House of Korba: The Ghost Bird Series: #7 (The Academy)

by C. L. Stone

  “Simple elegance,” he said. “What they ordered. Okay. Let’s try.”

  There was a knowing nod from Gabriel and my eyes widened, wondering what to do.

  “Give her some space?” Gabriel asked. “She’s shy.”

  “Sure,” Gretta said. She undid the corset and then showed it to me. “Just pull it on. It’s going to take an extra pair of hands to tie it up behind you. I can come back...”

  “I’ll do it,” Gabriel said. “I’ll stay in here. She’s more comfortable with me. She gets shy around people she doesn’t know.”

  “Oh,” Gretta said, and while her eyes were curious, none of her other features said anything other than a willingness to please. “Just call me in if you need.” She went to the door and stepped outside, closing the room behind her.

  “Yeah, she probably thinks I’m pervert now,” Gabriel said. He shrugged and then held up the dress. “Just strip down into your underwear. I think you can leave the bra on.”

  I turned slightly, and Gabriel turned partially, too. We talked a good game, but when it came to show time, I was still nervous. I could see out of the corner of my eye that he was focused on the dress, touching certain parts of it, which left me to get undressed down to my underwear and bra. The panties were modest, like shorts, and the bra was a racerback bikini type with the clasp in the front. I’d been in less around him, but I still covered my stomach with my arms. “Now what?” I asked.

  He moved while focusing on positioning the dress low and in front of me, the skirt draping on the floor. I had a feeling he was keeping me in his side view to try to make things easier. “Okay, just step into the middle. That might be better than trying to lift it over your head.

  Placing my hand on his shoulder for balance, I stepped into the open corset and dress. He pulled the whole ensemble up my hips. The corset part got caught at the widest part of my hip, and he tugged.

  “Ugh,” I said, getting lifted nearly up off the floor and brought back down as he jostled me. I grabbed onto his shoulders to hang on. I was breathing in the citrus, the fragrance stronger now that I was so close, and it was a little heady, making my nose tingle like I was going to sneeze.

  “Hang on, let me unlace this part,” he said. He hooked his fingers into the cord and tugged at it to loosen.

  This time it slid up my hips easier. He tugged it up over my chest, and then held it up against my body. His breath was warm on me as he was so close and so focused on the dress. I’d seen this look a lot on him, when he had an image in his head, and he used me as his model. It was my cue to simply do as he told me, because he wouldn’t stop until he got the results he wanted.

  He twisted the dress around until it looked like it was on right. I stuffed my breasts into the top of the corset part. He leaned back a bit, watching as I did, and then tilted his head. “I hate to say this,” he said, “but you might need to take that bra off. It’s white and this is black and the dress material there is see through.”

  “Maybe I shouldn’t get a dress like this,” I said. I knew Gretta had said that it would have sleeves, but I wasn’t sure if it would be enough. The top felt like it would slide off and expose me, and I wasn’t sure if I was comfortable.

  “I think it can work,” he said. “Give it a chance.” He reached out slowly toward the top hem of the material at my chest. “Don’t freak out. I’m just adjusting.”

  I nodded and put my hands behind my back, allowing him to do what he wanted.

  He smirked and shifted the material. “The light in here is kind of bright, and the homecoming dance will probably be a lot darker. But if we can make it look good in the light, it’ll look fantastic in the dark. All mysterious and shit.” He tugged the material that went between my breasts down a bit. “I need Gretta. I don’t know if you’ll need a bra for this at all. Hang on a second. Let me get her.”

  Gabriel went for the door, and a moment later, Gretta was standing in front of me, surveying. “You’ve got it on backwards, sweetie,” she said with a smile. “This corset ties in the front.”

  “What the fuck?” Gabriel laughed. He placed a palm on his forehead and rubbed. “I was starting to wonder.”

  Gretta smiled and then approached me, her hands out. “Let me?” she asked. “I’ll be gentle.”

  I swallowed and nodded. With Gabriel there and that I was covered up mostly now, I felt a bit better about it.

