“I was just about to start.” Wonder pointed at the empty suitcase. “But I don’t know how many outfits I need, or which ones are better for Egypt’s hot and humid weather.”

“I can help.” Amanda put two small-sized shopping bags on the bed. One was white, the other pink, and both were stuffed with paper.

“What’s in there?” Wonder asked.

“A little present for the trip. You can take a peek.” She sat on the bed and crossed her legs.

Curious, Wonder picked up the white bag and reached inside. At first, it seemed like there was only tissue paper in there, and she thought Amanda was pulling a prank, but after digging a little deeper, her fingers touched lacy fabric. She fished one item out and then another, letting them dangle from her fingers.

“What’s that for?”

“Isn’t it self-explanatory? A bra and matching panties. I remembered you didn’t like the thong and got you some with better backside coverage.”

Right, Wonder thought as she examined the items. The panties were more than a string in the back, but not by much. “Thank you. These are very pretty.” Just not practical.

“It’s a bridal set. I saw it at the store and just knew I had to get it for you. The white is going to look awesome with your dark coloring. So sexy.” Amanda smirked. “Save it for a special occasion.” She added a wink.

Embarrassed, Wonder looked away. Were her intentions so transparent?

They were flying out less than forty-eight hours after Anandur had offered to take her to Egypt, and since he’d taken care of all the travel arrangements, including hotel reservations, she wasn’t sure whether he planned on them sharing a room or not.

But it was likely that he had. Which meant that they’d be sharing a bed. Wonder had absolutely no problem with that. In fact, she was looking forward to it.

A vacation in a nice hotel was the perfect setup for a magical first time. It was going to be like a honeymoon, just before the wedding instead of after.

Clutching the flimsy undergarments to her chest, Wonder smiled wistfully as she fantasized about wearing them for Anandur.

“That’s not the only set I got you. Keep digging,” Amanda interrupted her musings. “And you need to try on the bras. The salesgirl assured me that they would all fit because they are made from stretchy fabrics.”

“You shouldn’t have,” Wonder said.

Nevertheless, she attacked the two shopping bags with renewed enthusiasm, upending them over the bed and spilling out the tissue together with the additional three sets of bras and panties.

“Wow, Amanda, thank you.” She lifted one after the other. “They are all so pretty. I feel sexy just knowing that I have stuff like that.”

Bracing on her forearms, Amanda leaned back on the bed. “That’s the idea. It’s time to transform Wonder Girl into Wonder Woman.”

“Hi, girls, can I come in?” Syssi poked her head through the open door.

“Please do,” Amanda invited her. “What did you bring?”

Syssi’s shopping bag was much bigger than Amanda’s. If she had panties in there, they must’ve been grannie sized.

“I brought a few necessities.” She sat on the bed next to Amanda and put the bag in her lap. “A portable cappuccino maker.” She pulled out a box. “And two bottles for filtering water. You can’t trust water quality in Third World countries.” She pulled out two more boxes.

Amanda lifted a brow. “You know that you’re obsessed, right?”

“About what?”

“Cappuccinos. I’m sure Wonder and Anandur can survive without them for a week.”

“They can, but why should they?” Syssi reached inside her bag and pulled out a box of coffee capsules. “That’s all there is to it.” She arranged the boxes next to each other. “That doesn’t take too much space, and the water bottles are a necessity.”

“Thank you.” Wonder took the boxes and put them in the suitcase. “You forget that I lived there for half a year and drank the local water. It was fine.”

Syssi waved a hand. “That’s because you had nothing to compare it with. When you go back, you’ll taste the difference. I can promise you that.”

Probably.

Water quality hadn’t been the only good thing Wonder had gotten so used to that she was taking it for granted.

Nine months ago she was all alone, scavenging for food and hiding under a black garment that had covered her from head to toe leaving only her eyes exposed. Now she was part of a clan, living in a luxurious home, and contemplating wearing sexy lingerie that was more for show than for coverage or any other practical use.

Talk about change.

“Hey? How come no one told me there is a going-away party?” Carol walked in, holding a shopping bag in her hand.

Syssi patted the spot next to her on the bed. “It seems we all had the same idea. Isn’t it amazing?”

Carol lifted the bag. “What idea? All I have here are two travel adaptors. No one ever remembers that the electrical outlets are different in every country, and then they are stuck with no way to charge their phones.”

“That’s a very practical gift. Thank you.” Wonder added the two boxes to her suitcase. “Is it customary to buy people gifts when they are going on trips?”

Her three new friends exchanged sheepish looks.

“Not really,” Carol admitted. “I just thought you’d need adaptors. That’s all.”

Syssi shrugged. “And I was only concerned with water quality and staying caffeinated.”

Amanda chuckled. “Well, it seems that I was the only one who thought about the fun part and brought the necessary supplies for that.”

“What did you get?” Syssi asked.

“Would you care to show them, Wonder? Or would you rather model for us?”