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“Is this your emergency, Stella? Ugly dresses?”
“Well, yeah, I don’t want to make my debut in a dress that you hate but I don’t want to hurt this poor lady’s feelings.” Her voice is strained; she’s totally serious which does make this pretty damn adorable.
“I’m in the middle of a very important meeting. Figure it out yourself.”
“She told me you requested conservative dresses.”
“And?”
“Why? That’s why she has me in mother of the bride outfits with pearls and shoulder pads.”
I laugh, picturing her in the dress she’s describing. “I’m sure you’re overreacting. Just pick the best one and be done with it. I’m going.” This time, I actually hang up.
Back in the meeting, my phone buzzes, again with a text.
Stella: Sending you some pics of the options.
I panic, someone in the room asking me a question as I type out a rapid response. The last thing I need is photos of her, especially in a dressing room where I can’t stop picturing her already, half-dressed, bent over a bench with every angle of her on display in the mirrors.
Me: Please don’t.
I’m halfway through my next sentence when my phone alerts me again that I have a text. I look down, struggling to stifle my laugh when I realize she wasn’t exaggerating about the dress choices. The color is awful, a lemon yellow with pearls and beads sewn all over the shoulders and chest. Another comes in, this one is bright purple with a floor-length jacket reminiscent of something a villain might wear.
Stella: There’s more…
I look at the clock; this meeting has been going for almost an hour. “Gentlemen, let’s wrap this up in the next five minutes. Seeing as how we haven’t come to an agreement within the last hour, I doubt we will today. Let’s convene again. Florence will schedule for a follow-up meeting.” They nod and begin to finish up their discussion as I type out a response to her.
Me: Will be there shortly.
I see the look on Florence’s face when I tell her I’ll be gone for an hour and not to forward my calls. “Everything’s fine,” I assure her before she makes an assumption. “I just need to tend to something momentarily.”
I’m practically skipping out of the car when Oliver pulls to a stop in front of the department store, my brain reminding my cock not to get distracted with every footstep.
“Personal shopping?” I ask a young woman who points me in the right direction.
“I’m not sure.” I see Stella skimming through the dresses with the lady next to her. “Maybe I should try on a few others?”
“These all looked so lovely on you, dear.” Stella’s eyes look pleading, then she sees me and waves.
“Thank you very much, Mrs.…?”
“Hoskins.” She holds out her elegant, weathered hand toward me and smiles, her bright magenta lipstick a touch outside the lines.
“Thank you, Mrs. Hoskins.” I lean down and plant a kiss on the back of her hand. “You have been absolutely wonderful to my girlfriend, but my afternoon freed up and I promised her I’d stop by to help her make a decision on the dress.”
“Oh, that’s so lovely,” she swoons, clapping her hands together as she looks from me to Stella. “Don’t you just love love.” She floats away, humming a little song to herself.
“What?” I look over at Stella who’s shaking her head as she laughs.
“You have a way with the ladies, even when they’re old enough to be your grandma.”
“Got you out of wearing one of those, didn’t it?” I nod toward the stack of dresses. “I don’t have a lot of time; let’s pick out a few that you do like.”
She takes the stack she chose and hangs them in the dressing room of the private suite. “Wait, you’re not leaving already, are you?”
I glance over my shoulder at her. “I was going to head back to the office.”
“Oh, you’re not going to stay while I try them on?”
