The Stylist

Tonight, Mr. Rochester wants his trophy wife impressed upon his best client. Honey Gold knows her age will show like a sore thumb. She needs something bulletproof. So she calls Lily. Chanel opens a garment bag and the air turns thick. Their fingers brush when Lily eases the zipper up Honey’s spine. Honey watches the older woman in the mirror, feels the slow drag of knuckles along bare skin, and suddenly realizes this isn’t about hemlines anymore. Lily slips one hand inside the dress, finds the heat, and everything else—the dinner, the lies, the perfect shoes—drops away like clothing on a dark floor.