Page 45 of The Sweetest Surrender

“Well, I’ve been in the back, where the bedroom is.”

Octavia’s mouth stretched wider, and Selena giggled and strolled to the box she’d abandoned.

“What’s that?”

Selena shrugged and bit down on her lips with excitement streaming through her. She grabbed the box and ran off down the hall, entering the bedroom.

Octavia followed her, astounded even further the more she ventured.

“Hell yes, party over here!” Octavia screeched. “When do you think Jonathon and I can come over for dinner and a movie?”

Selena guffawed and shimmied into her denim jeans. With a shrug, Selena grabbed her button-down blouse. “I’m sure Jordan wouldn’t mind you guys coming over anytime. That is, when he’s free of course.”

“Oh my God,” Octavia said. “I’m sorry, girl, I’ve just followed you into his bedroom and didn’t think about it. Is Jordan here?”

“Nope.”

Octavia glanced down at the gift box. “Look at this, presents and stuff. Mmhmm, I see where this is going. Before you know it, you two will be…” Octavia made a show of walking down an aisle with her shoulders back and her head held high. Selena guffawed.

“You’re stupid,” she said.

“Stupid serious,” Octavia returned.

Selena shrugged, “I don’t know about all of that.” She unwrapped the second box and flipped open the top. A gasp fell from Selena and Octavia.

“Ooou…” Octavia crooned. “I am superbly jealous,” she said.

Selena giggled and reached inside to remove the purple and white Manolo Blahniks. “These are absolutely gorgeous,” Selena murmured.

“A man who knows how to gift a woman with shoes. Damn, I’m really jealous now.”

“Why, Jonathon would get you anything you wanted.”

“Yeah, but if I asked him to surprise me with shoes, he’d likely return with combat boots.”

Selena pealed over with laughter and wiped the corner of her eyes as a tear threatened to fall. “Jordan has a foot fetish,” Selena informed her. “And he knows I have a shoe fetish. I think this is his way of not being weird about it.”

Octavia stood by, watching Selena take her hand over the sharp heel and open toe. “Jealous,” she said.

Selena chuckled and stood and slipped into the bathroom; Octavia followed her but not before taking a soothing hand over the stained glass partition.

“Now about this wedding, what do you mean you don’t know about all that? It’s all you’ve been cracking about for the last year.” Octavia mimicked her. “I’ve gotta get me a Rose. I’m not letting you bitches take all the good men off the market.”

“I do not sound like that.”

“Tell the truth sometimes, you here?” Octavia quipped.

Selena pursed her lips and shrugged again. Octavia eyed her hard.

“Hey, what’s gotten into you? Where’s the bubbly, loud, sister girl I’ve grown fond of?”

“Awe, you’ve grown fond of me, girl?”

Octavia smacked her lips and crossed her arms, leaning into a hip.

“All right, look.” Selena fluffed her hair in the mirror as she spoke to Octavia. “Jordan is amazing. More than everything I want.”

Octavia shifted and leaned into her other hip. “But?”

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