  Gretta twisted the corset top around until the laces were going up my stomach. She tugged at the bra top, which came up a little higher and actually covered the bra I’d been wearing better. She smoothed out the lower dress part, and then started tying up the laces. “Wait until you’re tied in,” she said. “You’ll see.” She started pulling on ribbons firmly, tugging me around. “This should be supportive, not squeezing the life out of you. You should be able to breathe easily, but feel like it won’t fall off and shouldn’t need to adjust. You can use reversible tape on the bra top to make sure it stays in place.”

  “We should probably do her hair up,” Gabriel said. “Like in a sweep.”

  Gretta nodded, getting to the top part of the corset and threading the final laces through and tying it off. “Up is best. You want the shoulders exposed as much as possible. She’s got nice ones.”

  “Tell me about it,” Gabriel said. He stepped up next to her, his arms across his chest again as he studied me. “This might work.”

  Gretta stepped away toward her collection of items at the table. She pulled out two black scarves and started weaving them around my shoulders to make fake sleeves. They were just a few inches wide and hanging just off the shoulder, but once they were in place, it really did make a lot of difference. I didn’t feel so exposed.

  “You should move around,” Gretta said. She motioned to the mirrors on the other side of the room. “Walk over there and then back?”

  I started walking as she asked, turning and looking back at them through the mirrors. It gave me a chance to really see what the dress looked like. The waist made me look a little smaller, but the skirt flowed out loose, and gave me a bit more shape than I really had. With the faux sleeves in place, it made for modest black attire. In the light, you could see the corset ribs moving up. In some parts, the corset was see-through with lace.

  “It’s a bit goth on her,” Gabriel said. “But I see where you’re going with it.”

  “It was meant for a goth-costume.” Gretta was smiling through the mirror right at me. “And look at her. She walks like a human.”

  Gabriel started laughing. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Heel to toe,” she said. “Girls these days walk on their toes first, and it annoys me. You have heels for a reason.”

  I was wondering why she made the comment. Was she trying to make me feel better? Maybe she was worried I was put off by her some way when I rejected the idea of her being in the room with me while getting dressed.

  Gabriel rolled his eyes and then curled his fingers at me. “Okay, okay, let’s show the others.”

  I sucked in a breath, wondering how I was going to face them.

  “Hang on,” Gretta said. She went to the door and picked up something from the floor just outside. She came back in with a black feathered mask and a pair of black shoes with a thick heel and ribbon around the ankle part. “Let’s get her in gear. Probably not exactly what she’ll wear, but might as well sell it.”

  Costume Design

  A little bit later, I was stumbling back down the hallway in the shoes. Gabriel was holding onto my arm to make sure I didn’t fall over; I hadn’t ever worn anything with much of a heel.

  I had the mask on over my face, and it just covered the crests of my cheeks. I was grateful for that. The guys couldn’t see me blush.

  In fact, with the mask, it was a little hard to see. I used Gabriel a lot to show me where to go.

  The others were talking, but the moment we stepped out, they all went quiet. Gabriel moved me to the platform in the middle and continued to stand wit
h me, holding up my hand. I was looking down, for the most part watching my step and where he wanted me to stand.

  I thought before he’d looked really handsome in his fitted shirt and with the way he’d styled his hair, but under the platform light, he was particularly stunning. I felt braver about staring at him through the mask. He met my eyes often, with a smile and slight lift to his brow. He was pleased.

  Gabriel gestured toward the dress. “Try to focus on the shape,” he said for everyone to hear. “We can add color.”

  No one was saying anything, and it made me nervous. I had to look up.

  Kota had his mouth open, his eyes wide.

  Luke had a side grin, his head tilted as he looked at my legs.

  Victor sat up, scooting to the edge of his seat. I could see, even from a distance, his fire eyes as they seemed to light up in a blaze, very intense.

  When I finally mustered the courage to look at Mr. Blackbourne, he stood up and started walking around the platform. His face blank, emotionless. His steel eyes were everywhere. He circled around me.

