Page 51 of Spite

Chapter Twenty

The mall we went to was a solid three hour drive from our house. It really was an all-day affair, but it was so worth it. The stores inside the mall were not your typical stores. They were more uppity, more name-brand, full of shiny, sparkly things that drew your eye even if you hated things like that.

We were at the food court, eating a late lunch. I’d gotten fries and a burger, while Alec had gotten chicken and rice from some Mexican place. Georgia had opted for pizza. We were a motley crew, and we’d already been to seven dress stores, at least.

“I think I’m going to go with that pink one, at the first place,” Georgia went on. “I know some people would say that the pink clashes with my hair, but I don’t care. I liked it, and it fit perfectly.”

I nodded, recalling the pink dress. It wasn’t an ugly hot pink, more of a soft, gentle hue. It went great with her pale, freckled skin. I took a bite of my burger, glancing at Alec. So far, he’d been the model of an escort, holding dresses for us, getting new sizes when we were in the dressing rooms. I knew this couldn’t have been too fun for him, but he was a trooper.

“There’s still that one place I want to go, the one we passed by when we walked in,” I reminded her. “They looked like they had some nice dresses.” All of these stores, since they were so fancy, were named weird things. I’d never remember what they were called, so I wasn’t about to waste my time trying.

Georgia looked at Alec, who was busy shoveling his food in his mouth like some kind of vacuum. For someone who had the body he had, he sure ate a lot. “What color dress do you think Elle would look good in?”

I shot her a look, but she shrugged me off.

Alec looked at me. “The color doesn’t matter,” he eventually said, taking his time, choosing his words carefully. To me, he said, “You’ll look good in any dress, any color, because it’s you. You rock everything you wear without trying.” So simple, as if the answer should’ve been obvious to Georgia.

My friend snorted, rolling her eyes at his nice, sugary tone. “My God. You two need to just get a room.” She shook her head, whispering, “You make me sick.” She was smiling, so we couldn’t have been making her that sick.

“I don’t know about a room, but we could find a bathroom stall,” Alec deadpanned, and I slapped his arm.

“Hell no,” I told him.

We finished up eating and went to the last store. As I browsed the walls, I couldn’t help but wonder what I’d do if I didn’t find a dress I liked. The theme of Snowball was winter wonderland. These people really liked the idea of snow—probably because they’d never had to drive in it, or walk in it, or live through a blizzard. It wasn’t fun. They were lucky with their warm temperatures, year-round.

But, anyway, I couldn’t help but assume that most girls were going to choose something that went along with the theme. Blues, silvers, golds, those sorts of colors. I didn’t want to be like everyone else. I had to stand out.

The woman working in the store had wandered to my side, hands held behind her back. “Looking for something in particular?”

“No,” I said. “I don’t know what I’m looking for.”

“Price range?”

“Under five hundred.” I was aware half a thousand dollars on a dress was outrageous, but I had the money, and I was prepared to spend it all if I had to. This store was a bit fancier than the others; it didn’t have extra sizes of the dresses it had in stock. What it had, it only had one of. Every dress was unique.

“Elle!”

I heard my name being called from the other side of the store, and I gave the clerk my best smile as I headed toward Georgia and Alec. Both of them were staring at a dress. Georgia pulled it off the shelf, her mouth ajar.

It wasn’t the color I’d choose for her, but if she liked it better than the pink one…

Georgia handed the dress to me, lifting it high to avoid dragging its bottom along the floor. “Try it on,” she said, a command.

Wait. This dress—for me?

I took it from her, studying it. Well, the color was vibrant, and it definitely wasn’t blue. I’d stand out without a problem in this dress. I checked the price tag; it was four hundred dollars. With tax, it’d be around four-forty. Doable.

When I turned, about to call for the clerk, the woman was already behind me, smiling in approval. “A good choice. A lot of girls have come in here, eyeing that one up.” She gestured for me to follow her to the back, where the changing rooms were. She unlocked one for me, and I stepped in, surrounded by mirrors, every which way.

I hung the dress up on the door as I kicked off my shoes and worked to take off my clothes. The dress was strapless, so I’d be checking myself out with a strapped bra on, but I’d make do. It took me a few moments to find the zipper on the side of the dress and get myself in it, and when it was fully on, when I stood in the center of the changing room, eyeing myself up in the mirror, I couldn’t help but smile.

This…

This was perfect. Georgia and Alec had found the perfect dress for me. I ran my hands down its sides, taking in the smooth, satin fabric. Bra straps aside, I looked like a million bucks. How hot would I look once my hair was done up and my face was made up? I’d stop Christian in his tracks.

Hell, not just Christian. I’d stop everyone in their tracks. I was like a model, on the runway. Like the ones you see in those fashion magazines, only less anorexic. I looked like a woman, not a girl.

This was definitely my dress.

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