The second I touch the fabric, I know this is the dress for me. The silk flows through my fingers like liquid. The abstract floral pattern of dappled pinks is both modern and feminine.
There’s a faint chuckle from behind me. I turn to see Loretta beaming at me.
“That’s the one Keegan liked best, too.”
“It’s gorgeous,” I admit, sounding oddly breathless.
“It’s a new company.” Felicia takes the dress from the rack and gestures me toward the dressing room. “They focus on sustainable fabrics and fair trade business practices.”
It’s only once I’m alone in the dressing room that I notice there’s no price tag.
When I mention this as I’m slipping out of the robe, it’s Loretta who responds.
“Keegan told me to talk you into letting him pay,” she says with coy amusement.
I sigh. “I can’t let him buy me lavish gifts.”
“First off, it’s a single dress. Therefore, it’s only one gift, not gifts plural. And secondly, whyever not? He picked out this dress because he knew you would love it, and he wanted to see you in it. Think of this as something you’re doing for him.”
I tug back the curtain to look at Loretta. “I just ...”
“At least try it on,” she pleads, laying on the puppy dog eyes. “He made me promise I would get you to try it on.”
Why is it that it was easier to say no to Keegan than it is to say no to Loretta?
“Okay.” I’ll try it on.
It takes a hot minute to get into the dress, just because of the way it’s cut, and I need Felicia’s help with the various straps and ties that hold it in place. It has a deep vee neckline, a halter that ties in back and side cutouts that peekaboo at the small of my waist.
The silk hugs my curves and reveals more skin than I’m used to, but once I’m standing on that pedestal, I feel like a goddess.
The idea of Keegan seeing me in this dress sends a jolt of anticipation through me.
The idea that he picked it out? That it’s what he wants to see me wearing?
Somehow, that’s scary and exciting all at the same time.
Too bad he won’t actually get to see me in it. If it’s the dress he picked out for me, I’m sure it’s way out of my budget.
With a sigh of resignation, I step down off the dias. “It’s gorgeous. But I can’t afford it.”
Loretta takes my hands in hers. “You should let him do this. Please.”
Gah. That please nearly breaks me. How can I explain to her why I can’t? I get it. I understand that this might be a drop in the bucket for him financially, but it’s still a huge chunk of change to me. I can’t overlook the significance to me.
Even though I know Loretta would never understand.
“I just can’t.”
As if she senses my discomfort, Felicia hurries forward with another dress option.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got something that will still be perfect.”
It’s not one of the three gorgeous dresses, but at least the price tag is on it and I know it’s something I can afford.
By the time I leave. I have more new clothes than I’ve ever purchased in one sitting. In addition to several new outfits for work, the self-proclaimed fairy godmothers picked out all the accessories for my gala dress, so that getting dressed will be effortless.
I won’t have to make a single decision on that front. Plus, I’ll look fantastic, because Loretta and Felicia clearly know how I should dress to fit in with this crowd. And because Reb and Thea are here, the outfit has just enough sass and flare that it still feels like it's something I would wear.
