Page 32 of Snowflakes and Sparks

“Well, what are the odds?” Irene said and led us toward a seating area at the back of the store. The wall was lined with floor-to-ceiling mirrors, with dressing rooms on either side. We put our purses and coats on the leather sofa that was positioned opposite the mirrors.

“I’ve been in here countless times before,” Addy said, as if she could read my thoughts. “Irene was always kind enough to let me browse the dresses without buying anything. I didn’t want to get a dress until I’d reached my goal. Minus thirty-five pounds.”

“And a half,” Irene said with a wink, making Addy laugh.

“True,” she said.

“Are you girls up for some champagne? It’s the holidays after all and this is a very special occasion for our girl here,” Irene said.

I exchanged looks with Addy, who looked more than eager for a glass of bubbles. “Sure, why not?”

“I’ll bring those around right away. Why don’t you two start your tour around the store? You can pick out anything you like and try them all on. Don’t be worried if a style you thought would look great on you doesn’t. A dress needs to choose you as much as you choose it.”

Addy and I got up and perused the store like two excited teenage girls. Everything looked amazing.

I stopped to admire the stitch work on a little black dress. It had light gray bohemian shapes delicately weaved through the fabric. On any other dress it would’ve looked tacky, but not on this one. I let the soft fabric slip through my fingers.

“You should try that one on,” Addy said. She was standing beside me with an armful of dresses, some short, some long.

I let go of the dress. “I don’t know. When would I even wear this?”

“You could wear it at the Snow Ball?”

A blush spread over my cheeks. “Actually, Alex suggested I wear the dress we used for the shoot. The photographer said I could borrow it for a couple more days if I wanted to.”

“He’s invited you to the Snow Ball?”

I shrugged. “It’s no big deal. It could be fun, though.”

“Itisa big deal.”

“Maybe.” I grinned. “But you know what else is a big deal? You buying a stunning dress. Why don’t you try one on?”

Addy disappeared into one of the dressing rooms and Irene handed me a glass of ice-cold champagne with a strawberry floating at the surface.

“So, what do think of life in Old Pine Cove, Suzie?” she asked while we waited for Addy to show us the dress she was trying on. I told her how kind Addy had been to me, making me feel right at home.

“She’s living next to a guy I think she should date, but she keeps saying that they’re just friends. I still think there’s more to it,” Addy called out from the dressing room. Apparently there was no way of keeping my private life private around here either.

Irene arched an eyebrow and smiled, her interest piqued. “Do tell. I adore a good love story.”

I chuckled. “There’s nothing to tell. We met ten years ago when I was on vacation in Old Pine Cove. I had a crush on him and things quickly ended when I accidentally crashed his truck. We decided to try a long-distance relationship, but things didn’t work out. And now he’s my neighbor for the time being. It’s not exciting at all. You could even say it’s one hell of a boring story.”

Irene laughed. “Girl, the way you blush and light up when speaking about him, I’d say it’s the opposite of dull.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell her,” Addy shouted from behind the curtain. “But she’s a stubborn one.”

“I don’t get why you’re so obsessed with me and Alex becoming a thing,” I said to Addy. “No offense.”

She opened the curtain and walked toward the mirror, flattening out the creases with her hands.

“I’m not sure about this dress. What do you think?”

“Maybe try one of the others. It’s not a hell yeah for me.”

She turned around, disappearing behind the curtain again. “And Alex? Is he a hell yeah?”

“What?”

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