Page 1 of Frosting and Flames

CHAPTER ONE

RACHEL

“Okay, be honest—too slutty?”

I nearly choke on my own spit as Jae slides back the dressing room curtain. Her sleek emerald gown has double thigh slits that reach to her hips, showcasing her toned legs. It wouldn’t be so startling if the dress didn’t also have a deep enough vee at the bodice to make wearing a bra impossible, too.

“You know other people can hear you, right?” I ask, glancing around. The boutique isn’t crowded, but there are a few women browsing the racks within earshot. “And see you.”

She sticks her head out beyond the privacy curtain. “Should I ask them, too?”

“No, Jesus.” I wrestle her back into the fitting room and follow her, closing the curtain behind us. “If you move the wrong way, everyone will see your…” I motion to her crotch area.

She looks down and moves a leg forward, the fabric shifting to reveal more than she bargained for. “Oh, you’re right. That’s a shame.”

She turns toward the mirror, striking an elegant pose, and somehow manages to look gorgeous in this awful fluorescent lighting, her pin-straight black hair shiny and cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass.

“I’m surprised they have this here,” she says, fluffing the skirt of the dress out around her. “I thought small towns were supposed to be wholesome.”

I roll my eyes, not caring if she sees me in the mirror. “You’ve been watching too many Hallmark movies.” Aurora isn’t that small, even if she claims her ridiculously-sized high school had the same number of students as our total population… Okay, maybe it is kind of small. “Why’d you even pick this to try on?”

She shrugs, still studying her reflection. “It didn’t seem so bad on the hanger. Plus, it’s on clearance.”

“Probably because no one will buy it,” I mutter.

“It’s an anniversary dinner,” she continues, as if I said nothing. “I’ll be seated ninety percent of the time, so who’s even going to see the slits?”

“They’ll see your cleavage.”

She waves a hand, dismissing my comment. “I’m an A-cup. There’s barely anything to see.”

I sigh. When Jae gets an idea in her head, it’s usually an exercise in futility trying to talk her out of it. “You do you.”

I exit the fitting room, and when she opens the curtain again, this time she’s in a more fine dining-appropriate dress, in navy satin. She looks phenomenal, as usual. I don’t know why she even asked me to go shopping with her. My opinion is always that everything looks good.

“Why don’t you try something on, too?” she asks, holding out a sparkly minidress to me. “We could go out to a bar. I’ll be your wingwoman and find you a good guy.”

I check the tag, not that I would ever wear something so flashy. That sneak. It’s my size.

“We’re here to get a dress for your anniversary dinner with Josh. You know, your husband you’ve been happily married to for a year? Remember him? Not to find dresses for clubbing—or whatever it is you want me to do.”

She huffs in exasperation. “You need to get out of the house. You’re becoming a hermit.”

I turn my back to her, crossing my arms over my chest. “I get out of the house plenty. See, I’m out right now.”

“Because I dragged you here. And the only other place you go is work. Work doesn’t count as getting out of the house.”

I chew my bottom lip. Damn it. She’s got me there.

Her hand rests gently on my shoulder. “Even if you see Kyle—”

“I’m not talking about him.”

One of the women across the boutique looks over at me, probably because of my harsh tone. Crap. I think that was my middle school music teacher.

I turn back around, squeezing my eyes shut. “I don’t care if I run into Kyle,” I mumble, keeping my voice low. “Or… whatever her name is.”

Jae doesn’t call me on my fib. I know exactly what her name is. Autumn. A stupid season and a stupid name.

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