Page 54 of Wild For You
Nicole looked across the store, where Kelsey stood wide-eyed as my sisters held up dresses against her front and then threw them into her arms to try on.
“You got it. She’s special, huh?”
“Definitely.”
“Well, I’ll make sure she’s taken care of.”
“Thanks,” I replied as I made an effort to push open the door and leave the Pandora’s Box of memories that were exploding in front of me.
“Hey, Andrew, it was really good to see you.”
Nodding, I left the boutique, sending Nate a message that I was on my way and to have a beer ready. Because after today, I was pretty sure I deserved a few.
Chapter Twelve – Kelsey
The walls of the dressing room were closing in on me. The Easterly girls had hung so many dresses on the rack that I lost count. I felt like they were treating me like their personal Barbie doll, which I both loved and hated. I loved spending girly time with them, but I hated trying on clothes with every fiber of my being.
Right now, I was trying on a pink ballgown-looking monstrosity. It was the same color as the anti-nausea medicine Andrew purchased for me the other day. I wasn’t sure which of my friends thought this would be an option for someone attending a wedding as a guest, and I hoped it was more… they just wanted to play a trick on me and get me into the eyesore for fun. Otherwise, I would definitely judge their fashion sense from here on out.
“I don’t know who picked this one, but I hope you find yourself cornered, shoeless, in a room covered in Legos!” I shouted from behind the door before I stepped out of the stall. I sincerely hoped Marisol hadn’t been the one to select this dress, because I might almost feel bad for my comment. Almost.
The sisters all stared at me with anime eyes as I glanced in the one-hundred-eighty-degree mirrors before they busted out laughing. Marisol included.
“You all did this on purpose,” I surmised, glad my earlier thought was correct.
Rory uncovered her mouth from where she was trying to hide her grin. “I’m sorry. We couldn’t resist.”
Gripping the material in my fists, I turned and shook the gigantic skirt in their direction. “This should only ever be worn to a quinceañera or a prom from the ’80s.”
“Aw, come on,” Alex said as she walked over and adjusted my long hair over my shoulders. “The dress is a little poofy, but the color looks great with your complexion, and this neckline is divine.”
“I’m not a cake, Alex,” I snarled playfully, and she laughed.
“On to the next one,” Marisol ordered, and I trudged back into the dressing room after Alex unzipped me and followed me to keep me company in the stall and probably to watch over me in case I tried to make a run for it. Not that she could chase me down herself. She looked just as tired as I felt.
I tried on eleven more dresses before I was ready to give up. Either the style was wrong, or the color didn’t look great against my skin. And the few we all agreed on needed alterations, but there wasn’t enough time for that.
From around the corner, Nicole stuck her head into the fitting area and asked how things were going. None of us responded with anything more than grimaces.
The statuesque woman walked over to me and trailed her eyes up and down my body before asking me to turn around. “I have something that just came in, and I think it will be perfect for you.”
She skipped out of the room, and I turned to the group. “This is awkward, right?”
“No. I mean… it’s all ancient history now,” Autumn said, shaking her head.
“And she really does have the most beautiful clothes,” Aspen chimed in. She was wearing a gorgeous purple dress she claimed Owen bought her from this very store.
I was still on the fence about the situation. Especially not knowing exactly what this thing was between Andrew and me.
“You should know that I’m a firm believer in things happening for a reason. Even losing my dear husband, Leo, Andrew’s father, I was able to find happiness with Nash,” Marisol said quietly, hinting that she thought there was something else at work when it came to the timing of her son’s accident and my loss of job and boyfriend.
“Yeah, I suppose.” There was more to everyone’s story, and I knew it changed their outlook on life. But I was jaded. Between my parents’ divorce and the push and pull of their toxicity, I had no idea how to navigate a serious relationship because of them.
“Here we are,” Nicole’s chipper voice called out as she walked back into the space, carrying a lavender column dress and a pale-blue tea-length dress that reminded me of something Audrey Hepburn would have worn.
“Oh, wow,” I murmured, as I held up the material of the gray dress I was currently wearing so that I wouldn’t step on it. “Those are gorgeous. Are they my size?”
“It’s not an exact science, but I’m fairly certain these should fit. But if you need something altered in a jiffy, I can help you out.”
