“I’m happy to let you sleep in my bed.”
“Alex, no. I will not put you out of your room. I’m sleeping on the couch.”
Something tells me she isn’t going to let up, so instead of pushing, I let the conversation be. She might insist, but so do I.
“Are you ready for the party? Do you have a dress? It’s a black-tie thing since my father’s obsessed with appearances.”
“I’ll just borrow something from Gracie. I don’t really have the money for a new dress that I’m probably never going to wear again.”
“Okay.” I pause and shift in place. “Well, I’m going to shower really quick, then we can go to the store.”
“All right.” Sam grabs her phone from my nightstand. “I’ll give you some privacy and wait out in the living room.”
She slips past me, eyes trained on mine as she exits. All I can do is shake my head and wonder what we’ve gotten ourselves into.
As we turn into the lot of the luxury strip mall, Sam snaps her eyes to me. “I thought we were going to the grocery store?”
I roll into park and kill the engine. “We are. But we need to stop here first.”
I exit first, rounding the front of the vehicle. Sam opens her door just as I reach her side of the car to hold out my hand. She stares at it for a second before accepting the gesture and wrapping her small fingers around mine. Letting the door close, I pullSam toward one of the boutiques. It’s my mother’s favorite place to shop, and having come here with her plenty of times over the years, I’m certain they’ll have something that’ll be perfect on Sam.
Sam plants her feet and pulls against me. “Alex, no. This place is expensive.”
Looks like she put two and two together. “You need a dress and, from what my mother tells me, they’re the best in town.”
“I’ll borrow something from Gracie.”
I turn to face her but never let go of her hand. “You deserve something of your own. Let me do this for you.”
She huffs, and cranes around me to stare at all the dresses in the window. She doesn’t take well to people doing things for her, that much is clear. I don’t know if she’s just not used to it or maybe she feels as if she’ll owe me.
“I want to do this.” I shift to make her look back at me. “Okay. No strings, no catches.”
This time she allows me to lead her all the way. The bell above the door chimes as Sam enters first.
“Welcome. I’m Clarissa, how can I help you?” the store clerk asks the moment we step past the threshold. She’s a young Black girl with long braids. She smiles at Sam before turning her attention to me.
“We’re here to look for a dress for a black-tie event,” I answer.
“Absolutely. Do we have a price range we’re trying to stick to, sir?”
“We’re probably the same age, so you don’t have to call me sir. And no limit, whatever she likes.”
The girl smiles again, her brows rising. “All right then. Follow me.”
Sam steps off first with me directly behind her.
We approach the dressing area, which is nothing more than a row of stalls with curtains and bench seating in front. It’s early so there aren’t many other shoppers around. I step around the bench, flopping down on the white leather seat. Clarissa pulls back the curtains on the center stall and waves for Sam to enter.
“I’m going to place you here and will be right back with some styles that I think you’ll look good in.”
Sam nods.
Clarissa gives her a once-over then saunters off, leaving us alone. We’re quiet for a moment, the silence settling around us awkwardly. When she glances in my direction, I pretend not to stare, act as if I’m not locking everything about her to memory.
“When I was a little girl, I promised my mother that I would grow up and buy us a dress out of here one day,” Sam says, but there isn’t sadness in her voice. She’s smiling as she takes in her surroundings.
I don’t respond. Something tells me that was wasn’t for me to speak to but a happy memory only for her.
