He must have taken that as a come-on because he turned away from Allegra and winked at me after I finished fluffing my hair out. Flirt. I shook my head again, and turned my back to him to pay attention to the woman who had talked to me.

She was one of my dates tonight, and there was also a lot to admire in her.  Bai was an oriental beauty, had high cheekbones, wide, almond-shaped eyes, and a long, graceful neck, which the electric blue ankle-length cheongsam she wore tonight played up. She was impossibly thin, but carried her wiry frame well, like a ballerina. When she crooked her arms, her arm muscles popped, and as she walked around, the long slits on the sides of her dress that reached to her mid-thigh area allowed one to admire her mile-long and lean legs. When we’d met earlier and talked a bit about what I should do, in case things got out of hand, as she coolly and confidently answered my questions I could tell she was experienced in all of this undercover stuff and possibly, nasty in a fight. I was glad she was on my side of things, rather than on the other side’s.

“Big mistake,” Bai whispered now.

“What? Why?” I asked confusedly.

“Girl … turning your back to him will get him even more interested in you!” she exclaimed softly. “Your back is bare from your shoulders down to the top of your tush, when that top swings open in the back, remember?”

I gulped and whipped around. She was right, he was ogling now, openly staring at me, because some gusts of wind had whipped around us, and blew my top open at the back briefly.

“At least it’s a nice outfit. And his suit is killer, too. Under normal circumstances, the two of you would make a cute couple,” Bai added in a semi-teasing voice, as she tried a humorous route to try to calm me down. “Victoria Beckham?”

“No, Chanel. And it’s not mine. My girlfriend’s,” I answered, chuckling under my breath. Under normal circumstances?

She laughed lightly also. “Flawless taste. Love Chanel. Nobody beats Chanel’s style.”

I was smiling now, relaxed despite Bryce’s attentions. She couldn’t have missed my mention of a girlfriend, and by her choosing not to comment on it, she’d clearly taken note of it. I answered her, “You’re right there, at least. Fashion is just fashion. But Chanel will always be about classic style and luxury…”