Blissful Awakenings Read online

  “Thanks, Claire,” Courtney said while returning Claire’s grin, secretly happy that her friend was so great at making their conversation less awkward. Then she groaned at Claire’s reminder of being considered a celebrity.

  After Courtney had checked into the hotel (and maybe had a good cry, but no one needed to know that) and gotten Dot as settled as a cat could be in a strange place, she’d called up Claire and invited her to the hotel for dinner.

  The hotel that Olivia had selected was higher class than anywhere Courtney had ever stayed before, making her a little intimidated to check in. It had felt like Courtney’s worst nightmare when the very fashionable clerk at the front desk initially told Courtney she didn’t have anything in the system under her name.

  Courtney’s immediate response was to retreat, but instead she’d screwed up her courage and decided to give it a last-ditch effort. “Um, actually, I don’t know if you’ve heard of Pleasure Temple? I, ah, won that contest and—"

  “Oh my gosh!” The clerk had practically shrieked. “I read about you! But…you don’t look anything like the picture in the article.”

  “Picture?”

  The clerk had reached under the desk and pulled out her personal cell phone. After a few minutes of searching, she’d turned the phone toward Courtney.

  Now, sitting with Claire after a few drinks, Courtney decided to change the subject away from Daniel to something she could laugh about (though in the moment that the front desk attendant had shown her the picture, she’d been quite mortified).

  “Do you know that the news is using my old picture from college? Like, what the hell? I have, like, fifty better pictures on social media that are more current! Why use a terrible one from when I’d gained thirty pounds? Jerks.”

  Claire winced. “I saw that. I don’t think there’s much you can do about it. On the bright side, no one will realize who you are before you leave the city unless you tell them your name.”

  That was a good point. She should probably be grateful no one was stopping her on the street out of recognition. That would be super weird.

  “I kind of can’t believe you’re going,” Claire said looking down and swirling the ice in her drink.

  “You don’t think I should?”

  “No, no! You should definitely go if you want to. I’m just surprised is all. You were never really that adventurous in sex from the things you’ve told me. I mean, remember Elizabeth?”

  Courtney immediately turned red and dropped her eyes to her own whiskey sour. “So?”

  “So…you thought you’d see if you were into women, and you barely made it to first base with her.”

  “I mean, I wasn’t into it. Why would I need to go further to figure that out?”

  “My point is that there’s going to be a lot more options than just making out with women there. There’s a whole world of sex that I don’t think you’ve really even scratched the surface of. It doesn’t mean anything bad about you that you haven’t,” she quickly reassured her friend, “but I just don’t want you to be surprised and overwhelmed when someone shows up with a whip and chains ready to party.”

  Courtney winced at the thought. It wasn’t really what she was into. At least, she didn’t think she’d be into that. She was a little intrigued by bondage, but what Claire said sounded more hardcore than she was ready for.

  “Olivia, Bo Ryans’ assistant, said that I could treat the whole thing like a luxurious vacation and never even come out of my room if I don’t want to.”

  “Really?”

  “Yup.”

  “But if you don’t come out of your room, how will you write a tell-all book about your experience there!” Claire said only somewhat jokingly.

  “Nope. No books. I had to sign a nondisclosure agreement upfront. What happens at the Temple…”

  “…stays at the Temple,” they finished together, followed by a gale of laughter that once again got them looks from other bar patrons.

  “But seriously,” Claire said when their laughter had died down, “you should really consider trying out a few things while you’re there. I mean, how many times are you gonna get an opportunity like this?”

  “I know, I know. I’ll figure it out when I get there. I honestly don’t even know what to expect.”

  Claire shrugged. “Well, don’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable with, but also life can be a lot more exciting if you step outside your comfort zone, you know? Why not test the waters and live it up a little?”

  They talked for another few hours about Courtney finally quitting her job and what they would do when Courtney got back from Vegas. When Claire had to head home (“Since some of us still have to work,” she’d jokingly said), Courtney retreated to her room after paying the bill over Claire’s protests. She finally won that argument by telling her it was Claire who had put the idea in her head to enter the contest and had gotten her started on this path. She really felt she owed it to her friend to at least get her something. Dinner and drinks felt like a good place to start.

  As she fell asleep that night surrounded by soft sheets on an amazingly cloud-like bed, Dot purring at her back, Courtney thought maybe she would pick up a fun designer purse for her friend as a more appropriate thank you.

  The thought made her smile as she fell asleep.

  The next day, Olivia took Courtney shopping for a whole new wardrobe. Courtney found it kind of exhilarating that she didn’t have to drag herself to the office and put up with Michelle anymore.

  She’d woken up to find herself in a strange room and panicked when she’d looked at the time and found she only had a few minutes to get ready and out the door or she’d be late for work, only to realize she didn’t have a job to go to anymore. It was the first time she’d really had a day off from everything. Usually, her weekends had been filled with catching up on housework with the occasional book reading session thrown in between tasks.

  Now she didn’t even have an apartment to keep up nor a boyfriend to clean up after.

