Chapter Eight
Jessie looked at Tony as if he’d just grown a second head. “You are not taking me shopping.”
“Why ever not?
“Because…because…it’s just not done! Besides, I’m perfectly capable of choosing my own clothing. I don’t need you to dress me.”
“I beg to differ. My clientele expects a certain look, and nothing you have quite fits the bill.”
Jessie looked down at the pile of dresses she’d dragged out of her closet and tried to be offended on behalf of her clothing, but Tony was right. Her clothes were, for the most part, sturdy and sensible. Aside from a few party dresses and Maude’s slinky little number that she’d worn the night before, nothing in her wardrobe was suitable for a nightclub singer.
“Be that as it may, I cannot allow you to purchase clothing for me.”
“Who’s being the prude now?”
Jessie gasped and pinned Tony with a glare that should have had him withering on her kitchen floor, but instead prompted a bark of laughter from him. “I’m not making an indecent proposal. I’m merely trying to ensure that my employee is properly outfitted to perform her duties. Think of the clothing as a uniform, if it makes you feel better.”
A uniform, huh? That actually did make Jessie feel a bit better. Truthfully, she was thrilled at the thought of a closet full of shiny new dresses. She just worried over what it might mean to accept them from Tony. She’d enjoyed singing in his club more than she’d expected and hopefully she’d be able to get the goods on him—such as, if he and Willie were partners. Or he and Jameson. Or whoever else he might be in cahoots with. Until she found out differently, he was the enemy and that was something she’d do very well to keep in mind. She did not want to engage in any extracurricular activities with her handsome new boss.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Jessie’s traitorous cheeks flamed at the memory of Tony’s finger drifting down the column of her neck. The heat in his gaze when he stared at her. The man in question was looking at her with a quizzical expression and her blush deepened. She turned away from him, but judging from his smug smile, he’d seen her reaction and knew exactly what it was about.
Oh, applesauce! She was being ridiculous. “Fine. Let’s get this over with, then.”
She grabbed her coat, slammed her hat on her head, yanked her gloves over her hands, and marched to the door.
Tony shook his head. “I’ve never met a dame who had to be forced into dolling up.”
Jessie stopped on the sidewalk and waited for Tony to open the door to his automobile. She didn’t say another word until he’d slid onto the seat beside her. She knew she was being surly and she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. His request wasn’t unreasonable. After all, it was his club and she would be entertaining there. He had every right to make sure she looked the part.
She sighed. She might hate it, but she admitted when she was in the wrong. Maybe she could cut him a little break. For now.
“I apologize if I seem out of sorts. I’m just used to fending for myself. I don’t like being in anyone’s debt and you buying me dresses hits a little too close to the mark.”
And it was oddly personal, for a man she wasn’t involved with, to be buying her clothing. But she didn’t add that.
Tony nodded. “I can understand that. Well, how about we say the dresses are costumes that belong to the club. For as long as you sing there, you are welcome to them. But should you move on, they will be left behind for the next girl. Would that make you feel better about all this?”
A sliver of disappointment settled in her gut. What he offered was the perfect solution. He got to dress her to his heart’s content and she didn’t have to be morally offended by the situation. She mentally kicked herself in the keister for turning down ownership of the new clothes.
But she couldn’t very well decline now, after the stink she’d raised. “That would suit me just fine, thank you.”
Tony smiled again, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking, and turned his attention back to the road. He turned onto the main thoroughfare, cutting off a delivery truck in the process.
Jessie just barely managed to keep from shrieking, emitting instead a high-pitched, strangled gasp while she clung to the frame of the car, praying her heart would stay in her chest and her breakfast would stay in her stomach.
Tony looked at her and raised an eyebrow at her white-knuckled grasp on the dashboard. “Is something wrong?”
“That truck almost plowed right into us.”
Tony frowned, obviously not sure what she meant. He barreled up to a line of cars waiting at an intersection, not applying the brakes nearly fast enough for Jessie. She slammed her feet on the floorboards, irrationally hoping she could somehow slow the vehicle from where she sat. She released a deep breath, trying to keep from screaming at him like a harpy, and instead closed her eyes. Perhaps if she couldn’t see the near collisions that seemed to be Tony’s way of driving, she would be able to get to the shop without making a complete fool of herself.
“Are you all right?” Tony asked.
“Fine,” Jessie bit out.
“What’s the matter? Don’t you like riding in an automobile?”
“Not particularly, no.”