  I held my breath, waiting. The corset was firm, not letting me slouch at all. It stopped me from shaking. I thought I might like corset dresses.

  “Remove the scarves?” Mr. Blackbourne asked quietly.

  My cheeks had been warm before, but now they were very hot. Without the scarves, my breasts were more exposed, and they’d all see the bra straps.

  Gabriel threaded his fingers through to undo the knots of the scarves that were tied together. Mr. Blackbourne stood behind us, a little off to the side so I couldn’t see him. I focused on the others. Victor was sitting back, curious and observant. Kota had stood then moved closer and was now focusing on me. Luke hopped up and then moved to circle the platform.

  “It doesn’t even look like her,” Luke said, then leaned in toward me, arching his neck. “That you underneath?”

  I started to giggle a little. The humor relieved some of the tension in me. “Yes,” I said. “It’s me.”

  Gabriel removed the scarves and stepped away, circling to the front. “I think I like the sleeves better.”

  Mr. Blackbourne moved around, still on the floor, standing between Luke and Kota. He reached out and pointed. “Yes, but they should be hanging more, I think. A wave, like the dress. The dress part might look better, too, if it was lower in the back, or more draped.”

  “What about a side sweep?” Gretta said somewhere behind me. Hands went around me, and I recognized her touch, knowledgeable and quick. She gathered some of the front of the skirt and bunched it at my thigh before moving aside to stand out of the way. She touched Gabriel on the elbow. “Move over, sweetie.”

  Gabriel stepped back with the rest of the guys. Gretta had a clip, and she did up the underside of the skirt. “I can make it longer in general, of course.”

  “No, actually, that’s much better,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Right there, but with the back part just a touch longer to give it a notable difference.”

  The shorter part where it was swept up felt like there was nothing there at all, like a pair of shorts. The clip held the fabric away from my leg, making it feel naked. When I couldn’t feel the material against my thigh, it had me imagining there was nothing at all.

  Then I relaxed, knowing the boys would never allow that. The final dress would probably feel different.

  “And with the sleeves?” Gabriel asked.

  Mr. Blackbourne nodded. The others were studying me, but they stayed quiet, letting Mr. Blackbourne and Gabriel work together. I hadn’t known Mr. Blackbourne to have opinions on fashion like some of the others did. I actually liked hearing his thoughts. He’d once picked out a T-shirt dress for me, which I still had, but hadn’t worn again since, not daring to wear it to school.

  “I like where there’s lace that’s a little see-through,” Gabriel said. He pointed to a spot on my stomach. “I think we should have more of that, but for this dance, have an inside part where that’s covered. But if we can remove it for different events...”

  “That can be done,” Gretta said. “Do you want a different color?”

  There was a flash of light, and then another. I turned to see both Victor and Luke with their cell phones out; they’d snapped pictures of me at different angles. Luke grinned and put it away. Victor held his out and moved to the side and snapped another. “I think I like the black,” he said. “That’ll work with all sorts of events.”

  “Accessories can add color,” Mr. Blackbourne said. He looked over at Victor. “I’m thinking a hot pink for homecoming.”

  My heart fluttered at the mention of pink. I had a feeling he was saying that for me.

  “Do we want to match with her?” Victor asked.

  “All black with a splash of color,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Different colors, but bright like the pink. That’ll probably work best. And with full face masks for everyone except her.”

  “I’m thinking more Phantom of the Opera style,” Gabriel said. “Like lips and cheeks exposed.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “I’ll show you later.”

  Gabriel pursed his lips. I got the feeling there was something Academy behind it if he didn’t want to mention it in front of Gretta.

  Gretta stepped aside, with a wide smile. “I can take her measurements and get started on it.”

  “We need a rush order,” Victor said. He turned to her. “If you can get it close, we can make any adjustments.”

  “I hate letting a piece go without seeing the final,” she said. “It’s my name on the tag.”

