The Little Black Dress

A young woman of about twenty-five stepped out of the shower and snagged a towel off the rack on the door. Stepping over to the door, she threw it open and let the steam billow out. She wrapped the towel around her chest and sauntered out of the bathroom into the adjoining bedroom, shaking her head lightly to get the extra moisture out of her hair.

You're never gonna find me, I swear

She stood in front of the mirror and patted down her damp skin, making sure to caress every inch of her body, erasing each and every clinging water droplet. Squirting a liberal amount of lotion onto her palm, she lathered the cucumber and lime scented mixture betwixt her hands. She then brought her right leg up onto the bed and smoothed the lotion onto the supple limb, making sure to knead the sore muscles as she worked the cream in. She repeated the actions with her left leg, stretching both legs slightly when done.

Squeezing more lotion onto her hands, she then applied the lotion to her hips and abdomen, running her hands over the muscled planes of her butt and abs. She marveled over how much work it took to get them to where they were, but put the thought behind her quickly.

You'll never recognize me when I wear

She massaged her biceps and back muscles, smoothing the lotion along the tense areas. Rubbing her hands on the earlier, discarded towel she made sure that any remnants of the creamy substance were wiped off. Then turning to the mirror once again, she ran an eye over her tanned body, looking for any cuts or bruises that would need to be healed.

You're gonna see how little I care

Satisfied that she had covered over everything with the glamour lotion, she walked over to the gilt-trimmed armoire. Throwing the doors open she pulled out a dress bag that hung way in the back and set it on the chaise at the foot of the bed.

She spun and danced around the room, drifting from drawer to drawer, grabbing stockings, undergarments, shoes and gloves. Her lips mouthed out a tune to her dancing as she threw the clothing onto the bed and sat down with a flutter of her hands.

You're never gonna find me, I swear
You'll never recognize me when I wear
You're gonna see how little I care

She slowly strapped on the low backed black corset, cinching the waist tightly and ensuring that her plump breasts were straining out of the lacy see-through cups. She slowly inched the black lace garter belt up her legs, ensuring that she wasn't crushing or folding the fragile, Italian lace. She secured it onto her hips, maneuvering it to flow with the corset, but to cover the apex of her thighs as well. She stood and spun a bit, moving her legs in the steps of the tango, checking the stability of the corset and garter.

Then straddling the bed once more, she pulled one of the black silk stockings towards her and began rolling up her leg. Inch by inch, the silk covered her smooth skin until just above mid-thigh were it finished with a bit of black lace once more. She attached it to the clip hanging from the garter belt. After repeating the step with the other stocking, she stood and danced a bit more, her lips quirked in an ironic way and her eyes slightly glazed over.

She spun to the desk by the mirror and picked up a bottle of champagne to which she attached her lips and then took a few gulps. Setting the empty bottle back down, she glanced over at the clock and gave a short bark of laughter, her lips twitching in a sardonic grin.

She pranced to the chaise and did a few short steps while unzipping the bag and uncovering a little, black dress. She pulled it on over her head, thrusting her hands through the capped sleeves of the jersey dress and pulling the rest of the material down over her bust and hips. She pirouetted to the mirror and adjusted the dress to make sure the low back didn't betray the corset underneath and that the garter clips were just hidden by the above-knee hem of the dress.

When I wear my little black dress.

Her little black dress showed no cleavage at the front, but had a straight line from cap sleeve to cap sleeve across her shoulders; in the back however, the dress dipped into a low V, ending mid-back. The skirt was fitted in front, but rutched in the back – so that it fell in a bit of a swoop at the back of her left thigh. She checked for wrinkles once more, before sauntering over to the bed once more and sitting down lightly, so as not to muss the dress. She pulled on her Christian Louboutin, black velvet with front fringe, and crimson sole booties; she then stood, taking extra care not to roll her ankle on the soft, lush carpeting of the room.

She then grabbed the scarlet, bicep-length satin gloves and slowly pulled them over her steady arms, leaving only a few inches of skin to be seen on her upper arm. She then walked to the dresser and picked up a large black bangle and placed it on her right wrist. After placing one ring on her left ring finger, she grimaced slightly and turned back to the bathroom.

She grasped her wand from the glass desk once more and waved it once at the mirror in the bathroom to clear off the steam. She waved it quickly at the black eye on the right side of her face and the large purplish-green mark on her left chin, covering them. Then she applied a few quick layers of foundation, concealer and powder to even out the rest of her formerly mottled skin tone. She magicked on a bit of eyeliner and mascara, never trusting to actually place something near her eye by her own hand. After applying a slight brush of blush on the arches of her cheekbones, she nodded in agreement with her looks.

You're never gonna find me, I swear
You'll never recognize me when I wear

She waved her wand once at her hair and it was covered in a smooth, gel-like mixture. Setting the wand down on the counter, she grasped a black clip and secured her hair in a sophisticated twist at the back, running her hands over it softly to secure any loose hairs or frizziness.

