"Dress To Impress!"
Rio arrived at Agatha’s house with her battered suitcase and a terrible hangover from the amount of wine the older woman had forced on her the night before at their little meeting.She had little recollection of any of the rules Agatha had set, nor of how the night ended, and was running on about eight cups of coffee. She squinted up at the house, the evening sun blinding her. It was absolutely boiling out; of course, the one day she’d taken the initiative to wrap up warm was the hottest day of the month. Fucking typical.
She expected Agatha’s home to be like the office; glitzy, modern, all concrete and glass and black and white and cold. But this house was surprisingly ordinary. It was huge, naturally; a vast brick facade, slightly overgrown with ivy and a front garden as perfectly manicured as Agatha’s nails. The front door was a deep purple color with a perfectly polished brass knocker that caught the sun beautifully. Rio had expected to loathe the place from the onset, but it reminded her a little of her own apartment building. Just a lot fancier and bigger, plus the usual flat tyred bikes and rusted cars that sat in her car park had been replaced by three porches in varying shades of purple. Still, it felt unexpectedly homely, welcoming almost.
Pushing open the black iron gates, Rio hauled her case up to the door. Of course it was on a fucking incline. By the time she had reached the large front porch, she was completely out of breath, panting. Leaning on the pillars, she debated the pressing the gold-plated doorbell, but fearing she would end up breaking it, she hesitantly knocked instead, praying she wouldn’t be kept waiting in the heat.
Fully expecting her boss to open the door, Rio was taken aback by the tiny woman who did; she seemed the complete opposite of Agatha.
The woman who answered was possibly the cutest looking old lady Rio had ever seen. She only came up to Rio’s shoulders, which was saying a lot since the latter had been called short her entire life. The woman’s face was lined with wrinkles, but her sharp blue eyes sparkled with energy. She wore a flowery apron over her neat dress, a pair of comfortable loafers on her feet and a permanent smile on her face.
“Oh, dearie! You must be Rhiannon! Agatha has told me all about you!” she beamed “I’m Mrs Davis, but you can call me Sharon”. The old woman effortlessly picked up Rio’s suitcase, putting it down and shooing Rio inside.
“Oh.” Rio couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that Agatha hadn’t been there to greet her, but was also intrigued by who the hell this was. She looked far too nice to be Agatha’s mother. “It's just Rio.” she corrected half-heartedly.
“Rio! Of course. That silly woman and her little name games. She does it on purpose you know! Always mixing me up. Ah well, I suppose she’s got more important things to worry about” Sharon laughed. “Welcome, welcome.”
Rio had never heard someone speak so casually about Agatha, never mind complain about her so openly. She instantly took a liking to the woman but was still a little confused by what the hell was going on. Maybe the heat was getting to her. Or the hangover, the thought, rubbing her temples.
Seeing Rio’s bewilderment, Sharon smiled. “Agatha’s gone already, so don’t you stress dearie.” she said reassuringly, “I’m her housekeeper, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
It was a little unsettling to know that Agatha had told this woman about her, but it also made her feel a little special. She wasn’t quite sure why she sought Agatha’s approval so desperately, but knowing that she’d talked about her to her household staff made her cheeks flush slightly.
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Rio had been following Mrs Davis around the house for the past 20 minutes in a sort of daze, taking it all in. It was oddly warm and welcoming, despite being laid out like a total labyrinth. Most of the vast rooms were filled with antiques and grand furniture and shelves littered with books and trinkets, and it seemed every room had some form of display case packed with trophies and accolades. All of the flooring was marble; Rio could practically hear the echo of Agatha’s heels click-clacking against it as she paced. Mrs. Davis stopped at a flight of spiral stairs. Just looking at them made Rio feel dizzy.
“Your room is just up there on the right dear, I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.”
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Rio’s room was like a hotel suite. A four-poster bed stood in the centre, a dark green quilt draped over it and excessive pillows stacked high against the wooden headboard. There was a vanity stocked with brand new makeup products and perfumes, a wardrobe bigger than Rio’s bedroom, and a large chandelier hung from the ceiling. It was clinically clean, which set her on edge a little. It was as though she’d stepped into a museum exhibit; it felt wrong to touch anything in fear of disturbing such a perfect scene.
On the vanity sat a little purple envelope, propped up against the mirror and closed by an HH wax seal. She suppressed a scoff; Agatha was nothing if not extra.
Rip broke the seal, producing a piece of parchment covered in swirling writing, and a wad of banknotes. It read:
Dearest Rhiannon,
By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be in Paris. I trust you’ll follow all of the instructions I have given you, and I trust that you’re not too hungover to read this.