  “It’s a tight deadline. Would you make a house call?” Mr. Blackbourne asked.

  “Of course,” she said. “After hours.”

  “That works for us,” he said. “We need it by Saturday to make adjustments that morning.”

  “I can probably have it prepped and delivered Friday evening,” she said, then gestured toward the gown. “Is this a winner? Are we good with it?”

  “You’ve got a good eye,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “I think this will work.” He focused on me. “But do you like it, Miss Sorenson? Are you happy with it?”

  I nodded quickly. I felt all their eyes on me, waiting. I wanted to redirect their attention by agreeing. I wondered if such a dress would attract more attention than I really wanted. The mask would make it tolerable; easier to focus.

  Maybe that was why Volto wore one. He felt braver wearing it.

  After I nodded, Mr. Blackbourne turned to Kota, Luke and Victor. “Am I missing anything?”

  “If she really likes it, get it for her,” Victor said. “Buy her two.” He refocused on me. “Do you like the shoes? Should we get a necklace for it?”

  “For Halloween, find something that goes around her throat,” Gretta said. “Something with a black cord or lace and something thicker. It’ll be more striking. If you’re going with hot pink this time, make it a hot pink stone in the center.”

  “I think I saw something in a tourmaline,” Kota said. It was the first time he’d said anything and I was surprised he’d been so quiet. “They’ve got a hot pink type.”

  “Something in a heart shape,” Luke said.

  “That’s going to need to be ordered today,” Victor said. “That’ll take time to make.”

  “It’ll make a big difference,” Gretta said.

  “Know anyone who will do it quickly?” Mr. Blackbourne asked her.

  “And please don’t say the guy in the jewelry shop downstairs,” Luke said.

  Gretta laughed. “Their store is about to close. They’re too snobby, from New York. They’ll never last. They don’t realize down here that some of our richest clients can show up in overalls and mud as much as they’ll show up in something fancier. But yeah. I can give you a number to a couple of people.” She held out her hand to Victor. “We’re good?”

  Victor nodded, reaching to shake her hand. I understood this meant something, like they’d reached an agreement and this was Gretta’s verificatio
n to go ahead and make the ensemble.

  Price wasn’t ever mentioned at all. It was like they didn’t care what it cost. Whatever they wanted, even if it was for me, they’d pay it.

  “You boys ready?” she asked. She looked at me. “You want to go get out of that? I’ll look for something for the guys. I should actually have a lot of it in stock right now, and I’ll just need to fit and make adjustments.”

  “Gabriel first,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “And then myself. I’d like to take Miss Sorenson to pick up a few more things while the others are getting fitted.”

  More shopping? I looked at Kota and the others, who simply nodded like this had been expected.

  “We can catch up with you,” Kota said. “We’ll come find you when we’re done.”

  “Don’t go off individually,” Mr. Blackbourne said.

  “Let me help her out of this thing,” Gabriel said. “You go ahead with Gretta.”

  Mr. Blackbourne nodded

  I let out a slow breath, grateful the show was over.

  What I really liked was that I didn’t have to make the choice in what to wear. I felt it would have been impossible since I had no idea what I liked or what looked good. Having their opinions helped so much.

  Maybe it wasn’t how other girls shopped. I understood other people must have opinions about what they wear. I liked a little bit of everything and became indecisive, but the boys managed to settle the decision making process.

  What I loved, what really warmed my heart, was their approval and seeing they were pleased. I walked with more confidence then. That little bit of boost made all the difference. They worked together with me. I wanted to do the same with them.

  Gabriel helped me out of the gown, and I got dressed again. By the time we returned to the front of the shop, the others had gone into the back.

  Gabriel hung an arm over my shoulder. “I’m going to hang back with you until someone shows up,” he said. He took out his phone and tapped at it. “We aren’t allowed to split up.”

  “Fine by me,” I said.

  We spent a few minutes checking out the displays. It didn’t take too long before Mr. Blackbourne was back. He motioned to Gabriel. “Head back,” he said. “Just let her recheck measurements.”