AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Exciting and nerve-racking and stressful.” I tried to come up with a comparison he could relate to as a lawyer. “I’d imagine it’s similar to an oral argument you’ve worked really hard on. We spend so much time trying to make the game visually exciting, and with a storyline that keeps players engaged, that it feels like someone is judging your baby, if that makes sense.”
“I’ve had my fair share of those moments.”
I thought about telling Holden that I had been invited to the gala next Saturday, but I was too wary of shattering this fragile truce we seemed to be settling into. And, if I was being honest, it wasn’t just fear motivating me to keep my mouth closed: I was enjoying this. I wasenjoyingsharing a meal and conversation with Holden. I wanted more of everything. More revelations about him, more of the delicious food, more of this cheap wine. All of it.
Later, I promised myself. I would dissect all this new information later. Most likely at three a.m. tonight instead of sleeping. But in this moment, I didn’t care if this dinner cost me a good night of sleep. All I cared about was getting Holden to stay a little longer.
17
We were two hours into our shopping excursion and Maxine showed no signs of slowing down. At this point, I was more interested in finding someplace for lunch than I was in finding a dress for the gala next week. It had been fun trying on dresses at the first few stores, but we had moved quickly from the fun category to the daunting one. Even Max had turned into a drill sergeant by the third store, no longer picking out dresses for me to try on solely because they looked interesting or scandalous.
“Can we take a lunch break?” I whined, staring longingly at a neon slice of pizza flashing above a store. “I need fuel if we’re going to keep going.”
“One more store and then we can break for lunch. I have a really good feeling about this one.” Maxine steered us away from the flashing pizza and toward a store I didn’t recognize.
I pulled out my phone and glanced at the list of “acceptable” stores Sissy had texted.
“Max, this store isn’t on Sissy’s list,” I pointed out, hustling to catch up with her.
“Yeah, ask me how much I care.” She plowed forward like a general leading her troops into battle. “This store is super trendy, and much more your style than her options. Plus, I’d like to be able to eat something other than ramen for the next two years of my life after I buy a dress for this thing.”
A little niggle of guilt tugged at my sad, empty stomach. “You don’t have to buy a new dress. You can wear that amazing black dress you wore to the winery last summer.”
“Uh,no. I need a dress that screams, ‘available and looking for a wealthy husband, but will also accept a sugar daddy.’ That black dress says, ‘I might make some bad decisions tonight and I need to be able to move around comfortably.’”
“You did fall asleep in the bathtub that night.”
“After I crawled out of that bush,” she pointed out, like it was an achievement she had unlocked. “Oh, here, their formal gowns are in the back.”
I followed her to the back of the store, where the formal gowns were hanging from white racks. I took in the eclectic, colorful selection of clothing we passed, impressed with Max’s store choice. This store did look much more my style. As we made our way toward the back corner, I started to feel more and more optimistic that I might actually find a dress here.
“I love this dress for you,” Max exclaimed, selecting a dark green velvet gown and holding it up. “This dress is going to look stunning with your skin tone and really bring out the jewel tones in your eyes.”
I took the hanger from her, the rich velvet smooth against my fingers.
“I don’t even know if I’m looking at the front or back of it.” I went to put the dress back, but Maxine grabbed it from my hand.
“You’re trying this dress on.” She held up her free hand and said, “I’m not accepting any follow-up questions at this time. Moving along.”
“Max, I wouldn’t feel comfortable showing that much cleavage at a strip club, let alone at a gala for a charitable foundation. I’m not there to catch a sugar daddy.”
“Relax, Sutton, it’s not going to look as racy on. Trust the process.” She headed toward the changing room. “Try it on while I browse. And think of it like this: If you try this dress on and love it, we can go eat lunch.”
I swiped the dress from her hand and headed for the curtained-off room. “I’ll try it on, but only because you used the magic word.”
“The magic word? I didn’t say please.”
“No, not that one. Lunch.”
I shut the curtain on Max’s laugh. With the promise of lunch on the horizon, I made quick work of my jean shorts and T-shirt. I unzipped the dress and slid it over my head, loving how cool and soft the velvet felt against my skin. The zipper was on the side of the dress, so I didn’t need help zipping myself in. The fit was tight enough to accentuate my curves but not so tight that I wouldn’t be able to comfortably eat hors d’oeuvres. Clearly, I was very food-motivated.
I faced the mirror, and my breath caught in my throat.
The dark green material made the natural golden hue of my skin seem to shimmer and highlighted the copper streaks in my hair. I leaned closer to the mirror, noticing that this dress even made my plain brown eyes seem to have flecks of green and gold in them. The straps widened as they descended toward my chest, connecting at a band just above my bellybutton. The skirt fell to the ground in a waterfall of green velvet that seemed to glitter and shine under the lights.
Max had been right. This dress was amazing. It managed to look sexy and elegant at the same time.
As I tilted my head, examining the dress from different angles, I couldn’t help imagining Holden seeing me in this dress. The thought made me stop mid-swish. Why was I thinking about Holden right now?
