AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Dragging me all over Dallas was your idea!” Maggie said as she took another group of dresses behind the dressing room door. “You can’t bail on me now! And, I promise, it is not worse than shopping for your wedding dress. I remember that day vividly.”
“I’m not bailing,” Dani said. “Do you have any food in this giant, magic bag of yours?”
“I think there may be a Snickers in there somewhere? JT’s like a child when he’s hangry so I try to keep an emergency bar for him.” Maggie called.
“Found it!I’m just sayin’, I think we’re going to run out of dresses soon.”
Just as Dani was about to make her case for real food, preferably accompanied by margaritas, Maggie opened the dressing room door. The dress was a long, strapless blush pink satin with a Swarovski crystal belt at the nipped in waist and a long slit on one side.
“Wow! You’re stunning!” Dani exclaimed.
“Really? Do you think it will work? Will Zane like it?” Maggie asked, sounding suddenly shy. She had always been self-conscious about body. Unlike her friend who was tall and lean and looked like a model in any old thing she threw on, Maggie was petite but curvy. Wearing a D-cup and having ample assets in the behind didn’t make for finding clothes that fit her properly easy. She didn’t want to come off as slutty for Zane’s event. She wanted class.
“He’ll love it!” Dani said. “How could he not? You look like Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, only with dark hair and no giant bow on your aa....uh patootie!” Dani grinned.
Maggie giggled. “It is rather wonderful, isn’t it?” She turned again looking at herself in the large mirror in the dressing room. “It’s been so long since I’ve had the opportunity to dress up. You know nothing like this ever happens in Gladewater.”
The saleswoman suddenly appeared like she was conjured from thin air holding a pair of pink and rhinestone stilettos. “Size seven wasn’t it?” she asked, offering the shoes towards Maggie.
Maggie started to shake her head, but Dani interrupted. “Those are perfect! You have to try them!” Maggie looked skeptical at the high, stiletto heel but grudgingly slipped the sandals on. She teetered a bit before she found her balance, but she had to admit they made her legs seem double their normal petite length.
“You have to get those! Zane’s eyes are gonna pop out of his head!” Dani assured her.
Maggie couldn’t stifle the grin that took over her face in the mirror. “OK, I’ll take them,” she told the saleswoman. She’d just have to practice walking in them at home.
After her purchases were made and placed safely in Pearl, the friends sat in the cantina next door to the boutique sipping the margaritas Dani had begged for and waiting on their dinners.
“Oh, Dani, I’m so excited for this party,” Maggie told her. “I don’t think I’ve actually ever been to a gala before...Or one that I wasn’t helping Mom cater, anyway.”
“I know you’re really just excited to see Zane in his tux, or out of it,” Dani teased.
“Oh you!” Maggie exclaimed. She playfully slapped Dani on the arm but then she turned a coquettish look on her friend. “I have to thank you again for helping him set up that day in Avalon. It was really special.”
“Yeah, Levi said he almost got an eyeful of the specialness,” Dani kidded. Maggie was always so proper that in those rare instances Dani could catch her doing
something naughty she couldn’t help but razz her about it.
Maggie’s mouth dropped open, and her cheeks reddened. She started to protest but quickly gave up. “Well, he didn’t actually see anything but, I’m surely glad he didn’t show up ten minutes later.” Maggie could feel the heat rising up from her chest at the admission.
“Why, Margaret Elizabeth Wade, you little hussy you!” Dani laughed uproariously. “Trying to get busy out in the woods!”
Maggie fanned herself furiously, willing the blush to leave her. She was a grown woman and with her best friend, what was there to blush about. Lord knows Dani wasn’t shy about telling Maggie about her sexcapades. “We were not…”
“It’s ok, Mags.” Dani said, letting her friend off the hook. “I’m just really happy you and Zane are getting on so well. I’d forgotten he even had that bike. It’s been so long since I’ve seen him on it. I was happy to play a part in letting y’all spend some real time together.”
“Thank you again for that,” Maggie said. “I don’t know how I got along without you for these last few years.” She grabbed Dani in a ferocious hug. “I’m so glad you’ve come home to Gladewater!”
Dani hugged her back and cleared her throat uncomfortable with the outpouring of emotion. “Well, back at ya,” she said hoarsely. “Now come on. I’m starving from you dragging me all over Dallas and back today. This food isn’t going to eat itself.”
They tucked into their late lunch and margaritas for a while discussing what hair and make up Maggie thought she should do for the event. Maggie was a whiz at hair and make up though she rarely wore much herself. Maggie finally sat back and groaned. “I don’t know how you eat like this all the time and stay so thin! I’m going to have to do an extra hour on the treadmill for my sins this evening!”
Dani popped another nacho in her mouth. “I’m just lucky in the metabolism department. Are you going to finish that?” she asked, pointing to the last tortilla on the
plate. Maggie pushed it toward her and gave her a questioning look. “I was thinking, maybe we should go make sure Zane has his tux ready before we head home.”
Dani dipped her tortilla in cheese sauce and took a bite, one red eyebrow raised in question.
“It’s late in the day...Maybe he wouldn’t be too busy to see us if we popped by his office?” Maggie asked hopefully.
Dani shrugged. “Sure, we can run by. I think this is his office day. Do you want to call and make sure he’s going to be there?”
“No, let’s surprise him!” Maggie smiled, practically bouncing in her seat.
“Let me finish my food first,” Dani requested and smiled. “If you can wait that long!”
“I’ll try.” Maggie beamed at her friend in excitement. “But hurry!”
