Chapter 5 The Dress That Didn't Fit

Upon entering the store, the saleswoman's eyes gleamed with excitement. She swiftly approached Joshua and folded her hands respectfully in front of her stomach, greeting him with a warm smile, "Good morning, Mr. Harvey."

"Mornin'," Joshua replied with a nod of his head.

The saleswoman trailed behind them and inquired, "What can I assist you with today, Mr. Harvey?"

As they settled onto the sofa, Joshua gestured for the saleswoman to seek Lyla's opinion before responding. He then picked up a magazine to peruse at his leisure.

Meanwhile, Lyla didn't bother studying the current styles on display. Instead, she directed her attention towards the saleswoman and posed a direct question, "Has the Constellation-themed ready-to-wear collection launched in February been made available here?"

The saleswoman picked up on Lyla's knowledge of fashion and surmised that she must be wealthy or of noble birth. As a result, her manner became increasingly deferential. "It has just arrived. Which one would you like to try on, miss?"

"Gemini," Lyla answered decisively. She had been keeping an eye on the collection for quite some time and even inquired about it at her usual store, only to be informed that it was not yet available for purchase. Since she was already here, she decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

The saleswoman readily agreed, saying, "Certainly, miss. Please wait in the fitting room and I will retrieve it for you immediately."

Lyla found her response to be somewhat unusual. It was her first time shopping at this particular store, so she assumed they wouldn't have her size.

Didn't the saleswoman need to inquire about her size before retrieving the dress?

Without dwelling on it too much, Lyla entered the fitting room. Within moments, the saleswoman passed the dress to her through the narrow opening. In the midst of trying on the garment, Lyla struck up a conversation with the saleswoman.

"Do you have the ability to discern a customer's size with just a glance? I didn't provide you with my size, yet you knew it?"

The saleswoman beamed, responding, "Mr. Harvey visited earlier and informed us of your size."

Lyla was taken aback.

Joshua had never purchased clothes for her.

As she tried on the dress, Lyla quickly realized that it was not the correct size. The tightness in the chest area was particularly uncomfortable.

If she recalled correctly, Ms. Happer had a smaller bust than her. So it looked like the size that Joshua had told the saleswoman was Ms. Happer's.

No wonder he knew that there was a Chanel store nearby. Despite frequently visiting the Golden Club, Lyla had never noticed the presence of a Chanel store in the vicinity. Now, the reason why the saleswoman greeted him with the title "Mr. Harvey" upon his arrival became apparent. Clearly, he was a frequent patron of the store.

Perhaps it was due to the stuffiness of the fitting room or the constricting cut of the dress, Lyla found herself struggling to breathe comfortably. Ultimately, she removed the dress and returned it to the saleswoman through the opening in the door. "I require a larger size," she declared.

Upon hearing Lyla's words, the saleswoman was taken aback. She was quickly aware that the clothes that Mr. Harvey had purchased before were not meant for Lyla. She felt anxious and tried to make amends for her unwitting mistake.

"I'm really sorry, miss. I'll fetch you a larger size."

Without giving any attention to the saleswoman, Lyla changed into a new dress and stepped out of the fitting room. She headed straight to Joshua and asked for his opinion on the dress.

Joshua looked up from his magazine and remembered a saying he had heard from his friend.

"Clothes don't make the person, it's the person who makes the clothes."

In another words, if you had good looks, you could pull off any outfit.

He believed Lyla was blessed with good looks and she could make any attire look stunning.

Lyla had a unique charm inherited from her mother. Her eyes had a bewitching sparkle and her face always seemed to carry a warm smile. Her hair, a soft shade of flaxen, was curly, and she looked gorgeous when she tucked a strand behind her ear.

Putting his magazine aside, Joshua complimented Lyla's sense of style with a gentle smile.

Then, with a sly grin, Lyla approached him and whispered in his ear, "Do I still smell like alcohol to you?"

Her hair cascaded onto his neck and as she shifted, it tickled him slightly. Joshua couldn't resist the urge to swallow, trying to ignore the sensation.

Raising his gaze, he once again gazed upon her. Though his eyes remained serene and profound, a sense of peril seemed to lurk beneath their depths.