Page 30 of The Charmer

"It looks much better on you than it used to on me."

I scoffed. "Mom, we have the same body type." It was why I could even wear it in the first place.

"But you wear it better, my girl. You're so beautiful.” She tilted her head at me with a small smile.

"Thanks, Mom. I need to hurry. Julian should be here in a few minutes, and I still need to put on my shoes.”

"I'll check if he's here."

Before I could stop her, she darted out the door.

I pulled the shoes out of the box and put them on, then took a few steps around the room to get accustomed to them. I didn't wear heels very often, and I would have to be extra careful outside in the Quarter—cobblestone and heels did not go together.

When I felt confident that I wouldn't fall flat on my face, I hurried to the front of the store. Sure enough, Mom and Julian were conversing behind the counter near my favorite armchair. Zelda was chatting with two customers but kept throwing glances at Mom and Julian. She sighed in relief when she noticed me. I winked at her to let her know I totally had this.

But when I approached Mom and Julian, I realized I totally didn't.

"So, if you've got any thoughts about my girl, know that I will keep an eye on you."

"Mom!" Jesus, I felt like I was going to go up in flames any second now. "Oh my God, you've been harassing Julian all this time?"

He turned, giving me a brilliant smile. "Yes, she has. And don't worry, I can take it."

I opened my mouth but didn't manage to get any words out. The man was wearing a tux, and my hormones went straight into overdrive.

Hello, dirty thoughts. We’ve got a long evening ahead of us.

Chapter Eight

Julian

Georgie looked shell-shocked. I was trying to keep my eyes focused on her face. The second I'd noticed her in that red dress, I could barely think straight. She was simply stunning. With great difficulty, I turned to look at her mom.

"As I promised, I’ll take good care of Georgie."

"Thank you."

"Julian and I should go," Georgie cut in.

"Yes, please. Don't let me keep you," her mom said, then turned back to me. "Say hello to your grandmothers."

"I will. Actually, they’d love to see you. They've got a fragrance shop on Dumaine, in case you're in the Quarter for longer."

She glanced at me in surprise. "They do? But they must be well into their—"

"Don't tell them that," I cautioned. She gave me the first real smile of the day. "They're very proud that they're still running their shop. They have plenty of energy."

"You know what? I will pay them a visit," she said. "You two have fun. But not too much fun." She winked.

"Mom!" Georgie said. She sounded truly embarrassed, but there was no need. Her mom had been completely right about everything. It was as if she knew that my interest in her daughter went far beyond helping her get clients back.

I smiled at Georgie. "All right. I parked in the back."

"We can go out that way."

Georgie walked me through the shop. The rear of her store was much smaller than I’d imagined. Once we stepped out, I led her to the car.

"Are you okay?" I asked her. She was too quiet.

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