Chapter 28: New outfit

Not long after, Ray pushed open a pair of dust-covered glass doors while still carrying May on his back. A peeling neon sign hung above them with the words "Dark Paradise."

Alex poked his head in from behind and grinned.

"Whoa, Boss—this place doesn’t look very wholesome."

"Dark Paradise my ass. This used to be a love hotel."

Mitch kicked a dried-up flower basket on the side and cursed under his breath.

"Less talking. Clear the place."

They gave the lobby a quick sweep. Red carpet covered the floor. A few adult toys still lay scattered in the corners...

Jack’s face turned the color of a monkey’s butt the second he saw them. He hurriedly kicked a metal chain behind the sofa. Ray set May down on a chair behind the front desk.

"Theo, get some hot water."

Theo adjusted his glasses and headed toward the bar counter.

"Water’ll take about half an hour. Sit tight for now."

May curled up in the chair and tugged at the tattered scraps of fabric still clinging to her. The red dress had long since turned into little more than rags that barely covered anything, now stained with several dark red patches. Her period was still ongoing—sticky and miserable.

She muttered softly, "Theo... can I take a shower? I feel like I’m starting to smell."

Theo’s head popped up from behind the bar.

"Water’s almost ready, but you’ll need a change of clothes. That outfit’s done for. And... with your condition, is washing okay? You’re still not feeling well."

"It’s fine. The pain’s gone down a lot. I just don’t want to stink..."

"Alright. Keep the old clothes too—give them to me later so I can see if they’re salvageable. Right now we have to keep everything. Who knows what comes next."

A small spark lit up in May’s eyes.

Ray, who had been cleaning his gun, paused for a second.

"Jack, go upstairs and find her something clean to wear."

Jack straightened like he’d just received a military order and jogged up the stairs.

"Got it, Boss! On it!"

A series of crashing and rummaging sounds came from the stairwell. Less than two minutes later, Jack came thundering back down with a cardboard box in his arms. His dark-red face was full of excitement as he set the box on the counter like he was presenting treasure.

"May, I found clothes!"

"The guest rooms still have quite a few. I picked the two neatest ones."

May leaned over to look. Inside the box lay two folded pieces of fabric. One was a tight, battle-damaged flight-attendant uniform—skirt so short it barely covered her business, neckline plunging extremely low. The other was an ultra-sheer aurora nightgown, thin as mist. Putting it on would be the same as wearing nothing at all.

May’s mouth twitched.

"Jack... You call this neat?"

Jack scratched the back of his head and gave a sheepish grin.

"The fabric feels real smooth. Bet it’ll be comfy. That black one looked like it wasn’t even there once you put it on, so I left it."

Mitch leaned in for a look. His face darkened instantly.

"Jack, is your head full of shit? How the fuck is she supposed to wear this outside? You want her in that see-through thing so she can feed the mosquitoes or so you can feed your own weird tastes?"

Alex cheerfully picked up the flight-attendant uniform from the box.

"Oof, Jack’s got some taste. Knew exactly how to pick something nice to look at. May would look amazing in this. Mitch, if you don’t like it, go find something yourself."

Mitch shot him a glare. "Get lost, you little shit. Less talking, more working."

May sighed. Anything was better than the rags currently hanging off her. She grabbed the uniform.

"Fine. I’ll wear this one. The sheer one looks freezing."

Ray glanced at the uniform that had almost no fabric to speak of. His brows knotted tightly. He opened his mouth, then closed it again without saying a word. Theo came over carrying a bucket of hot water.

"Go on. Lock the door. And... don’t get the wound wet."

May took the clothes and walked toward a private room in the back that had its own bathroom. She closed the door, stripped off the ruined scraps, and let the hot water wash away the sticky discomfort. Once she put on the new outfit, she stood in front of the mirror for a long time, stunned.

The clothes were way too small. The two buttons at her chest were stretched to the absolute limit, ready to pop at any second. The hem barely covered her butt—raising her arms even a little would flash everything. Matching white stockings came with it; they hugged her legs and made them look even softer and fuller. She tugged at the skirt hem and pushed the door open.

The men in the lobby had been chatting. The moment they heard the door, every head snapped toward her in perfect unison.

May’s small high heels clicked across the red carpet. The deep-blue tight uniform molded itself to every curve of her body. The neckline looked ready to lose its battle against the soft white skin it was trying to contain. The short skirt swayed lightly with each step. Two long, eye-catching pale legs drew every gaze. A few loose strands of damp hair rested against her collarbones, and her skin still carried the soft flush of a fresh shower.

The lobby went so quiet a falling pin would have sounded like a gunshot.

Five grown men sat frozen as if someone had hit them with a pressure-point strike, eyes wide as saucers.

Mitch’s mosquito coil burned straight into his finger. He yelped, flung it to the floor, and stomped it out.

"Fuck. What the hell are you wearing?"

May blinked innocently and tugged at the neckline.

"This is the size it came in. Not much I can do about it. Jack is the one who dug it up."

Jack, mid-bite of a biscuit, took one look and immediately choked. He coughed violently, face turning the color of pig liver.

"Cough—cough—I didn’t look—"

He spun around in a fluster, back rigid as a board. Alex narrowed his eyes, gaze traveling slowly up May’s legs.

"May, your legs are seriously white. Those stockings with that skirt are lethal."

He swallowed hard; his Adam’s apple bobbed once.

Theo’s hand froze halfway through adjusting his glasses. His eyes locked on the button at her neckline that looked one breath away from giving up. He stripped off his own white shirt in one motion, strode over, and draped it straight over her shoulders.

"If you’re cold, button it up. Don’t catch a chill."

Ray stayed seated on the sofa, but the gun in his hand creaked under the force of his grip. He stared at May with eyes so dark they were almost frightening. The rise and fall of his chest had grown noticeably heavier. After a long moment, he forced two words out between his teeth.

"Come here."

May pulled Theo’s shirt tighter around herself and walked over. Ray reached out, pulled her closer, and sat her on the armrest of the sofa right beside him. He tugged at the shirt, trying to wrap her up more thoroughly.

"From now on, clothes like this get an outer layer. Understood?"

May rolled her eyes internally.

What else am I supposed to wear? Your tattered military uniforms with the crotch seams already splitting?

On the surface, she nodded obediently.

"Got it, Boss."

Ray looked at that completely unguarded, pure-yet-tempting face and felt his throat go dry as sandpaper. He irritably tossed the gun onto the table.

"Jack, go dig around some more later. Find a coat. She’s dressed like... whatever this is."

Alex leaned against the wall, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.

"I think it looks great, Boss. May looks amazing in this. You just don’t know how to appreciate it."