Felicity.
“I bought them,” I said.
“You bought three dresses for one event?”
“Well, they all looked good,” I said. “And I’ll probably wear the others at some point.”
“No, you won’t. How many formal events are you expecting to go to?”
I thought about it. “Oh, you’re right. I guess I don’t go to formal events anymore. It’s just that when I usually go shopping for dresses like this, I would buy more than one.”
“Back in Connecticut, you had a backlogged closet of ridiculously expensive dresses that you never wore,” Felicity said.
“Really?” I said. “Because I think I wore them.”
“No, because every time there was another party, you went shopping, and then you came back with five more dresses.”
“Not always,” I said. “Sometimes, the events would sneak up on me, and I wouldn’t have time to shop.”
“No,” she said. “That never happened.”
“Never?” I said.
She shook her head.
“So, you’re saying I should probably take two of these dresses back,” I said.
“Probably,” she said. “And if you’re hurting for places to spend that cash, I could help you find some here in the hotel.”
“Hey, I didn’t spend that much on these dresses,” I said. “I’m a business woman now. I’m good with money.”
“No, I know you are,” she said. She picked up one of the dresses off the bed and checked the tag, which was still on. “Huh,” she said. “This was only fifty bucks?”
“Yeah, there was a sale rack,” I said. “I shopped the sale rack.”
“Oh, Penny, you’ve changed so much,” she said, grinning. She set down the dress and gave me a hug.
“They aren’t designer or anything,” I said. “But no one’s going to be looking at me that close, so I figured these would be fine. I think they were for prom or something, but I picked out stuff with classic lines in dark colors, so I think—”
“You actually did really well,” she said. She picked the dress back up. “And I think I’m trying this one on.”
“What?” I said. “Where are you going to wear it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe Jensen and I will get invited to a wedding or something.” She held it up and looked in the mirror.
“That one is my favorite,” I said.
She shook her head. “No, no, no. You need to wear the red one.”
“It’s burgundy,” I said, sweeping it up. “And it’s got a slit, so I don’t know if—”
“Try it on,” she said, sweeping out of the room. “I’m trying on this one.”
I tried on the burgundy dress, which did look good on me. It was only that I was afraid it was a little too much. It cut low in the back, baring a lot of skin, and I wasn’t sure I was bold enough to pull it off.
When Felicity came back in wearing the other dress, though, I had to admit that it looked amazing on her.
She twirled. “What do you think?”
“It looks great on you,” I said. “You should keep it.”
“I think I could dress it down with sandals and some wooden beads or something,” she said. “I could wear it out to dinner.”
I nodded. “Yeah, it’s simple.”
“But elegant,” she said, looking in the mirror. “I’ll pay you for it.”
“Don’t be stupid,” I said. “Why is everyone offering me money lately?”
“Who else is trying to pay you?”
“Oh, Melinda Irwin,” I said.
“What? When did you see her?”
I told her about Melinda and the other mothers coming by, how they wanted my help with the vampires at The Dungeon. “But if I interfere with that, then it messes up our case, because they might have killed Fletcher. So, I have to leave it alone.”
“Yeah,” said Felicity. “I can see that.”
“But if they really did kill Fletcher, then I can just see what a clusterfuck it would be if the police try to arrest those vampires. They’ll all end up compelled or magically glued to the floor. Those vamps drink dragon blood. They’re powerful.”
“Which is why it might be dangerous for
“I bought them,” I said.
“You bought three dresses for one event?”
“Well, they all looked good,” I said. “And I’ll probably wear the others at some point.”
“No, you won’t. How many formal events are you expecting to go to?”
I thought about it. “Oh, you’re right. I guess I don’t go to formal events anymore. It’s just that when I usually go shopping for dresses like this, I would buy more than one.”
“Back in Connecticut, you had a backlogged closet of ridiculously expensive dresses that you never wore,” Felicity said.
“Really?” I said. “Because I think I wore them.”
“No, because every time there was another party, you went shopping, and then you came back with five more dresses.”
“Not always,” I said. “Sometimes, the events would sneak up on me, and I wouldn’t have time to shop.”
“No,” she said. “That never happened.”
“Never?” I said.
She shook her head.
“So, you’re saying I should probably take two of these dresses back,” I said.
“Probably,” she said. “And if you’re hurting for places to spend that cash, I could help you find some here in the hotel.”
“Hey, I didn’t spend that much on these dresses,” I said. “I’m a business woman now. I’m good with money.”
“No, I know you are,” she said. She picked up one of the dresses off the bed and checked the tag, which was still on. “Huh,” she said. “This was only fifty bucks?”
“Yeah, there was a sale rack,” I said. “I shopped the sale rack.”
“Oh, Penny, you’ve changed so much,” she said, grinning. She set down the dress and gave me a hug.
“They aren’t designer or anything,” I said. “But no one’s going to be looking at me that close, so I figured these would be fine. I think they were for prom or something, but I picked out stuff with classic lines in dark colors, so I think—”
“You actually did really well,” she said. She picked the dress back up. “And I think I’m trying this one on.”
“What?” I said. “Where are you going to wear it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe Jensen and I will get invited to a wedding or something.” She held it up and looked in the mirror.
“That one is my favorite,” I said.
She shook her head. “No, no, no. You need to wear the red one.”
“It’s burgundy,” I said, sweeping it up. “And it’s got a slit, so I don’t know if—”
“Try it on,” she said, sweeping out of the room. “I’m trying on this one.”
I tried on the burgundy dress, which did look good on me. It was only that I was afraid it was a little too much. It cut low in the back, baring a lot of skin, and I wasn’t sure I was bold enough to pull it off.
When Felicity came back in wearing the other dress, though, I had to admit that it looked amazing on her.
She twirled. “What do you think?”
“It looks great on you,” I said. “You should keep it.”
“I think I could dress it down with sandals and some wooden beads or something,” she said. “I could wear it out to dinner.”
I nodded. “Yeah, it’s simple.”
“But elegant,” she said, looking in the mirror. “I’ll pay you for it.”
“Don’t be stupid,” I said. “Why is everyone offering me money lately?”
“Who else is trying to pay you?”
“Oh, Melinda Irwin,” I said.
“What? When did you see her?”
I told her about Melinda and the other mothers coming by, how they wanted my help with the vampires at The Dungeon. “But if I interfere with that, then it messes up our case, because they might have killed Fletcher. So, I have to leave it alone.”
“Yeah,” said Felicity. “I can see that.”
“But if they really did kill Fletcher, then I can just see what a clusterfuck it would be if the police try to arrest those vampires. They’ll all end up compelled or magically glued to the floor. Those vamps drink dragon blood. They’re powerful.”
“Which is why it might be dangerous for
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