I feel the blush crawling up my neck and settling in my cheeks. Damn, why is it so hot in here all of a sudden? “That’s not what this is. He needed a favor and I’m helping him out.” I play it off with an eye roll. But if I’m being honest, Cruz, liking the way I look, is more appealing than I want to admit.
“Whatever you say, babe. Maybe I’m wrong, but that man wants you, and I think you might want him a little bit, too.”
“Can we just focus on the dress? I’m not sure I’m ready for a relationship yet. I spent most of my adult life getting lost in one. I’m just starting to find myself again.”
Her eyes soften from across the rack. “And I’m so happy for you, but we both know that sexy-as-sin best friend was there helping as you found your way through the shit storm that Douche Canoe Brad put you through.”
“Nothing pink,” I say, conceding to her plans but not addressing the bigger issue. She’s right. Cruz has been my rock since I ran out of Brad’s apartment that day. My fingers wrap around the velvet hanger and hold a silver dress against my body. “Not metallic either.”
Poppy claps her hands excitedly. “Let’s find you a killer dress that makes you feel good.”
Several stores later, I’m beginning to think that finding a dress is hopeless and I’ll have to shop in Poppy’s closet. But, just as we were about to throw in the towel, we decided to make one last stop and find ourselves impressed upon entering the store. Partially because they have champagne, but also because they have a much better selection of dresses.
“I feel good about this.” Poppy tips back her flute as we start combing through the racks.
“About the dresses? Or the champagne?” I lift a deep purple dress off the rack and hold it up for inspection. With a thumbs up it gets draped over my arm.
“Both.”
The woman that greeted us with flutes of bubbly rejoins us, taking the dresses draped over our arms and starts a fitting room. Holding up an emerald green dress with a deep V-neck Poppy lifts one red eyebrow in silent question.
“That could work. The color would be better on you, but I like the cut.”
We continue to pile dresses into each other’s arms as quickly as the employees can run them back to the fitting room. By the time we finish our second glass of champagne, I have a stack of dresses taller than me to try on and the floaty feeling of a little buzz.
Dress after dress goes on and comes off. With each one that ends up back on the rack, I feel my confidence deflate.
My hair is a disaster and I’m exhausted when I tug the last dress over my hips. I let the green fabric drop around my feet and call Poppy in to zip me up. She slips through the door and dramatically touches the back of her hand to her forehead, fluttering her eyelids in a fake swoon.
“Just zip me, you freak.”
She tugs the zipper into place looking at me in the mirror from around my shoulder. “The belly button deep neckline on this one is giving those sexy vibes we were looking for.”
“It certainly does, but I kind of wish it was red. I’m also a little concerned about a wardrobe malfunction. These girls have a mind of their own.” I adjust myself in the mirror and turn to the side. There’s an obscene amount of cleavage on display.
A soft knock at the door has Poppy twisting around to pull it open. My jaw drops. The sales lady is standing there holding the most stunning dress I have seen all day. “I overheard you talking and wanted to bring this one over for you to try on. I think it might be what you’re looking for.” She turns it around so we can see the back and Poppy makes grabby hands at her.
It’s crimson red with a high neck and an indecently low back. A thin crystal chain hangs in the middle, connecting the two straps midway down the back.
Poppy tugs the zipper down my spine and thrusts the red dress at me. “This is it. I can tell. Now strip!” Her feet don’t move as she stands there and waits for me to change. I guess I’m not getting privacy for this.
The material is cool and silky against my skin—this dress fits like it was made for me, which is a miracle on its own considering I’m barely five-three. I turn to the side, running my hands down the front of the dress and my eyes go wide when I see the back. It’s stunning and sexy as hell.
“This is perfect. Champagne to celebrate.” Poppy hands me her flute for a sip. “You look super fuckable. Those baseball players are going to be begging to take you home. I hope the rich old donors have their cardiologists on speed dial because they’re going straight into cardiac arrest when they see you.”
“It’s definitely a stunner, but I haven’t looked at the price tag. Can you check it? I’m too nervous.”
Poppy frowns but fishes the tag out before quickly tucking it back in.
“It’s not good, is it?” I ask biting on my thumbnail.
“It’s a little spendy.”
I twist my body around and pluck that tag out craning my neck to read it.A little?“This is more thanBuns & Rosesmakes in a day.”
“Just think about it. Let’s see if they will put it on hold until the end of the day. Get changed and I’ll talk to Janey, woman to woman,” Poppy says as the dressing room door clicks shut.
We spend another hour shopping, but nothing even comes close to the red dress. Feeling defeated, I suggest we drown our sorrows in tacos. We are halfway through a pile of nachos while we wait on our tacos when Poppy slaps the table.
