CHAPTER 29: WARDROBE INCIDENT

~LAYLA~

The traffic began to move, but Axel didn’t move immediately. He stayed frozen, staring at me as though he was seeing me for the first time.

A loud, impatient honk from the car behind us snapped him out of whatever trance he’d fallen into. He blinked, turned to face forward, and pressed the accelerator.

I couldn’t help but smile at his reaction. "So," I said, settling back into my seat, "what’s your response? Are we going to this gala or not?"

He said nothing. Complete silence.

"Seriously?" I turned to face him fully. "You’re just going to keep quiet, huh?"

Still nothing. His jaw was set in that stubborn way I was beginning to recognise.

"Wow," I said, unable to keep the teasing note out of my voice. "I never took Axel O’Brien for a coward."

That got a reaction. His knuckles went white on the steering wheel, and I could practically feel the annoyance radiating off him.

I laughed, delighted that I’d finally cracked his stoic facade. "Oh, that got to you, didn’t it?"

He rolled his eyes, but I caught the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth that suggested he wasn’t as irritated as he was pretending to be.

"Fine," he said finally in a resigned voice. "We’ll go to the damn gala."

"Excellent," I said, grinning triumphantly. "There’s just one slight issue."

"What now?"

"I didn’t exactly pack for a gala. The fanciest thing I brought is a sundress, and somehow I don’t think that’s going to cut it for whatever pretentious event Alex Cross is hosting."

Axel nodded but didn’t say anything.

A few minutes later, he pulled up in front of an upscale designer boutique.

"Go in and pick something," he said, putting the car in park.

I stared at the elegant storefront with its minimalist display and intimidating price tags visible even from the street.

"Come in with me," I said, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of walking into such the store alone.

"No."

"Please? I need someone to give me an honest opinion about how these dresses look."

"Layla..."

"Come on," I interrupted, already getting out of the car. "I’m not going in there by myself. What if nothing fits? What if..." I was just blabbering whatever came to mind at this point all just to convince him.

"Fine," he said, cutting off my rambling with an exasperated sigh. "But we’re making this quick."

The boutique was exactly as intimidating as it looked from the outside. A perfectly dressed saleswoman approached us with the kind of smile that immediately assessed our worth based on our appearance.

"How may I assist you today?" she asked, sounding professional but slightly condescending.

"We need something for a charity gala tonight," Axel said curtly.

The woman’s demeanour shifted instantly when she heard his authoritative tone and took in his expensive suit. "Of course, sir. What size?"

"Her size, obviously," he nodded towards me.

After a brief consultation, she led us to a section of evening gowns, and the price tags were jaw-dropping. However, I had grown up in the world of luxury, my only concern was this eating into my earnings considering my family had cut me off and I was dangerously close to being broke.

"Try this one," the saleswoman suggested, holding up a stunning black number.

I disappeared into the dressing room and slipped it on. It was beautiful, but when I stepped out, Axel barely glanced up from his phone.

"Next," he said dismissively.

The second dress was a deep navy blue with intricate beading. Again, barely a reaction from Axel.

"This isn’t working," I said, frustrated. "You’re not even looking."

"I’m looking," he protested, though his eyes were still glued to his phone screen.

"No, you’re not. Put the phone away and actually pay attention."

He sighed but slipped the phone into his jacket pocket. "Fine. Next dress."

The third was an emerald green that complemented my skin tone beautifully, but when I stepped out, Axel just shrugged. "It’s fine."

"Fine?" I repeated incredulously. "That’s your professional opinion? ’Fine’?"

"What do you want me to say, Layla? They’re all fine. Pick whichever one you like."

I threw up my hands in exasperation and went back to try on the fourth dress. This one was different from the others; it was a deep burgundy silk that hugged my curves in all the right places.

The neckline was sophisticated without being too revealing, and the way it moved with my body made me feel elegant and confident.

But when I tried to zip it up, it got tangled with my hair. This was a real nuisance.

"Damn it," I muttered, reaching awkwardly behind me and trying to work it free.

"Everything okay in there?" Axel called from outside the dressing room when he probably heard me grunting like a woman in labour.

"A little zipper problem," I said, still struggling with it. "I think I need help."

There was a long pause. "I’ll get the saleswoman."

"She’s with another customer," I said, having noticed her helping someone else when I’d gone back into the dressing room. "Can you just... please? It’ll take two seconds."

There was another pause, a longer one this time. Then I heard his footsteps approaching the dressing room door.

"Are you decent?" he asked.

"Define decent," I said, holding the front of the dress up with one hand while still trying to manipulate the zipper with the other. "The dress is on, if that’s what you’re asking."

The door opened slowly, and Axel stepped inside the small space. Suddenly, the dressing room felt much smaller with his broad frame taking up most of the available space.

"Turn around," he said.

I turned, still holding the dress in place, very much aware of how close he was standing behind me. I could feel the heat from his body as his fingers worked at the zipper.

"There," he said after a moment, successfully freeing my hair and pulling the zipper up the rest of the way. "All set."

I turned to face the mirror, and my breath caught. The dress looked even better zipped up properly, it was absolutely perfect.

"What do you think?" I asked, meeting his eyes in the mirror.

For a moment, his careful composure slipped entirely. His eyes travelled over my reflection with an intensity that made my cheeks burn, and I saw something raw and unguarded in his expression before he quickly looked away.

"It’s appropriate," he said, his voice slightly rough.

"Just appropriate?" I teased, trying to lighten the suddenly charged atmosphere.

"It’s perfect," he admitted quietly. "You look beautiful."

The simple honesty in his voice made my heart skip a beat. "Thank you," I whispered.

"We should... we should get it and go," he said, already turning toward the door.

But as he moved past me in the cramped space, I stepped backwards to give him room and caught my heel in the hem of the dress. I felt myself falling backwards, arms windmilling helplessly.

Axel moved faster than I thought possible, his strong arms catching me and pulling me against his chest before I could hit the ground.

The momentum sent us both spinning slightly, and when we came to a stop, I found myself dipped backwards dramatically, with his face just inches from mine.

We froze like that, both of us breathing hard. His dark eyes were locked on mine, and I could see the shock in them and something else I couldn’t place.

One of his hands was pressed against the small of my back, holding me securely, while the other cradled the back of my head.

"Layla," he breathed. "You good?"