“Yes.”
She followed my gaze and sighed. “Oh. It’s Grace, isn’t it?”
I nodded.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? The two of you don’t have much in common, and what you do have in common could cause a rift if things don’t work out. Her brother is your best friend, and clearly, she’s stayed close with Henry over the years.”
“I’ve thought about that.”
“And?”
“And I still wish she was standing next to me right now.”
“Are you telling me this because you’re going to abandon Blaire tonight at some point and make sure Grace knows your intentions?”
I rubbed my neck. Maybe this was what the universe had been trying to tell me. No matter what I did, I couldn’t be everything to everyone. “I wouldn’t say abandon. But if it comes to disappointing someone tonight, it’s not going to be Grace.”
Chapter 19 – Grace
Comparing myself to Blaire went against everything I ever planned to tell Piper about loving herself and loving others. And yet Blaire came here on Dean’s arm, and I didn't. How could I not compare us? She was so beautiful it was hard to look at her. When people talked about porcelain skin, this was what they were talking about. Not a freckle, not a blemish, just smooth everything, including her smile.
“I love your dress. Who are you wearing?” Blaire asked. She was the third woman to ask me. I thought it was just something fashion reporters yelled at celebrities, but apparently not.
It was a good thing I’d paid attention to the designer’s name, or I would have had to make something up. I’d chosen my particular dress because it gave me less sticker-shock than most, and none of my body parts were on the verge of falling out of it. But also, I really loved it, even if it was plainer than most of the dresses I saw around me. “Feriani Couture.” Was I supposed to return the favor and ask her? “What about you?”
“Oh, this?” She gestured down to the cream-colored, silky thing cradling her every curve. “Zuhair Murad.”
The name meant nothing to me, but it was just about the most gorgeous dress I’d ever seen. Dean had eyes. There was no way he wouldn’t agree.
“How long have you known Dean?” I couldn’t help asking.
“Not long. I was surprised to be invited tonight, but I plan to make the most of it. He’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Well then. That was… honest. I wasn’t sure if she was staking her claim or so confident in succeeding that she had no qualms about telling people her inner thoughts. Maybe if I had her face and body, I’d walk around saying whatever I wanted, too. No, I definitely still wouldn’t. No version of me would ever tell a perfect stranger my plans to lock down a man.
Henry sipped his drink, for once saying nothing, though I was sure he was filing this whole conversation away for later use in storytelling.
“You've known him a long time, though. What can you tell me about him?” She stared at me with full expectation that I would fill her in on everything Dean in the next thirty seconds.
“He likes to wear fun socks.” It was the first thing that came to mind.
Blaire’s forehead wrinkled. Not botoxed, then. Bummer.
Instead of giving her something better, I doubled down on the sock thing. “He’ll have accordion-playing cats on them or slices of pizza.”
“This is true,” Henry added. “It makes him easy to shop for.”
“Well, that is nice.” Blaire glanced back at Dean and his mother again. “Does he collect other things? Expensive watches. Wine? Cars?”
“Silicone bracelets.” My mouth was doing it again. Saying whatever came to mind. Maybe Blaire was rubbing off on me. “They’re all different colors, but they all sayTHE LOVE IS IN THE DETAILSon them.”
“Did he ever tell you why he wears those?” Henry asked me.
I shook my head. I’d never asked. Dean questioned me all the time, about everything. But I didn’t return the favor nearly often enough.
“A few years ago, he attended a youth leadership conference and spoke at it. He got to talking to a group of kids who planned to start their own car detailing business that summer. He told them he’d be their first customer. They had custom silicone bracelets made as part of their advertising. They give one out after every cleaning.”
“The love is in the details,” I murmured to myself. I did not need to be liking Dean more than I already did before this weird conversation. But I did. I totally did. No wonder he always kept his car immaculate. He was supporting yet another small business.