Grasping her wand once more, she murmured a spell and watched as it shrunk and stuck itself to the inside of her left glove. She snagged a black leather clutch off the desk and threw on a black wool trench coat to ward off the chilly November, London air. Glancing out the peephole, she threw open the door of her junior suite and strode out of the room – the door shutting with a firm click behind her.

You're gonna see how little I care
When I wear my little black dress.

She buttoned up the coat as she marched down the hallway and into the waiting elevator. Her eyes were fierce and a sort of energy crackled around her. She sauntered out of the busy lobby of the London Ritz, ignoring the admiring glances thrown at her, and into the busy Piccadilly foot traffic.

She sauntered down the street, melding into the crowd, but cutting a quick left onto Bond Street. She slipped into a quiet restaurant just before the corner of Bond and Oxford, and gave her coat to the doorman. She glanced towards the bar and marked a red head sitting with his head near the ear of a gorgeous brunette seated right next to him. She snorted softly and moved her feet in a slight tango once more.

Giving the maitre'd a small wave, she made her way to the other end of the bar and tapped it softly, catching the barman's attention. He nodded shortly and poured a few fingers of whiskey, sending the glass her way once he'd added a few ice-cubes and a twist of lime. She took a sip of the cool, soothing liquid and let it burn it's way down her throat, examining the red-haired man over the edge of her glass. She kept her eyelids low, but knew that he was watching her over the other woman's shoulder.

You can wear the face of innocence well
I've been under that particular spell
But the lies that kept me going before
Now seem to be so hard to ignore.

She watched his eyes make their way over her shapely, silken legs and the tight, chic black dress. He took in her long, smooth neck and she could feel his eyes burning the skin of her bared back. She ran her tongue softly over the rim of the glass and watched as the blue of his eyes deepened. Her pink tongue darted out to catch a few droplets of whiskey that clung to her upper lip and she caught his mimicking her action.

You're never gonna find me, I swear
You'll never recognize me when I wear
You're gonna see how little I care
When I wear my little black dress.

His eyes roved her figure and she smirked at his negligence. The woman he sat next to was clearly attempting to get his attention, practically pulling her skirt full-up to regain his eyes. The brunette further down the bar merely smirked at the wall in front of her, refusing to make eye-contact with the pair at the other end. She took the lime twist and suckled it gently; enjoying the effect it had on the susceptible male.

Oh I could make it through the evening
As long as my stockings are straight

She recrossed her legs, ran a hand up her thigh, smoothing out her silk stockings, and grinned to herself as his eyes followed the motion once more; the brunette next to him shifting slightly in irritation at his disinterest in her conversation.

She took a last sip of her dwindling drink and set it down lightly, wiping the edge with her finger and then bringing it up to her mouth to clean. The red-haired man shifted quickly and shut his eyes for a moment as though to catalogue her movement. She took the opportunity of his closed eyes to slip off her ring and set it in the glass, motioning the barman over.

And you're never gonna see me leaving
But you might catch the scent of fresh paint.

She whispered into his ear and motioned towards the empty glass. He grinned and nodded, taking the glass away, ring still inside. He poured another small finger of whiskey into the glass and made his way to the man at the other end of the bar. As she paid her bill she overhead the barman say, "The lady at the end of the bar asked me to give this to you, sir."

She kept her head down, but felt three pairs of eyes burning into her head. She heard the barman go back to his chair and listened as the other brunette whispered angrily at the drinking, red-haired man. She grinned as she heard a sputter and then a "What the …" as he found the ring at the bottom of the glass.

You're never gonna find me, I swear
You'll never recognize me when I;

She stood from her seat and sauntered her way past the bewildered man, making sure he caught her familiar scent. She grinned at his look of shocked recognition. "I got a divorce Ron. I'll be seeing you."

I've sorted out the fiction from the fact
I've given you my everything and now I want it back.

At his quick response of, "Wait!" she turned and gave him a bored look. "Yes?"

"You … you can't just … divorce me!"

She glanced at her satin covered hands, "Oh, really?" She looked at him and sneered, "On the grounds of abuse and infidelity, the Wizengamot was more than pleased to grant me my freedom from that farce, you called bliss."

You're never gonna find me, I swear
You'll never recognize me when I wear

Turning in his silence to the gaping brunette beside him, she remarked snidely, "Fool me once, Lav, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Just remember that once a cheater, always a cheater." With that parting remark, she turned on her crimson soles and strode out the door, grabbing the out-held jacket as the door was thrown open for her.

You're gonna see how little I care
When I wear my little black dress.

With another bark of laughter, she walked out into the blazing sunset - the light illuminating her in the portal to the dark restaurant - head held high, and a small tear trickling down her cheek for the loss of a dream.

A/N: Song credits go to Anny Celsi for "Little Black Dress." I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought!!