Page 56 of Give Me a Shot

“Alice?” she asked.

“What she said,” Alice replied before taking a sip from her mug.

—

A few hours later, Jess pulled back the covers and sat on the edge of her bed to moisturize her hands and feet. The “Cassie dress” she’d hung on her closet door caught her eye.

Stephanie made some good points. Don’t do flings. Just went through a big change.

She flicked off the light and slid under the cool sheets. The moon was full that night, and the light peeked through her closed blinds, illuminating the dress.

But I really like Mo. If I wear the dress, it’s like taking a piece of Cassie with me. Maybe she’ll like him, too.

Chapter Fourteen

Mo

Mo wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. Standing outside of the Grey Ghost restaurant in Midtown, he slid them into his front pockets, but after less than a minute, he took them out to wipe his palms on the outside of his jeans. He wanted to greet Jess and walk in together, so he’d gotten there a little early.

He took a glance inside, running his hand down his beard, then he heard a familiar voice.

“Hey, Mo.”

He turned around and smiled as Jess took the last two steps to reach him. He smiled back.

“Hey, Jess,” he said. She looked beautiful, wearing a red dress with what Maddie would call a “swishy skirt,” and her hair was in a high ponytail, the end of it resting on her shoulder. He realized he’d never seen her in a dress or a skirt.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Wrong?”

“Your expression changed. You looked shocked. Is everything okay?” Usually confident Jess actually looked self-conscious.

“I’ve never seen you in a dress before,” he said.

“And you don’t like it,” she said, deflating a little.

He decided to be a little daring.

“You look beautiful,” he said, leaning down and kissing her cheek. To his great surprise, she blushed.

“Thanks,” she said softly.

“You hungry?” he asked.

She nodded. He tipped his head toward the door. Surprising him again, she slipped her hand around his arm and squeezed. Taking a deep breath for courage, he was happy to catch a whiff of vanilla. He bent his elbow, leaned toward Jess, and took another deep breath, enjoying her perfume as they walked inside.

As the hostess took them to their table, Jess looked around, admiring. She smiled at him as they sat down.

“Nice choice, Mo,” she said, opening her menu.

“You think? I thought about finding something closer, but Khalil recommended it. He said they’re known for their gourmet sandwiches and burgers. Figured it would be a good place to try.”

“Gourmet sandwiches?” Jess asked. “I’m curious to see what that’s about.” She studied her menu a moment. “And you’ve never been here before?” she asked.

He shook his head.

“Don’t come to Midtown very often,” he said.

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