Page 137 of Taming the Beasts
“Then why did I buy those tear away tuxedo pants?”
“I have no idea why you do anything you do,” I said through my laughter.
The owner of the boutique walked out of the back room and screamed bloody murder.
Grudge laughed. “Okay, fine.” He turned off the music. “I’ll get dressed. But I can’t believe I didn’t get a single dollar bill thrown at me.” Grudge pulled on his pants and started re-snapping them on the sides. “Good thing I’m in a clothing store. I’m gonna need a new dress shirt. Do you think you could help me with that?” he asked the owner.
“Good heavens,” she said.
Emma stood up. “Let’s get me in that dress.” She practically ran into a changing room. The owner followed her.
“What the hell was that?” I asked with a laugh.
“I thought it would make you laugh.”
“Success.”
He smiled. “I don’t think Emma liked it.”
“I think she liked it a little. She was totally looking through her fingers.”
He laughed and leaned back on the couch. “But really. Not a single tip?”
I grabbed a ten from my purse and slid it into the waistband of his pants. “Happy?”
Grudge smiled. “Yes.”
I rolled my eyes.
“It really is good to finally meet you in person.”
I smiled. “It really is.”
“So about a replacement shirt...” He started looking around.
“This boutique only has women’s clothing.”
“Maybe something with a deep tuck?”
“What?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Like a long women’s shirt or a shirt dress that I could tuck...”
“I’ll have Otto let you borrow something.” Otto was tall and lean too. He might not be super happy about it, but it was the only quick fix before the wedding that I could think of. I pulled out my phone to text him when I saw that there was an emergency alert on my phone. I clicked on it.
Fuck.There was a serial killer loose one town over from Crooked Point. Five known victims already. They were warning all the towns in the vicinity to be on high alert for a man wearing glasses, khaki pants, a blue button up shirt, and having no visible piercings or tattoos.
For some reason I found myself glancing at Grudge. I quickly shook the thought away. He wasn’t a serial killer. And he’d driven straight here from wherever he was from. Plus he never wore glasses. And I couldn’t really picture him in a pair of pants that didn’t rip away.
Emma stepped out of the changing room.
I forced myself to keep my face even. The last thing Emma needed was to hear about this. I tried to focus. Her dress had been amazing already. But the extra length to the bow in the back was so romantic.
Grudge whistled and Emma blushed.
“You look so beautiful.” I abandoned my phone and ran up to hug her.
“If there’s nothing else you need,” the owner said. “I might go grab a seat for the ceremony.”
