Amanda- Not yet.
Callum- Maybe you need a different judge.
“Got the shoes!” Reggie comes back inside the curtain and sets the box down, pulling out all the tissue paper. Meanwhile, I snap a photo of the dress in the mirror and send it to him.
“Here you go Cinderella,” Reggie helps me slip into the shoes and I make a mental note to come back here if I ever decide to get married. Again. For real. On purpose.
Whatever.
I walk out to the platform. Kate and her girls are all slouching in their chairs, obviously bored out of their minds waiting for me. But Kate sits up straight when she sees me. “Oh. Okay. I mean that’s not what I had in mind, but I guess it works. Let’s go get something to eat. I’m exhausted.”
I sigh and make my way back to the fitting room. Once inside, I look at my reflection. Honestly, Reggie hit the nail on the head. I wouldn’t typically choose this color but it’s a very beautiful dress. Maybe too beautiful.
I’m about to undo the back when my phone buzzes again.
Callum- You’re fucking stunning.
I smile and save the message in my phone.
Chapter 20
Callum
“I’m not sure I should be wearing this in public. It feels…scandalous,” Amanda whispers but I just smirk down at her with hungry eyes.
“You look gorgeous,” I reassure her, my hand on her lower back as usual.
“But what if someone sees and takes photos? I’ll never hear the end of it.”
I can’t help but grin now. “For fuck’s sake, sweetheart, it’s a dress, not lingerie. There’s nothing scandalous about it.”
“But it’s for my sister’s wedding!” she whisper yells as we pass a group of people headed to the main building of the Country Club. Our meeting with my family is out back and we are going straight to the bar. I’m not about to have a small talk, cucumber sandwich, patio lunch for whatever charity this was for without a stiff drink in my hand.
“So?” I ask, a fake smile plastered on my face. Paparazzi is never allowed in country clubs, but they always find a way. Anyone could be a photographer. The granny by the ping pong table. The guy wearing a fucking argyle sweater pretending it’s not a hundred degrees and humid. The waitress…
“So, if Kate finds out she’ll have an aneurysm.”
“You look hot. And that dress fits the vibe here.”
“I don’t fit the vibe here,” she mumbles, and I stop. I grab her by the hand and yank her into me, talking right into her face.
“You are here with me. You are mine. And if I say you look gorgeous and you belong here, you look gorgeous and belong here. Is that clear, baby girl?”
Amanda blinks and nods. Her breath is caught in her throat, I can tell by the way her lips are parted. I’d love to give her CPR right now, a little mouth to mouth to make sure she’s breathing right now. A small peck on the lips will have to do.
After I pull my mouth away from hers (which takes way more physical willpower than expected) I keep walking towards the bar. Amanda follows close behind, still holding my hand.
“Whiskey neat. And a gin and tonic,” I say as soon as we reach the bar.
“You got it,” the guy says and gets to work. I turn around and lean back against the edge of the bar top taking the scene in. If there is anything I hate, it’s Country Clubs. Why we get sucked into them, I don’t know. It has something to do with the gated community our father lives in and charity events. I’m all for charity. But this…this is torture.
“I hope Iris will be able to get in the gate okay,” Amanda says, fidgeting with her dress. I grab her hand to hopefully ease her nervousness. Her eyes dart up to mine and her glossy, mauve stained lips ease into a smile.
“Security knows who is on the list and who isn’t,” I tell her as the bartender sets our drinks down. It’s an open bar for the event but I slide him a twenty anyways.
“Thank you for letting me invite her,” Amanda says, reaching for her own drink. “I feel like I never see her anymore.”
“We should arrange for you to see her more often,” I say, taking a sip. “Work shouldn’t consume every minute of your day. That was never my intention.”
