The moment I stepped out, the stranger’s face lit up with genuine delight. “Perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
“I look like I’m trying too hard.”
“No, you look like you don’t have to try.” She moved closer, adjusting the neckline slightly. “Which is exactly the way it should be.”
At this point, I wasn’t sure what to say. Everything about this dress was the opposite of what Nana would choose for me. But Nana would love the confidence it projected. She’d hate that it showed my body, but she’d love that it showed my spine.
The contradiction would probably give her an aneurysm. The thought made me smile.
“How much is it?” The question came out before I could stop myself.
The strange woman named a price that made my eyes water. It was completely unreasonable. It was probably more than this stranger made in a month. Assuming, at least, that she worked a normal job instead of just existing as some kind of fashion-emergency-intervention specialist.
“I’ll take it.”
“Excellent choice. Now, let’s talk shoes.”
Twenty minutes later, I emerged from Maison Élégante with a dress bag, a shoebox containing heels that would probably cripple me, and a bank account that was significantly lighter. The stranger who’d helped me was waiting on the sidewalk outside, smoking something thatsmelled vaguely herbal and definitely illegal in at least three states. She offered it to me with a raised eyebrow.
I shook my head. “I can’t. I have to drive home.”
“Responsible.” She took another drag, looking amused. “I’m Vixen, by the way.”
“Hazel.” I shifted the dress bag to my other hand. It felt significant, like I was carrying evidence of a crime I hadn’t committed yet. “Thank you for your help.”
“You’re already thanking me by wearing that dress.”
I doubted it, but she didn’t seem like the type of person who’d want to dwell on her own kindness. “Well, I’ll make sure to follow your advice and do it justice.”
“Excellent.” She dropped the cigarette and ground it out with the toe of her elaborate boot. The buckles caught the afternoon light. “That lawyer you’re meeting. Is he worth it?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never met him. My grandmother set it up.” The admission felt pathetic. Twenty-eight years old and still letting Nana arrange my social life like I was some kind of Victorian debutante.
“Of course she did.” Vixen let out a deep sigh. “And what about the one you’re not talking about? The one who’s got you buying red dresses and looking like you’re preparing to declare war?”
My chest tightened. The observation was too accurate, too pointed. Like she’d reached into my skull and pulledout the thoughts I’d been trying not to think. “How did you—”
“Honey, I can smell heartbreak at fifty paces. It’s a gift.” She studied me with eyes that suddenly seemed much too old. As if she’d seen this exact scenario play out a thousand times before. “Let me guess. He’s complicated. Probably has commitment issues. Definitely not the kind of man your grandmother would approve of.”
“Probably not,” I admitted. After all, that was why I’d agreed to go to the damn gala in the first place, to get him and Barnaby out of Nana’s line of fire. “But… He means well. He’s just going through something right now.”
“Is he?” Vixen arched a perfect brow, not bothering to hide her skepticism. “Well, I’m going to tell you a secret. I’m sure that whatever he’s doing is important. But guess what? So are you.”
It really was as easy as that. Any excuse I might have made on Brok’s behalf melted in the face of Vixen’s simple logic.
“At any rate, the lawyer might have more promise. But, just in case he doesn’t…” Vixen pulled out her phone. It was in an elaborate case that looked hand-tooled, covered in symbols I didn’t recognize. “You should have a backup plan.”
She was only a stranger, but before I knew it, I found myself swapping numbers with her. She added a tinyemoji crown to my name in her contact list, then nodded in satisfaction.
“Call me if you need anything. Girl solidarity and all that.” She started to walk away, then paused. When she looked back, something in her expression made my breath catch. “And Hazel? Wear the red dress. Make them all remember that you’re not someone to be overlooked. Make them see you.”
Just like that, Vixen disappeared into the crowd. I stood there on the sidewalk, holding my shopping bags. The afternoon sun was starting to slant golden through the buildings. Somewhere in the distance, church bells chimed. The sound felt ominous, like a countdown to something secret and unexpected.
And yet, for the first time since Brok had stopped taking my calls, I felt light. I felt like whatever came my way, I was prepared for it. And maybe it was high time that I made a statement too.
9
The Joy Clause
