Page 77 of Stuck On Them

“In my head, this was a lot sexier.” I leaned in and kissed the side of her mouth where a bit of whipped cream had been.

She groaned, her body not as close as I wanted it, as I took her mouth in a kiss. She tasted so delicious, and her cold mouth was giving me very bad ideas. Maybe we would just cancel the appointment and go home.

A throat cleared, and we broke apart to find a pixie of a woman standing with her hands on her hips and a teasing smile on her face. “We haven’t even gotten her in any gowns yet and you’re ready to pounce.”

“I’m always ready to pounce.” I put my hand on the small of Paige’s back and guided her inside. “I take it you’re Seraphina?”

“That would be me.” She smiled warmly at Paige. “And you must be Paige.”

“I am. Nice to meet you.” Paige took her outstretched hand, which Seraphina clasped between both of hers.

“Let me just lock the door and we’ll get started. I have everything ready in the back. Right this way.” After she locked the door, she led us through the small reception area and through thick black curtains to the back.

I’d texted Seraphina while we waited for our coffee, letting her know Paige’s size so she’d have several dresses already pulled out and ready. I wanted Paige to walk in and not stress out about looking through rows and rows of gowns.

When I heard the wordboutique,I thought of a small shop, but Enchanting Silhouettes was bigger than I expected. There was row after row of rolling racks filling most of the room and shelves filled with accessories and shoes along one wall.

Along the back wall was the fitting room area with a row of four changing rooms, their curtains pulled back. There were four pink velvet couches in front of each with a platform with chandeliers hanging over each.

“I pulled some things after Luca texted me your size to get us started. Are you looking for something specific? A certain color or style?” Seraphina sounded excited as we stopped in front of one of the changing areas.

Paige mixed her straw around in her drink. “I’m not really sure what I’m looking for. The last time I wore a gown was prom. Well, and...” She shook her head and stared down at her drink, her mood taking a downturn again. “Let’s get this over with.”

“We’ll just try a few things and go from there, all right?” Seraphina’s voice had softened, and she put her hand on Paige’s arm. “Would you like music on or off?”

“On.” Paige relaxed again a little and looked over her shoulder, giving me the faintest smile. She wasn’t into this at all, but I’d already told her to tell me and we’d go.

Seraphina picked up a tablet from a side table and handed it to me with a music app open. “Go ahead and pick some music for us and we’ll get started.”

“Trusting me with the music might not be such a good idea.” I sat down on the sofa while the girls went into the changing room, sliding the curtain closed. I thought I’d get to be more hands-on with the process, but maybe it was better if I wasn’t, considering Paige wasn’t having the best day.

I could hear the girls talking but could only make out a few words as I scrolled through the music channels looking for something Paige might like. She had very eclectic music tastes and didn’t seem to hate anything besides death metal.

When I heard the word wedding, my curiosity over what was going on behind the curtain got the best of me and I stood, tiptoeing over.

“That’s tough, sweetie. I’m sorry,” Seraphina said.

“Everything over the last few days has just been reminding me of it and now this.” Paige sighed. “The gala is on the same night, and I can’t just back out now.”

“But maybe that’s a good thing. You’ll be on the arm of a handsome man instead of wallowing in a pint of Ben and Jerry’s.”

“I’m good at wallowing. Oh, this one is pretty. Really, they all are. I just hope they fit.” There was still uncertainty in Paige’s voice.

“They will and, if not, then I have the next size up and the next size down. We can alter any dress you choose to fit your body.”

“Won’t there be a wait for that? This thing is in two weeks… talk about last minute preparation. There was so much going on when Luca asked me to go that I completely forgot until he said something today.”

“His family, extended family, and their friends are big clients of ours, so if it needs to be altered, we’ll get it done in time.” Seraphina made a sound of excitement. “Let’s try this one first just to drive your boyfriend nuts.”

I went back to my seat, pressing a random station, my mind on the first part of the conversation I’d overheard. Was she saying that her wedding would have been the twenty-eighth? We hadn’t really talked much about her breakup or anything that went with it other than her fiancé cheated on her.

Even though their relationship was over, I was sure milestones and plans that never saw fruition hurt her. It was just a reminder of what he’d done and how he’d abused her heart.

I’d never do that to her, and if Ryker and Garrett ever did, they’d learn that all the jokes about cement blocks and sharks weren’t so funny anymore.

The curtain opened just enough for Seraphina to step out. “You ready for the first dress?”

“I was born ready.” I put the tablet down beside me and leaned forward with my arms on my knees. “Let’s see.”

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