My housekeeper has insisted I leave you some funds to last the week, so you’ll find some cash in this envelope. If you need more for whatever reason, you can take it out of your paycheck next month. I hope you appreciate the room; finding a green bedspread proved surprisingly difficult. Next time you choose a signature colour, do pick one that’s somewhat palatable and easy to find.
I want three new designs from you by the time I'm back. Have a tolerable week.
With regret that my name must share a page with yours,
A. Harkness
X
Rio scanned the page, frowning as she tried to decipher the cursive. She threw the paper back onto the desk with a scoff, though the kiss didn't go unnoticed.
She’s just being sarcastic. It doesn't mean anything... God.
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Rio dumped her case out onto the floor, shoving her clothes into a dusty bottom drawer by the bedside that probably had never been opened.
Once that draw was full, she pulled open the one above it. It was full of lingerie and socks that definitely didn’t belong to Rio. Which must mean-
Holy Shit. She paused, studying the purple lace with a smirk before the door flung open.
Nicky, dressed in messy blue pajamas, burst through the door, a huge smile on his face. Rio shoved the drawer shut and stood up, trying to compose herself.
“Riri! Hi! I’m so happy you came, we are gonna have so much fun!” He beamed, wasting no time before throwing himself on the bed, jumping up and down and completely destroying the pristine set up. Rio expected him to be a little forlorn seeing as his mother was currently over 300 miles away from him, but admittedly his happiness was better; Rio wasn't good at dealing with her own negative emotions, never mind other people's.
Rio smiled at the young boy's enthusiasm, watching as he bounced up and down with unbridled energy. She tried to feign annoyance, crossing her arms and furrowing her brow in the same way Agatha did whenever Rio missed a deadline.
“Jeez Nicky, your mother will have my head if that bed ends up broken” Rio smirked, fighting the urge to join him in his excitement.
Nicky laughed, throwing himself back onto the mattress, limbs spread like a starfish. He let out a contented sigh.
“I just wanted to say hi! I was bored! And Mami doesn't care about the beds, because she can buy more.” he giggled, sticking his tongue out.
Rio, always the epitome of maturity, stook her tongue out back at him.
“There are a million other things you could be doing besides bugging me kid” she huffed.
Nicky pulled a face at Rio, his expression playful and defiant. He sat up on the bed, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting dramatically. He was the image of his mother.
“Yeeeeeah, but bothering you is way more fun!” he whined, drawing the words out for effect.
Rio resolved to ignore him as she finished unpacking, trying to block out his unhelpful comments about her messy suitcase.
“Rio! Is it true that you have a tarantula?” Nicky said suddenly, swinging his legs on the bed.
“Yep. It’s massive and it eats children who annoy me” Rio replied sarcastically.
“That’s so cool! Do you have it with you?” Nicky asked, looking around her now empty suitcase as though the spider would suddenly materialise. “Mami was telling me about it turning up at work. Can i see it?”
"There is no way your mother would allow it anywhere near your house, you should have seen her when she saw it. She went crazy, started screaming and everything. I’ll show you a picture though.”
Nicky laughed. “I wish I could have been there to see that. She hates spiders. I think Senor Scratchy would love your tarantula though. Can they be friends!?”
Rio paused” Who?”
“Señor Scratchy. Mami’s rabbit”
Rio stifled a laugh. It was impossible to imagine Agatha Harkness tending to a cute, fluffy little rabbit, especially with a name like that. She could only picture her with it sat on her lap, one perfectly manicured hand stroking its fur ominously like a bond villain. She smirked at the thought, taking out her beaten-up phone and pulling up some pictures of her pet tarantula.
Nicky gasped excitedly at the pictures, and catching his enthusiasm, Rio began to info dump about the creature.
“She’s a curly haired tarantuala. The females can live up to twenty years, which is crazy. They can get to like, five inches” She explained, demonstrating the size with her fingers. “Their scientific name is Tliltocatl albopilosu and they’re really cool pets...” Rio stopped, realizing she was rambling. Usually when she got too deep into a spiel, Agatha would tell her to shut up. Even Alice would give her a little nudge if she was going on a bit too much, but it seemed Nicky was actually interested, nodding along with her rambles.
Huh, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.
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Rio wasn’t quite sure how she ended up in a pair of too-big Versace heels and a Chanel dress that hung off her small frame like a potato sack. Nicky had insisted they played ‘Dress to Impress’ in his mother’s wardrobe, dragging Rio to the dressing room down the long hall. Nicky threw open the doors, revealing a dazzling array of designer clothes and accessories. The walls were practically lined with racks of dresses, skirts, suits, shirts, and jackets, each more exquisite than the last. Though the colors varied, the majority in rich purple hues.
