A Devil Boss

Chapter 8.2

After ten minutes, they were on their way to the office, and Sera had no idea what Astarot would expect from her. The last dress at Misses Ansartas' event had already been lifted. But what did Astarot have in mind this time?

He didn't stop in front of the office but continued on, which confused Sera greatly. Wasn't he going to take a dress from the trove?

"What do you have in mind? Kidnap me?" asked Sera, who was starting to get a bad feeling. She couldn't entirely trust her boss with something like this.

"Not entirely," he said matter-of-factly, stopping in front of another skyscraper. "But this event requires a special dress."

Sera sighed. "What have I gotten myself into?" she muttered, for there had been no mention in the contract of such events, which felt like a dog or fashion show.

"I don't know," Astarot laughed, leading her into a tailoring store.

Tailors and dressmakers were at work here and there, measuring up to their customers and taking requests. The atmosphere was pleasant, and it smelled somehow soothing. A mixture that Sera could not really describe. From one of the rooms, Sera heard a sewing machine.

Thoughtfully, she tilted her head again. "What do you want here?" she asked uncertainly.

"A dress," Astarot explained, leading her into an adjacent room where a young man was currently sitting at a sewing machine.

The latter looked at the visitors and laughed. "Mister Diabolus, how nice to see you again," he greeted Sera's boss.

It didn't escape her how the blond eyed her extensively, as if he already wanted to take measurements.

"Sera, my companion, needs a dress. Ceciel is inviting again," he explained, and from the way he spoke, he seemed to have been here many times for a dress for his companion.

The young man clicked his tongue. "That says it all. Nice to meet you, Sera. I'm Tyson," the blond introduced himself and extended his hand to her.

Overwhelmed that such a young man was already a tailor, she just nodded while Tyson asked what Astarot had in mind. From the looks of it, Sera's boss knew best what was appropriate.

"The theme is a thousand and one nights," he explained matter-of-factly. Ceciel was known for her theme parties.

With a gesture Sera clearly knew, Tyson put his hand to his chin. She was sure he had a thing for men. Just the way Tyson acted spoke to that. "We have some clothes ready," he remarked, walking around Sera, who stood musingly still. "Or do you want a specially made dress?

"Whatever can be arranged by tonight," Astarot said matter-of-factly.

There was not very much time left until evening, so Sera was asked to sit down. "I will bring the dresses. Time to make one by tonight will not be possible, I'm afraid. The fabrics are not always available," he said apologetically, and Sera realized that he seemed to fear being reprimanded for it.

"I thought so," said Astarot, who also sat down. "Just try your best."

Tyson disappeared, leaving the two alone. "A thousand and one nights?" asked Sera, frowning at her boss. "I hope for your sake you're not thinking of a costume like that for me to belly dance in," she remarked dryly. What was she supposed to think of as a dress from the Thousand and One Night?

Astarot shrugged his shoulders. "I'll leave that entirely up to Tyson."

Snorting, Sera shook her head vigorously. "I'm certainly not going to go along with that," she asserted sternly, feeling herself getting nervous. What would Tyson possibly bring? The uncertainty was getting to her.

This finally came back with a whole rack of clothes. This he rolled into the room, and Sera recognized many different colors.

Bright but also warmer colors were present, and Sera didn't know what to make of them. In fact, there were a few dresses that were belly-baring, but she definitely wouldn't try those on.

She saw Tyson pull out a purple dress first and hold it out to her. It looked pretty, but Sera thought it made her look even paler, so she shook her head.

So it went on with other dresses, and she was glad that Astarot didn't interfere with that. However, the dress choices slowly dwindled, and she became more restless.

When Tyson showed her a red dress, she gasped.

It was long, with gold trim, and looked similar to a sari.

Also, there was a veil of some sort that she was supposed to wear. She had never seen a dress like that before. "I'll try this on," she said firmly, taking it. "Where can I change?"

Tyson pointed to the dressing room and seemed pleased that she had found a dress that suited her.

She didn't know yet if it suited her, but that would become apparent in a few minutes. It was hard to put the dress on by herself since Sera had no idea how to do it, but eventually, she came out of the dressing room somehow dressed. She had put on the veil as well, but her face showed doubt. "I don't know how to put it on," she confessed sheepishly.

Tyson approached and helped her with it so he could check how it fit right away. It was way too big, which was good because that could be easily corrected.

Sighing, Sera let it all wash over her. Why didn't Astarot just take someone else? The dress was pretty and would undoubtedly fit later. But what did Sera want with it? Could she just borrow it? That's what she wanted to know from Tyson as he staked out on her.

"It's going into our trove," said Astarot, who was now getting involved after all.

Sera snorted and squealed when Tyson accidentally stuck her with the needle because of it. "That's fine. You can take someone else with you next time," she suggested in Astarot's direction, preferring to remain quiet.

"It's part of your training," he said matter-of-factly, looking at her seemingly curiously.

"I'm sure it won't be addressed in summer classes," she countered, sighing happily as Tyson asked her to change so he could make the changes right away.

"I need about two hours, then the dress should be ready for pickup, Mister Diabolus," he informed Sera's boss.

Astarot nodded. "Very well, then we will pass the time in the city and then come back."

Finally, Sera handed the oriental dress to the young tailor and thanked him before leaving the tailor shop with her boss. "What do you want to do in that time?" she asked curiously.

"Have a little dinner," he suggested. "We'll hardly get to it tonight."

"Why is that?" asked Sera, aghast.

"Because Ceciel talks a lot, and I'm sure she'll be besieging us," he explained. "There will be small appetizers, but going there hungry has never been a good idea."

Frustrated, Sera sighed. "You're just saying that now? Then how am I going to fit into the dress later if I fill my belly now?" she asked, sitting in the car that Astarot was safely steering through traffic.

He laughed heartily. "You really don't have to worry about that," he assured her. "Tyson will fit the dress perfectly on you."

"Your word to God's ears," Sera grumbled, feeling her skin prickle. She was kind of looking forward to tonight. Probably because she was eager to meet Ceciel.