Page 33 of The Awakening of Nina Fontaine

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The next dayat Bergdorf’s, she handed over her credit card with her heart in herthroat.

“I can’t believe I’m spending this much on shoes,” shemurmured.

“Don’t be silly,” Karen said. “They’re marked downtwice!”

“They’re still seven-hundred dollars.” Nina felt faint just thinking aboutit.

She’d been off-balance ever since her date with Liam. No, that wasn’t right. She’d been off-balance since the dresses had arrived fromJack.

Who was she kidding? She’d been off-balance since moving to the city. Liam and Jack had just exacerbated the sensation that she’d stepped into anotherworld.

“That’s cheap for Louboutin,” Karen said. “And it’s not like you went for the acrylic platforms or the multicolored python.” She tapped the box on the counter just before the cashier slipped them into a bag. “These arepractical.”

“In what world are a pair of seven-hundred dollar black stilettos practical?” Ninaasked.

Karen sighed. “In my world. And in yours too. It’s a basic shoe. You’ll have themforever.”

“I’ll be eating them forever too, since that was my grocery budget for almost two months,” Nina said, signing the credit cardslip.

“You’re being melodramatic,” Karen said. “They look gorgeous on you, and they’re perfect for the JasonWu.”

As much as Nina hated to admit it, Karen was right. After trying on all three dresses for Karen that afternoon, Nina had passed on the emerald green floral by Dolce and Gabbana and on the voluminous fire-engine red gown by Carolina Herrera. Both had been incredible — the Dolce romantic and sultry, the Herrera straight out of a historical romance novel complete with a long-haired pirate on the cover — but it was the black Jason Wu dress that felt most likeher.

Which wasn’t to say she was completely at home in it. With slender spaghetti straps dropping dramatically to a plunging velvet bodice that dipped low in the back, the dress showed way more skin than Nina was used to, not to mention the skirt made up of velvet panels alternating with see-through blackmesh.

But the structure was simple, the lines clean. Karen had pronounced it “luxe bohemian” and said it was perfect for Nina. Looking in the mirror at the apartment, Nina had to agree that it suitedher.

Karen sighed. “It’s the perfectdress.”

“Yes,” Nina agreed. “Itis.”

The other two dresses felt like costumes, like an attempt to be something she wasn’t. The Jason Wu was like stepping into an unrealized version of herself — a version who hadn’t gotten married so young, who had moved to the city straight out of college with Karen, who had dated a string of handsome, powerful men like Jack Morgan and some adventurous, nice ones like Liam McAlister. This version of herself wore beautiful clothes and knew how to style her hair and do her makeup. She knew how to hail a cab in heels and how to shop for the lingerie Karen had made her buy earlier in the day. She took lovers and traveled to Paris to wander the streets alone simply because she felt likeit.

“Thank you for shopping at Bergdorf’s.” The cashier, a young man in a suit, held out the bag with hershoes.

Karen slipped one of her personal cards across the counter. “Have them sent here, will you? Julia upstairs has some other stuff going to the sameaddress.”

Nina would have been embarrassed if Karen hadn’t been so sure of herself, but apparently this was how Karen shopped — with the help of the young, leggy, and gorgeous Julia, who helped choose the exact right things and then had them all wrapped up and sent to Karen’s apartment so she didn’t have to carry them through thecity.

“Of course.” The man took Karen’s card and lifted the bag off thecounter.

“Let’s eat,” Karen said, taking Nina’s arm. “I’mstarving.”

Twenty minutes and a cab later, they were tucked against a table at Michael’s, a restaurant that was priced well above Nina’s normal takeout allotment. They ordered oysters and crab cakes to share, then added a bowl of spring pea soupeach.

Nina was tucking her phone into her bag as the waiter filled their water glasses when a text came through fromLiam.

Last night was fun. BrunchSunday?

She hesitated, then tucked her phone into her bag withoutreplying.

“What’s that about?” Karenasked.

“What?”

“You were smiling just now when you checked your phone. And I know that brand of smile, although I’m not sure I’ve seen it on you before today,” Karen said. “Jack?”

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