  “It’s just you and me, Dot,” she told her cat, then lounged around her fancy hotel room for a bit, sipping coffee and petting Dot who was always more affectionate in the mornings.

  As much as she wanted to just enjoy her morning off, it was a struggle not to replay the argument with Daniel in her mind. It didn’t help that he’d already called her twice that morning.

  In the past, Courtney’s automatic response to a fight with him would have been to be angry for a day or so, then eventually apologize and make up with him even if she didn’t feel she was in the wrong. Taking the blame for whatever they’d been arguing about always released the tension from their relationship and let things get back to normal.

  Now, looking back on all those arguments, Courtney realized that Daniel had never once been the one to apologize or initiate any kind of truce. She had always been the one who smoothed things over. The realization made it a little easier for Courtney to continue ignoring Daniel’s calls. Even if he wanted to apologize now, it was too little, too late.

  By the time she met Olivia downstairs, she’d turned off her phone so she wouldn’t have to be continually reminded of her breakup. Getting in the back of the chauffeured car with Olivia, she sternly told herself, You’re gonna have a fun day today, damn it, and forced a smile on her face.

  “Ready for a morning of high-end dress shopping?” Olivia asked.

  “Yes!” Courtney said with enthusiasm that was maybe a little too over-the-top. If Olivia noticed her forced mood, she kept it to herself as they were whisked through Manhattan’s morning traffic.

  Two hours later, Courtney perched on the edge of a luxurious white leather couch clutching a mimosa in a death grip and wondering what her next mortifying chore would be during this so-called “fun” shopping experience. The moment they’d arrived at the upscale boutique, she’d been stripped down to her underwear so that practically every inch of her could be measured by the clothing designer’s many assistants.

 
She hadn’t been expecting quite so much individualized attention but tried as best she could to play it off since it seemed like the norm for getting custom designed clothes. Everything had been mostly fine until one of the assistants started making occasional remarks about Courtney’s body. Of course, it had all been out of Olivia’s earshot, so Courtney kept it to herself. She didn’t want to cause any trouble, especially since Olivia had mentioned before that it had been difficult to get in with this designer.

  Now they sat waiting in an all-white room where large, freestanding mirrors lined the walls to create a sort of runway. It reminded Courtney a little of her experience wedding dress shopping with Claire, except at least she’d had a fun time doing that.

  The sound of clothing hangers being scraped across metal racks came from behind a closed door that stood directly across from the couch. Courtney tried not to flinch each time she heard the grating noise and envisioned yet another tiny dress being added to a pile that she’d have to strip down for again to try on.

  Olivia occasionally glanced over to make sure Courtney was doing okay. It had become clear to Olivia about halfway through the measurement process that her new charge was out of her element and not actually having much fun. Maybe she should have warned her what to expect before their appointment.

  She cleared her throat, making Courtney jump.

  “Don’t worry, this is the fun part.” Disbelief flickered over Courtney’s face before she could control her features and give Olivia that fake smile that was starting to annoy Olivia.

  Courtney dropped the smile for a second, then after a quick glance around to make sure they were completely alone, confessed, “If I’d have known that I’d have to get undressed in front of everyone, I would have worn nicer underwear.” Though she was a little mortified to admit it, Courtney felt like she’d better get the lay of the land before she ran into any more surprises. “Maybe you could tell me what to expect next? I feel like I walked straight into a movie that I don’t know any of the lines for.”

  Olivia was so used to working with Bo at this point that she hadn’t considered what it might be like for someone used to buying clothes off the rack to experience a personal fitting with a known designer. It was a good thing the actual designer wasn’t on site today and Courtney only had to deal with the designer’s assistants.

  “I’m sorry. I should have warned you what to expect.”

  “No, no,” Courtney quickly held up her free hand. “It’s not your fault. This is just all new to me.” She looked around again to make sure the assistants hadn’t returned yet then lowered her voice a little just in case. “So, what’s next? Will I be trying things on now?”

  Hearing the real apprehension in Courtney’s voice, Olivia quickly squashed the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Next we’ll just sit back, have our drinks refilled as needed, and watch some in-house models show you dress options from the designer.”

  Courtney blew out a sigh of relief. “Good. I didn’t think I’d be able to fit into anything they brought out anyways after some of their comments earlier.”

  “What?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing. I mean, I’m sure they’re used to skinnier women coming in here and not people like…me.” Courtney gestured to her body with her mimosa. She’d never been a skinny girl but was mostly accepting of her body until she got those not-so-subtle reminders from people like the assistant today. For some reason, the remark that had stuck with her today was when the assistant told her Courtney might want to look into shape wear if she wanted to look halfway decent in their clothing line.

  “What?” Olivia heard herself say again. She couldn’t help it. None of her clients had ever been disrespected like that.

  “It’s okay,” Courtney quickly said, “especially if I don’t have to try anything on…” she trailed off as she watched Olivia. She could almost feel the waves of anger coming from the other woman.

