“Okay, yes.”There would be enough time afterward to cry about all the wrong decisions she’d made.
“I’ll pick you up around seven?And Dana?”
“Yes?”
“I like being around you, so that’s not going to change any time soon.”And before she could utter another word, the line was dead.
She stared at the phone.Her whole body was tingling as if he’d been here, as if he’d touched her.Rolling her eyes, she flopped back on the bed.She’d been threatened today; someone had left a dead cat with a warning note on her porch.And what was the only thing she could think of in the middle of the night?David.
With a groan, she switched off her light.She might as well close her eyes.Reading about a hot hero with clever hands was not sleep inducing.
*
“You have gorgeouslegs—it’s summer, show them off!”Caitlin smiled as she passed a tiny blue lace dress on to Dana.“Did David say where he was taking you?”she asked as she went through the dresses on the rail in a lovely boutique.
Dana took the dress.Caitlin in a shop was an unstoppable force—that Dana had discovered when they were still in school.From experience, Dana knew it was no use complaining.She just had to go with the flow.She didn’t have to buy anything; these things were way more expensive than she could afford anyway, but she’d try them on.
Over breakfast, she’d told Caitlin David was picking her up tonight, and before she knew it, Donato had been dropped off with his grandma Rosa, and they’d hit the shops.
“Go try that one while I see if I can find anything else,” Caitlin said while riffling through the clothes.
“As long as it’s not shorter,” Dana said and looked at the tiny piece of clothing on the hanger.It was a beautiful dress, but she didn’t normally wear her dresses this short.She didn’t normally have money to buy anything else besides clothes she could wear to work.This was definitely not something she could wear to class, and there was no way she would let David see her in this dress…
His eyes would darken and smolder, and he would draw her closer, touch her—
“Do you need any help?”a shop assistant asked nearby.
“Um, n-no,” Dana stuttered and scurried away to try on the dress.The damn man wasn’t even here, and she was getting all hot and bothered just thinking about him.
Minutes later, she stared at herself.Was that really her?She turned around to look at the back of the dress, and the curtain opened.
“Dana!”Caitlin cried out and opened the curtain wider.“You look absolutely stunning.This is it; you have to take this,” Caitlin insisted.
For the first time Dana looked down at the price tag and groaned.“It’s way too expensive,” she said and pulled down the zipper.“I just bought a car, remember?And anyway, I have something I can wear.But it was lovely trying on all these beautiful clothes.I never get time to do this during the school term,” she babbled.
Caitlin had a stubborn look on her face, but Dana was determined not to be persuaded.She had enough money to pay for the dress—that was, if she didn’t eat for the rest of the month.And that was just plain silly.
“Let me get into my own clothes, and we’ll go for coffee and cheesecake.”She closed the curtain in front of Caitlin.
Caitlin was quite cheerful when they left the small boutique, and she took Dana’s arm.Dana looked suspiciously at her friend.Caitlin didn’t usually let go of something once she’d put her mind to it.
“Motherhood is good for you.”Dana smiled and patted her friend’s hand.
*
Of course, thatevening she realized why Caitlin had been so pleased with herself.
“I told you I can’t afford the dress,” she said exasperatedly and tried to hand it back to Caitlin.
“I know.And it’s not your dress; it’s mine.I’m lending it to you, like I’ve done a thousand times before.”Caitlin smiled broadly.
Dana stared at the dress.She was wearing one of the dresses Caitlin had packed for her and had just been thinking how much nicer she had looked in the blue one she’d tried on when Caitlin knocked on her door.And here was the dress.
“Come on,” Caitlin cajoled, pulling down the zipper of the dress Dana had on.“I even have shoes to match,” she said excitedly.
Dana wanted to be angry, but Caitlin’s enthusiasm was contagious and within minutes she was dressed in the blue number.
“Sexy dress plus killer heels.”Caitlin giggled, handing her a pair of exquisite shoes.