Rio couldn’t help but let out a small whistle at the sight of such expensive fabrics and luxury items, a little jealously stirring in her stomach. She’d kill for a wardrobe like this.
“Woah, now this is some serious fashion. You sure she won’t mind us wearing some?” Rio mumbled, awestruck.
“She won’t even notice, promise. Plus, Mami hardly wears this stuff. Her proper clothes are in her bedroom. I’m always playing with these” Nicky insisted, already eagerly rummaging through the closet, pulling out a sequined gown and holding it up against himself, giggling
‘Fuck it’ Rio thought; its not like Agatha would ever find out unless she really did have hidden security cameras.
She grinned, grabbing a jewel-toned Versace blazer and throwing it over her shoulders dramatically.
The pair had a blast playing dress up, striking over-the-top poses and strutting around the dressing room as though they were models on a runway.
“Oh, darling! Dont we look gorgeous?” Rio cried in a near-perfect impression of Agatha’s stuck-up accent, causing the pair to dissolve into fits of giggles.
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Hours flew by as Nicky tried clothes on and Rio studied the brands and designs of each dress. As they stood infront of the mirror modelling their final looks- Rio in a striking red versace dress that fit her quite well, considering, and Nicky in a black Saint Laurent suit that was obviously huge on him- Rio glanced at her shitty watch. 9:24 pm
“Nicky, maybe we should pack up soon, huh. What time did your mother say your bedtime was again?” she asked, starting to pick up a couple pieces from the sea of crumpled clothes and put them back on hangers. God, it had been ages since she’d cleaned up after herself.
“Uhh, midnight?” Nicky replied unconvincingly with a mischievous smile.
“Nu uh, no way. We gotta stop now, I don't wanna get fired.”
“Aww, but I’m not done yet, I haven't even shown you my best look!” Nicky whined, looking at her with his best puppy dog eyes. Though they usually worked on his mother, it seemed Rio was far less of a pushover.
“No, come on, help me clean up and then you can go back to your room, wherever the hell that is” Rio said, looking through the open door into the labrynth of hallways.
At the words “Clean up” Nicky groaned. He ended up hanging couple articles of clothing up haphazardly before giving up and scurrying back to his bedroom.
Rio gave up shortly after, vowing to finish restoring the closet the next morning.
When she finally located her long-lost bedroom, Nicky was laying on the four poster, the green quilt wrapped around him. He was playing minecraft on Rio’s Nintendo Switch, his tongue sticking out slightly in concentration.
She raised her eyebrows in surprise, amused by the kid's audacity, it made sense considering his mother was Agatha fucking Harkness.
“You know kid, that’s my Switch, not yours” Rio said pointedly. “And it’s way past your bedtime. Do you need me to tuck you in?” She added sarcastically.
Nicky shrugged awkwardly. His energy from earlier seemed to disspate, and Rio was a little surprised to see the slight frown on his usually cheerful face. She sat down awkwardly on the bed next to him
“You good kid?” She said, doing her best to sound comforting. God, she was way out of her depth here.
He didnt respond immediately, his eyes still glued to the screen. “It’s dumb. I kinda miss Mami” he said under his breath after a few moments of clear contemplation, his cheeks flushing.
Rio, struggling to fathom how anyone could miss Agatha of all people, reached out awkwardly, patting his shoulder.
“Oh. I mean, she’ll be back soon. She probably misses you too.”
She tried to keep the tone light, not really sure how exactly to navigate an emotional moment with a nine-year-old, especially since she was so familiar with his feelings.
Alone at night, forgotten about by her mother who was off drinking and gallivanting with that horrid man... She shook her head, pushing down the thought.
“She does love you Nicky, and she’ll be back before you know it” She insisted, silently wishing the same applied to her own mother.
“And in the meantime, you’ve got me, alright?”
He nodded gently.
Trying to come up with a decent way to comfort the boy without being too awkward or weird, she did the only thing she could think of, taking her battered laptop from the base of her suitcase. She had to hit it a couple times to make it turn on, and half the key caps had vanished over the years, but hey, it worked.
The pair played Minecraft together late into the night, the hours passing quickly as they took turns fighting each other and building houses only to burn them down again, laughing. By the time Nicky had fallen asleep, still curled up on the edge of her bed, Rio was exhausted, though it was worth it to see the contented smile on his face.
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Rio’s phone buzzing went unnoticed as she slept.
“Rio, are you awake? How’s it going with Harkness’s kid?” Alice had messaged her.
A few minutes later, another message came through.
“Guess not, lol. I fed your creepy spider thing, so you don’t need to worry about that. Jen’s agreed to meet me tomorrow 😊 Hope it’s going well xx
Thank goodness Mrs. Davis was there to clean up the mess of creased clothes they’d left in Agatha’s closet the next morning.