Tony laughed and revved the engine, gunning the car through the intersection. “Why ever not?”
“If God had meant for us to go barreling toward each other at forty miles per hour we’d have been born with wheels on our feet.”
Tony’s laughter rang through the car. Jessie turned her head, ignoring him. Honestly, she didn’t mind the occasional ride and went along with Charlie and Joe on deliveries often enough. But they didn’t drive the way Tony did, and being surrounded by the sturdy delivery van seemed safer than being encased in all the glass and fancy upholstery of Tony’s auto.
“I’ll slow down a bit,” Tony assured her.
Jessie let out another breath and her heart finally slowed to a normal beat. “Thank you.”
In no time at all, they were parked in front of a sweet little dress shop that Jessie had always admired but had never bothered to enter. Tony hopped out to open the door for her. He escorted her through the big double doors and into the boutique.
What followed next was a morning that Jessie would never have dreamed of, even in her wildest fantasies. Tony settled himself on a couch in front of three huge dressing mirrors and waited like a king for Jessie to parade each selection before him. She was like some overgrown peacock strutting about in plumage every shade of the rainbow.
But oh, what wonderful feathers. She tried everything from short little numbers covered in tassels and rhinestones to slinky confections that fell to the floor like liquid silk pouring down her body. And it wasn’t just the clothes. Each dress had to have matching shoes, handbags, rhinestones, feathers, and headbands for her hair, and glittering brooches, armbands, and rings. Jessie was swimming in a sea of silk and glitter and despite herself, she loved every minute of it.
Tony picked out several dresses, along with their matching accessories, of course. And they were all beautiful. But it was the last gown that Jessie absolutely fell in love with. The cream colored silk hugged her body like a second skin, outlining every curve she had. The wide straps on the shoulders dipped into a low draped neckline that showed more than a hint of ample cleavage, and the back was simply scandalous. It hung low enough that she wouldn’t be able to wear any underthings with it. She’d never worn anything like it before and the thought of wearing it on stage in front of everyone made her mouth dry up like she was sucking cotton.
But when she stepped out from behind the changing curtain and stood in front of Tony, his eyes widened. His mouth opened slightly, his gaze traveling from her head to her toes and back up again. Her smile spread slowly until she knew she was all but beaming at him. There was something incredibly empowering about striking a man dumb. She did a little turn so he could get the full effect.
His teeth scraped over his bottom lip and Jessie froze, the sight of it sending a bolt of heat straight to her core. She licked her lips, her mouth gone suddenly dry.
Tony cleared his throat, breaking the spell, and Jessie looked away, trying to compose herself.
“That one as well,” he instructed the woman helping them.
“Jessica Harlan? Is that you?”
Jessie groaned and turned to the old woman who approached them with a smile. “Mrs. Finch, how lovely to see you.”
She gave Mrs. Finch a hug and then braced herself. Mrs. Finch had been her neighbor for almost as long as she could remember, and had been acquainted with her father for even longer than that. She was very straitlaced and uptight, even carried her Bible in her purse, though Jessie could never figure out why, because the woman had it memorized and made sure everyone around her knew it.
Mrs. Finch looked Jessie up and down, her face puckering more by the second. “Well, I know I’m no expert on what constitutes fashion these days,” she said, drawing her brown wool coat about her like she was donning armor for battle. “But I can say with certainty that your poor mother is turning in her grave right now at the thought of her little girl wearing such a…a frock as that.”
Jessie didn’t see how Mrs. Finch could say that with any degree of certainty since the woman had never met Jessie’s mother. Jessie herself barely remembered her. Still, she resisted the urge to cover herself as Mrs. Finch continued to look at her as though she were the most offensive piece of trash ever to cross her path. “I don’t think it’s that bad, Mrs. Finch. This style is all the rage now.”
“More’s the pity, if you ask me.”
Jessie hadn’t, but she refrained from mentioning that. Not that it mattered. Mrs. Finch wasn’t paying attention to her anymore. She’d caught sight of Tony lounging on the sofa, watching them with an amused gleam in his eye. Jessie tried to communicate a warning, pleading with her eyes for him to play dumb, pretend he didn’t know her. Anything to keep the woman from knowing who he was and why he was sitting there watching Jessie parade around in such obviously immoral clothing.
Mrs. Finch’s beady little eyes darted from Tony to Jessie and back again, her face growing more puckered and disapproving with every second. Then the shopgirl came up to Tony with a stack of boxes and Jessie closed her eyes, wishing a giant hole would open up right there and swallow her whole.
