Page 7 of Love at First Bite
I’d already treated myself to half the list of titles I had been looking forward to reading anyhow. I just wouldn’t have anyone to talk about them with.
“I promise it’s going to be so much more fun than you expect it to be.” I shot her a look that made her giggle. “I’m serious!”
“I’m sure it will be… fine.” I wasn’t lying. Anytime we went to the brewery that had just opened at the beginning of the year, it had been a blast.
“Sometimes, it’s good to get out of our routine,” Rosie said, and I blinked.
“Is that how you felt about book club?” I asked, a little hurt. “It was routine?”
“No.” She shook her head, the rack of costumes now forgotten as she hugged me. “I like book club. I love the books you choose for us, and you make it so much fun! We always eatway too much.” She smiled, and her blue eyes softened. “It’s not like that’s going to stop.”
“I know.”
“I just… I think our twenties are kinda…” She paused, like she was trying to get her words right. “Well, maybe it’s just me, but doesn’t it feel like they’re flying right by us?”
“Well… I mean…” I could see how she felt that way. We were a lot closer to thirty now, something that had once felt like a lifetime away.
“And we’re all single still,” Rosie muttered, and my eyes widened.
“Is that a problem? I mean… We are single, but is that a bad thing?” She shook her head. My heart clenched at the thought of the future. One day, my best friends, the girls who were my family, would all be coupled off and have a family of their own. What would life look like then?What will my life be like without them?
“No, it’s not. Not at all. I just… we should be going out more. Enjoying every moment. You know?”
“I get that.” I understood where she was coming from. It made sense. “Getting out of our routine won’t hurt,” I repeated her words. She nodded, and I saw her eyes drift behind me, then she moved. Stealthily, she pushed aside dress after dress until she found what had caught her attention.
“What about this?” She pulled out a gothic-looking dress that was shorter than I was used to but nothing scandalous. Especially with my height, it would hit just above my knee.
It actually wasn’t bad.
It was kind of pretty. The dark black dress had bell-shaped long sleeves made of sheer material and a deep V in the front.
“What do you think?” I chewed on my lip.
“A witch?” I asked, and she nodded.
“Yeah! Why not? I mean, your nameisTabitha.” I giggled. A knot of tension loosened from my shoulders.
“I don’t know…” I took the hanger from her hand and lifted it up. I hated to admit it, but it was really pretty.
Sexy but not too far out there. If I paired it with a camisole and leggings, I would even be able to wear it to work. There was a book about witches I’d wanted to do a project on with my students.
“Hold that and come over… here.” She took me by the hand and led me toward the wall of masks. And she glanced at the dress and the wall. There were so many choices, it felt a little overwhelming.
“Hmm, how about…. this one?” She reached for a delicate orange lacy mask that would cover my eyes that would definitely go with the dress. “And that hat over there.” She pointed behind the counter, where a stack of slouchy witch hats sat. “And you could pair it with the boots you have on,” she suggested happily, obviously proud of herself.
“These?” I asked, surprised she’d suggest them.
“What, you thought I was going to tell you to put on go-go boots or stilettos?” Rosie’s pink lips twitched.
“Maybe,” I mumbled before I cracked a smile. My attention moved back to the costume in my hands, the way it paired well with the mask that was a lot prettier than I wanted to admit. “I like this.”
“Yeah?” she asked, and I nodded.
“I do.” She squealed.
“And it’s not too outrageous. If you wanted to, you could totally wear it to work.”
“True,” I agreed, because she wasn’t wrong. “Okay.” I smiled. For some reason, I honestly looked forward to doing something different. “A witch it is!”
