Page 145 of Alive At Night

Colorful fabrics filled the racks lining the walls while the displays in the center of the store boasted more accessories than I’d ever seen. Jewelry, bows, and other hair contraptions I didn’t understand sat in tiered arrangements. For being such a small shop filled with so much stuff, it didn’t feel tacky or overdone in the slightest. The dresses were pressed and perfect on their hangers, the jewelry sparkled beneath soft lighting, and Juni fit right in.

Her little intake of breath told me she agreed. “Oh, this place is so cute.”

She said the words in a hush under her breath, which I found adorable, considering there wasn’t anyone around to overhear. Well, a middle-aged woman with long, black hair stood behind the register, but besides that, we were alone.

I stepped forward to greet her, but she beat me to it.

“Julian.” A smile cracked on her face as she moved to look at Juni. “And Juniper. Here, let me take your coats.”

Juni’s eyes popped wider as she slipped out of her coat and handed it to the woman, and I didn’t even bother trying to hide my smile.

“Charlotte.” I passed her my coat with a nod. “Thank you again for having us.”

“Of course.”

She clapped her hands together, nearly as delighted as I was. And after giving me a wink, all her attention switched to Juniper.

“Let’s get started, shall we? Julian told me a bit about your style, so I selected a few items and hung them on the rack by the dressing rooms.” Charlotte pointed to the back of the store, and Juni’s head turned on a swivel, her lips parted. “Of course, no pressure if none are quite right for your date,” Charlotte continued with a wide grin. “And if youhappento see a bottle of bubbly around over there, feel free to pop it open while you shop. Any questions?”

Juniper looked like she had a lot of questions, but she shook her head absently.

“Excellent!” Charlotte exclaimed. “I’ll be around if you need anything.”

Juniper blinked twice at the beaming woman before saying thank you in a breathy, wispy voice. She flashed a soft grin, but I could tell she was a little lost. Planning to rectify that, I expressed my gratitude to Charlotte once more before whisking Juni to the side to murmur in her ear.

“This is why I told you not to worry about what to wear. I wanted to take you shopping for an outfit before dinner.”

Her eyes lifted, stunned. “You—what?”

I smiled. “I just thought you’d like this place.”

“You just…” Juniper’s voice trailed off as she stared around the store again. “You just thought I’d like this place.”

“Yeah.” I shrugged, leading her slowly to the dressing rooms where the bottle of champagne was. I wanted to pour her a glass. “I came here because they had the sweater I got Janie for Christmas. And as soon as I walked in, I thought of you. Do you think you can find something?”

I hadn’t justthoughtof Juniper. I hadn’t been able to get her out of my head for a single goddamn second. It led me to ask Charlotte, who’d been working the register, if I could ever arrange something like this and how much it would cost. She was immediately tickled that I even asked—that much had been clear—but then I accidentally spilled how Juni was my sister’s best friend and coworker, and then Charlotte wouldn’t even answer my question about the cost until I told her the entire story. Or most of it, anyway.

Now, I was pretty sure that she was our biggest fan.

She didn’t charge me a damn thing.

I’d make sure it was well worth her time to keep her doors open just for us, though.

“Do I think I can find something?” In a daze, Juni walked to the clothing rack with the dresses Charlotte had selected. She ran her fingers across the matching hangers before looking over her shoulder. “Do I think I canfindsomething?”

“Okay, you gotta stop just repeating me, Juni baby.” I held out a champagne flute, and she took it from me, her lips beginning to spread in the slowest, most pure smile I’d ever seen. “Answer the question.”

“Is—are—do we have this whole place to ourselves?” she whispered, leaning in like it was a secret.

She didn’t answer my question, but the shiny anticipation in her expression was enough for me.

I nodded, striding over to give her a little pat on her ass. “Now, get to shopping, will ya?”

“Okay,” she squealed, the corners of her eyes crinkling now with excitement. “But you’re not buying me anything. Just bringing me here was more than enough.”

“Oh,no, you don’t.” With a little push, I buried us between the racks of clothes, caging Juni between my arms. “No more saying shit like that. If I want to buy you a dress, I’m gonna buy you a fucking dress, Juni.”

She bit down on her lip while eyeing up the racks next to us. Specifically, the price tags.

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