“Here you are, Mr. Solomon. We can deliver the rest of your purchases if you’d prefer not to take them with you now. And this as well,” she said, gesturing to the offending material on Jessie’s body and looking back and forth between Jessie and Tony.
Mrs. Finch fairly sputtered with indignation. She rounded on Jessie, her hands on her hips, her pearls nearly popping off the vein bulging in her neck. “Jessica Marie Harlan, all I can do is thank my lucky stars that your poor father isn’t alive to see what you’ve become.” She seized her hand and pulled her close. “I blame myself. I should have made sure you were looked after. It’s not right, you there at that shop all by yourself, without a proper chaperone. I told myself time and time again, ‘Thelma, you need to go over and make sure that girl is taken care of, and finds someone to do her right.’ But did I listen? No, I did not. And look what’s come of it.” She shot Tony a look of pure venom.
Jessie was afraid to glance at him and when she did she wished she hadn’t. He looked like he was having a devil of a time keeping from rolling on the floor with laughter. Jessie added her own glare to Mrs. Finch’s. It was not funny!
Mrs. Finch apparently agreed. “I don’t see what you find so amusing, young man. You should be ashamed of yourself, taking this poor innocent young girl and corrupting her for your own vile purposes. Why I never—”
Tony stood and held up a hand. “I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood.”
“Have I?” the woman said, as she crossed her arms over her rather ample chest. “I don’t see a ring on her finger and even if there was one, no decent man would want his wife traipsing about in that…that…”
“Of course, you are right. But you see, I’m looking for a few presents for my sister. She’s coming into town soon and I wanted to surprise her. Only I have no idea what size she wears or what she might like. I met this delightful young lady only a few moments ago and quite literally begged her to aid me. She looks to be the same size as my sister and she agreed, reluctantly, I promise you, to try on a few things. Just to help me out.”
Mrs. Finch kept him pinned with a glare, waiting to see if he’d crack under the pressure. Tony smiled at her so angelically that Jessie had to turn her head to keep from laughing. Mrs. Finch finally turned back to Jessie.
“Is that true?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’d never wear such a thing myself, of course. And would certainly never let a gentleman buy me something so intimate as clothing.”
Mrs. Finch nodded her head. “Quite right. Well, that does give me some relief, I must say. You always were such a good girl,” she said, patting Jessie’s cheek. “Now, go take that garment off. I will help the young man find something suitable for his sister.”
Jessie watched dumbstruck as Tony offered Mrs. Finch his arm and began escorting her from rack to rack of clothing, thanking her so profusely that Jessie was sure Mrs. Finch would see right through him.
Apparently, Tony was a better actor than Jessie gave him credit for, because by the time she came out of the dressing room, Mrs. Finch was flushed and pink as a schoolgirl, gazing up at Tony with a goofy grin that Jessie had never seen on the woman’s face.
He was laying a drab brown frock on the counter that looked like it belonged more around a pile of potatoes than on a woman, but Mrs. Finch was beaming with pride at the wonderfully sensible dress she’d found for Tony’s “sister.”
Tony thanked her again and bent to kiss her hand. Mrs. Finch flushed bright pink and hurried over to give Jessie a parting hug. “Now, my dear, you don’t be a stranger, you hear. I’ll be sure to drop in on you more frequently, make sure all is well.”
“Oh, Mrs. Finch, that’s very kind, but it isn’t necessary. I’m doing quite well, I assure you.”
“Oh tosh, it’ll be my pleasure. And it’s the least I can do.”
She hurried out with a wave at both of them.
Jessie turned to Tony, her eyebrow raised. But before she could say anything, Tony took the dress from her and beamed. “I’ll just go settle the bill.”
Jessie opened her mouth, but for the life of her couldn’t scrape together two words.
A moment later, Tony returned and held out his arm. “The valet is bringing the car around. Shall we?”
Jessie tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. “You’re a very accomplished actor, Mr. Solomon.”
He shrugged. “I can be, I suppose. If the occasion calls for it.”
“Hmm, I’ll have to keep that in mind.”
He glanced at her, his brow slightly furrowed. But before he could answer, the valet pulled up in the car.
Tony opened the door for Jessie and she slid across the leather seats. She was grateful he’d been able to rescue her from Mrs. Finch. But no doubt about it, the man could spin a tale and had no qualms about doing it. She’d have to keep a very close eye on the multi-talented Mr. Solomon.