know it’s been a storm after the fight, but you can have a few hours away from it and nothing will have changed. Dean’s okay. He’s got Lincoln and Coach. People will say whatever they want. They always do, regardless of whether you’re there to see it or not. Right now, all you have to worry about is finding the perfect dress for the Gala. Which is an important cause to all of us, right?”
She was right, but it was the fear of missing out that drove my work addiction.
“When did you become so… Tyrannical?”
“The moment my brother pushed me out the door and forced me to attend a party,” she said mysteriously. “Doesn’t matter. What does is the fact I have your phone, so now I have all the control.”
“Fine,” I conceded, reaching out for the dress she thrust in my face.
“That would look good on you,” she said. “You’ve go the boobs to carry it off.”
Holding the hanger up, I took in the cut of the bodice and wondered if she was right. The neckline was plunging…right down to the navel, and the skirt was full with layers of silk that melted into a subtle train with thousands of tiny, clear diamanté embellishments. With my blonde hair and ivory skin, it’d make me look like an ice queen. I wasn’t sure I liked the metaphor, but I liked the dress.
“I’ll try it on, and we’ll see how much of my boobs fall out,” I said. “Have you found something?”
“Yep.” Vee held up a purple gown and smiled.
“Was there any doubt on the color?” I asked with a genuine smile.
“Never!”
A sales assistant helped set us up in a private change room, and we donned our chosen dresses. The Gala was a full black-tie affair that was being attended by a lot of big names with deep wallets. They expected class, decadent food, top-of-the-range wine, string quartets, and red carpets. That meant the dress I chose had to be something special.
As I zipped up the side closure, I found myself wondering if Dean would like it. He sure did look handsome all cleaned up and in a tux. After seeing him in next to nothing every day while he trained and fought, it was a total spin seeing him all done up in a penguin suit. I imagined trying to get him to dance again and smiled. This time, I’d make sure we wouldn’t be interrupted.
Pulling the curtain aside, I stepped out into the room and positioned myself in front of the mirror. I stared at my reflection and took in the lines of the gown I’d picked out. It fit my curves perfectly, the low neckline flowing down between my breasts accentuating my assets rather than flopping them out. It was a classy kind of revealing.
“You know,” Violet began, emerging from behind her curtain in her own dress. “We haven’t had any time together since the wedding.”
I could already see where this was going, and I didn’t like it.
“You’ve been so buried in work lately I just wanted to make sure you’re dealing okay.”
“I am dealing,” I replied, smoothing down the fabric of the dress I wore. Flipping out the train, I admired the sparkle of the embellishments in the light.
“You broke up with Hamish in front of everyone,” she retorted. “You were so invested in trying to make it work with him and then boom .”
“It was never going to work,” I replied, turning my gaze back to my reflection. “We both knew it. It was past due.”
“Is there someone else?”
I glanced at her and frowned. How did she know? I began to run over scenarios in my mind, trying to place the moment I’d let my composure slip.
“Josie, you can tell me,” she said when I didn’t answer. “You’re one of my best friends. I’ve never had best friends before you and Ren. Whatever you say to me is between us. No judgment.”
How could I confess my crush on Dean to Violet when I couldn’t confess to Ren…or myself? I wasn’t a ‘from afar’ kind of woman. I took the bull by the horns and went for it, no matter the outcome, which was probably why this whole thing
She was right, but it was the fear of missing out that drove my work addiction.
“When did you become so… Tyrannical?”
“The moment my brother pushed me out the door and forced me to attend a party,” she said mysteriously. “Doesn’t matter. What does is the fact I have your phone, so now I have all the control.”
“Fine,” I conceded, reaching out for the dress she thrust in my face.
“That would look good on you,” she said. “You’ve go the boobs to carry it off.”
Holding the hanger up, I took in the cut of the bodice and wondered if she was right. The neckline was plunging…right down to the navel, and the skirt was full with layers of silk that melted into a subtle train with thousands of tiny, clear diamanté embellishments. With my blonde hair and ivory skin, it’d make me look like an ice queen. I wasn’t sure I liked the metaphor, but I liked the dress.
“I’ll try it on, and we’ll see how much of my boobs fall out,” I said. “Have you found something?”
“Yep.” Vee held up a purple gown and smiled.
“Was there any doubt on the color?” I asked with a genuine smile.
“Never!”
A sales assistant helped set us up in a private change room, and we donned our chosen dresses. The Gala was a full black-tie affair that was being attended by a lot of big names with deep wallets. They expected class, decadent food, top-of-the-range wine, string quartets, and red carpets. That meant the dress I chose had to be something special.
As I zipped up the side closure, I found myself wondering if Dean would like it. He sure did look handsome all cleaned up and in a tux. After seeing him in next to nothing every day while he trained and fought, it was a total spin seeing him all done up in a penguin suit. I imagined trying to get him to dance again and smiled. This time, I’d make sure we wouldn’t be interrupted.
Pulling the curtain aside, I stepped out into the room and positioned myself in front of the mirror. I stared at my reflection and took in the lines of the gown I’d picked out. It fit my curves perfectly, the low neckline flowing down between my breasts accentuating my assets rather than flopping them out. It was a classy kind of revealing.
“You know,” Violet began, emerging from behind her curtain in her own dress. “We haven’t had any time together since the wedding.”
I could already see where this was going, and I didn’t like it.
“You’ve been so buried in work lately I just wanted to make sure you’re dealing okay.”
“I am dealing,” I replied, smoothing down the fabric of the dress I wore. Flipping out the train, I admired the sparkle of the embellishments in the light.
“You broke up with Hamish in front of everyone,” she retorted. “You were so invested in trying to make it work with him and then boom .”
“It was never going to work,” I replied, turning my gaze back to my reflection. “We both knew it. It was past due.”
“Is there someone else?”
I glanced at her and frowned. How did she know? I began to run over scenarios in my mind, trying to place the moment I’d let my composure slip.
“Josie, you can tell me,” she said when I didn’t answer. “You’re one of my best friends. I’ve never had best friends before you and Ren. Whatever you say to me is between us. No judgment.”
How could I confess my crush on Dean to Violet when I couldn’t confess to Ren…or myself? I wasn’t a ‘from afar’ kind of woman. I took the bull by the horns and went for it, no matter the outcome, which was probably why this whole thing
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