The Billionaire and His Driver

CHAPTER THIRTY

Brina still didn’t know what appointment Ronny was talking about until they arrived at the entrance to his country club. Although it still didn’t seem to concern her.

She hurried around and opened the back passenger door for Ronny. “Come with me,” he said as he buttoned his suitcoat and began walking away.

Tex was perplexed. Brina was alarmed. Did he expect her to go into that club with him? “Sir?”

But Ronny was not a man that repeated himself. And Brina and Tex, both of whom were still in his employ, hurried behind him as he made his way to one particular shop on the square: Mademoiselle Amelie’s shop.

Brina glanced at Tex as he held the door open. Ronny stepped aside and let her walk through first, and they went inside. Tex remained outside, at the door.

The owner of the shop, Amelie herself, was waiting at the door to greet them. “Ronny, darling,” she said in her strong French accent as they gave each other air kisses on either cheek. “Thank you for being on time. People make reservations but come when they feel like coming, as if my time is not as invaluable as theirs. When it is more so.”

Ronny laughed.

Then she looked over at Brina. “Is this her?”

“Amelie, this is Sabrina. Sabrina, Amelie.”

Brina smiled at the older, full-figured, busty older woman. “Nice to meet you,” she said.

“Likewise,” Amelie said as she looked Brina up and down as if she was sizing her up. “Right this way,” she added, and they followed her.

They entered a large, private dressing room with two big racks of clothing, and a shoe rack as well, with three young salesladies waiting beside each rack. All the clothing were women’s clothing. All seemingly on the small size.

Brina halfway expected Ronny to tell her to pick something out to wear, but it didn’t happen that way. He went to the racks and began picking clothes out for her. Everything he wanted, he handed to one of the salesladies. “This one,” he said as he looked over the outfit. “This one. This one. Not that one. This one.” And on and on until had compiled a full wardrobe of clothes: dresses, trousers, blouses, even shoes and lingerie. Brina was at times excited, embarrassed, and confused. But she held her peace. She was in his world now. If she didn’t know it before, she knew it now.

“Right with me, madam,” one of the salesladies said to Brina, and Brina followed her into the enclosed dressing room within the room.

Brina hadn’t been shopping in so long that it felt strange to be trying on so many clothes. And of such fine material! But every one of them fit. And if she were to be honest, she loved every outfit. The frugal part of her looked at the price tag on the few that even had price tags on them and wanted to faint. But she reminded herself what world she had to be in if she was going to be with Ronny, and she didn’t cause any scenes.

The only things she didn’t try on were the lingerie, although the ladies said she could and should. But Brina wasn’t wearing anybody’s panties until she washed them. On that she put her foot down.

When she came out wearing the last outfit: a white, lapel-collar button-up blouse, an above-the-knee skirt suit with a waist-high jacket - both in peach red, and stiletto shoes, Ronny finally asked her opinion. “Did you like them all?”

“All except for that green outfit.”

He nodded. “I agree.” Then he looked over the outfit she was wearing. “Until we can get to Paris,” he said, “these will have to do.”

Paris ? We ? Brina’s heart began to soar. This man was serious about her! Why else would he invest so much of his time with her? But for her it was so odd and so unlike anything she’d ever experienced that it was equal parts exhilarating and terrifying.

“We’ll take them all,” Ronny said to the store’s owner. “Except for the one she objects to.”

“You heard the man,” said Amelie. “Box them up!”

But as they left the store, Brina received a second shock: “We’re going to have lunch at the club,” he said to her as Tex followed them across the square.

Brina wanted to run. She wasn’t ready for this! But she steeled herself. It was now or never. He might have even been testing her himself.

As Tex opened the door of the country club’s entrance, and Ronny stepped aside so that she could go in first, her heart was pounding. But she put on her best smile, stood tall and upright, and walked on in.