"Yeah, I know!" Marya said. "Well, technically, Zephyr gave me money to find you a dress and I knew you wanted this one."
Now Ingrid had questions. And a growing level of suspicion.
She folded the dress carefully over her arm and took it to her bed.
What was that boy up to? Spending thousands on a dress, an absolutely gorgeous dress, yes, but still. She took out the note from her pocket and went over the address again. Was it another heist? He knew she hated to be underprepared.
"You'll wear it right?" Marya said. Her face was still flushed but her eyes had some clarity around them now. Drugged or not, she was always excited when she and Ingrid got to play dress up and she could fit her into clothes of her own design or styling.
"I don't know. I mean, I don't even have shoes to wear with this dress."
Marya started to jump up and down.
Ingrid folded her arms. "You got me shoes, didn't you?"
In response, Marya disappeared back into her closet then reappeared with a box tied with a ribbon. Inside the box, Ingrid stared at the highest heels she had ever worn. The main sandal itself was quite simple with a single silver strap at its toes and another almost invisible strap around the ankle. But it was the actual heel spikes that stole the show, bejeweled from start to finish. The shoes shimmered in her hand when she took them out of the box.
Her breath was actually taken away. But if she was speechless, Marya looked like she would burst.
"Please go, even if just for my sake, I will simply die if you don't wear these things I picked out, especially for you. You'll be so beautiful, Ingrid." She clasped her hands together.
Ingrid set the shoes on the bed, beside the dress.
"Marya, how did Zephyr know about the necklace?"
Marya sat down beside Ingrid and shook her head at her. "What necklace?"
Ingrid cocked her head. "Nice try."
All of a sudden, Marya broke into tears. 'Don't be angry," she sniffed. "Kafi came over and he may… have opened your box."
"He what?" Ingrid was incredulous.
"He was just being dumb and shit." There was a whine in Marya's voice now. "I told him not to! But he was talking about how you're so secretive and everything. It was a joke."
She stood up, tears drying on her face. It looked like she was becoming upset.
"And I don't know why you're even so mad. I mean, obviously, you're like set with money and everything. So maybe it was kind of greedy of you to keep the necklace for yourself. Just maybe."
She started the pace the space in the middle of their room then stopped abruptly, "I said I was sorry!"
Ingrid looked at the dress again. She stroked the fabric of the dress between her fingers.
"I would look crazy good in it, wouldn't I?" she said finally.
Marya blinked. She exhaled then came back to sit by Ingrid on the bed. "You would look fucking top-tier Isi-Town."