Greg
I told you this was a bad idea.
Me
I'll be fine, Mom, now stop.
Derek
Want me to jump on the next flight?
Me
No, I'm fine. We are heading to the dress shop now. Love you.
"Everything okay?" Duncan asks as he watches me through the rearview mirror.
I smile sweetly, hoping to distract him.
"Just my partner making sure I made it safely."
"How is Derek doing?" Ana asks, oblivious to the tension.
"He’s good. By the way, we made ERT." Hopefully, if I act nonchalant, she won't panic.
"What is that?"
"It’s similar to a SWAT team. I've already been upgraded to primary."
Her head whips around and her eyes are big.
"You're what? Have you told Daddy?"
"No, but I will later."
Thank goodness Duncan pulling up to the dress shop interrupts our conversation.
"Uh, Ana, you know I'm not a girly girl. This is not the kindof place I shop," I say as I look at the posh boutique. I only own a few dresses, mostly for work or the infrequent date.
"It's okay, Maya. We will hop in quick, try on your dress, and see if any final alterations need to be made. Then we can head to the hotel. Don't worry, you won't catch anything." She chuckles.
"Okay, let’s get this over with before I break out in hives."
Duncan laughs from the driver’s seat. His laugh is full and makes my pulse race.
"Are you coming in?" Ana asks him when he calms.
"Do I look like a lass to you, Sis? Besides, I need to call Joshua. He just texted me about an upcoming job."
He gets out and walks around to open both our doors and help us out.
As we walk into the boutique, I instantly feel underdressed. Guess skinny jeans, no matter how you dress them up, aren’t stylish enough for this shop. I hate when people judge without knowing. I could buy this shop and close it down without putting a dent in my bank account.
The clerk's eyebrows and lips pucker up. Nope, she isn't blowing kisses, she finds me unacceptable.
"Hello, Ms. Preston, how are you today?" Her sugary sweet tone doesn't hide her disdain of me.
"I'm doing well. This is my maid of honor, she finally made it here. I need to have her try on the dress and see if we need any alterations done before tomorrow."