  “It is not okay. This is supposed to be a fun experience for you. Not a day of being body shamed.” Olivia set her mimosa flute down on a side table and patted Courtney’s leg before saying in a polite voice that barely masked a promise of violence, “I’ll be right back.”

  Courtney watched with a mixture of awe and dread at causing an issue as Olivia disappeared into a back room. The sound of hangers was quickly replaced by a low murmur of voices that Courtney couldn’t quite make out. Then the murmurs abruptly broke off and Olivia returned with a smile that made Courtney thankful to have the woman on her side.

  Taking up her drink once again, Olivia sat and nonchalantly explained, “So, here’s what to expect: They’re going to show you only their top dresses. You’re going to say whether you want the dress or not and they will take that dress and create a version in your actual size.” She leaned forward a little and lowered her voice. “Only say yes to something you really, really like. You are under no obligation to take anything from them.” Olivia lifted a brow, waiting for confirmation that Courtney understood. At Courtney’s nod, she continued, “The only reason we’re even still sitting here instead of leaving is because I don’t want you to have to go through the process of being measured all over again. I recommend picking only a few dresses from here today. Then I’ll get you scheduled to meet with a different, less well-known but more body-positive designer for later this week.”

  Courtney simply nodded again, unsure how else to respond.

  And then the door to the backroom suddenly opened and her own private fashion show started.

  The first dress was quite the showstopper with shiny gold material that hugged the model’s breasts and hips before billowing out and trailing behind the woman as she made her way down the runway toward the couch. She paused in front of the couch to strike a subtle pose, then turned first one way, then the other before making her way back down the runway.

  “Is that…does that dress have a cape?” Courtney whispered to Olivia.

  “It does,” said a woman who had suddenly appeared on Courtney’s left. “They’re all the rage right now, you know.” The woman extended her hand to Courtney. “I’m Elouise Marion, by the way. The designer.”

  Courtney shook the woman’s hand all the while wondering how she could possibly turn down dresses when the designer would be standing right there!

  “So lovely to meet you in person,” Olivia said and shook Elouise’s hand after Courtney. Her tight smile indicated she wasn’t too sure that was true.

  “You must be Olivia Watson, Bo Ryans’ personal assistant. So nice to meet you. I’m so pleased that you’ve chosen my designs to be a part of your contest.” She looked back at Courtney. “It will be such an honor to have you showcase my dresses at Pleasure Temple.”

  Courtney wasn’t sure what to say so she gave a polite smile which quickly became strained when Olivia responded, “Only a few of your dresses, unfortunately, as we’re given to understand that your designs are only for women with a perfect model’s figure.”

  Oh snap, Courtney thought, then was so thankful that Olivia had made it clear they would only be selecting a few dresses as the next model walked down the runway in the ugliest dress Courtney had ever seen. It was lime green with poofy chiffon shoulders and a high collar that buttoned tightly around the model’s neck then fell straight down to the floor with practically no shape to it.

  Elouise seemed unaffected by Olivia’s comment.

  “Ah yes, this is my favorite dress of the season,” the designer practically purred. “You would certainly stand out from a crowd in this and be the belle of the ball.”

  Courtney had to fight to keep a look of revulsion off her face and only barely managed to keep her expression in check, but not before Olivia saw it peek through.

  “It’s certainly eye-catching,” Olivia’s said dryly, “but we’re looking for dresses that are a little more…sophisticated. We want Courtney to be ready for a lavish dinner party or an evening at the opera.”

  The designer opened her mouth to respond then thought b
etter of it and changed whatever she was about to say. “Of course. Just one moment while I change the lineup to better fit your needs.”

  Olivia inclined her head, and the designer disappeared—which was fortunate because the moment Courtney looked over at her, Olivia could barely suppress her grin.

  “Did you see that dress? You’re not going to the Copacabana!” She whispered to Courtney.

  Of course, this caused Courtney to lose her neutral veneer and chortle, “Oh my gosh! I’m so glad I wasn’t the only one who thought so! I would look like the Jolly Green Giant in that thing!” She fought to keep her voice down as they laughed.

  “Or a poofy Grinch!” Olivia barely managed to gasp between giggles.

  By the time the designer returned, they’d finally gotten themselves back under control. Courtney was actually thankful for the terrible dress as it let her reign in her nervousness and release some tension. The rest of her high-end shopping experience went much better after that. She actually ended up buying four dresses from Elouise despite the ugly comment from the assistant.

  Finally, back in the car and on their way to another appointment, Olivia asked, “I thought we’d agreed on less dresses from her?”

  With a shrug, Courtney explained, “I really liked those dresses. Plus, it would have felt like I was letting that assistant win if I chose not to wear her designer’s clothes, you know? Like, maybe it will do some good if someone my size is wearing her designs.”

  “‘Someone your size’ is a normal, healthy woman,” Olivia said firmly and gave Courtney a look that suggested she’d better agree and anything else was bullshit.

  “I know that,” she shrugged again and added, “but now other women might get that message if I wear that designer’s dresses.”

  “Hmm,” Was the only response she got on that subject before Olivia prepped her for their next appointment.