Page 39 of A Little Luck

“What the hell?” Adam laughs, and I bite my lip. “What did I miss?”

“A lot.” Britt pulls out her phone. “You might be sorry you came back early.”

“Not a chance.” His eyes land on mine, and my stomach flips.

“We need to find out who that man is in my apartment.” Britt is texting fast. “I can’t believe Mom would rent out my place without asking me.”

Both our phones buzz at the same time, and I pull mine out of my pocket to see a shouty-caps text from Cass.

Cass

WHERE ARE YOU?

“Oh, shit!” Britt jumps to her feet, grabbing my arm. “We’re supposed to meet Cass at the bridal shop in Rockville at ten! We’ll have to sort out your problems later.”

She makes it sound so simple. “You drive, and I’ll text her we’re on the way.”

I follow Britt out to her old orange truck, leaving Adam standing in the kitchen with his brother watching me go.

* * *

“Isit bad luck to buy a used wedding gown?” Cass turns side to side on a round platform in front of full-length, tri-fold mirrors. “Because I kind of love this one.”

She’s wearing a beautiful, floor-length lace dress with long, sheer sleeves that end in French cuffs with pearl buttons.

“I’d do it if I loved the dress, which surely means it’s bad luck.” I shrug, inspecting the price tag on a sleeveless, tulle-skirted number reminiscent ofSex and the City.“This is cute, and it’s only eighty bucks.”

“You’re not buying a used wedding gown!” Britt yells from across the boutique. “I’m sure the clerk can find a similar gown brand-new.”

“Absolutely!” The store clerk reaches behind the desk, pulling out an enormous binder. “I’m certain I saw one just like that by Oscar de la Renta…”

She has a pencil behind her ear, and her stick-straight, blonde hair is cinched tight in a French twist on the back of her head. I’m pretty sure everything she owns is designer.

Cass looks at me with huge eyes, mouthing,Oscar de la Renta?

“I can’t afford that!” She calls to Britt. “I’m only a poor kindergarten teacher.”

“You’re not even that yet,” I mutter, looking at the small selection of resale dresses. “If the dress was returnedbeforethe wedding, does that make it unlucky?”

“Yes, that’s even worse.” Britt marches over, carrying an armload of dresses. “I have several here with sleeves you might like. These are all in your price range, and they’re brand-new. Come on.”

We follow her into a dressing room the size of my bedroom, and my phone buzzes with a text. Glancing down, I see it’s from Adam.

Adam

Sorry if I irritated your skin. Was it my sunny personality?

He includes a winky emoji, and I bite my lip to keep from grinning like a freshly fucked goof.

Instead, I quickly type back,

Not sure she’d have gone for Vitamin D skin care.

Adam

The all-natural facial?

I almost snort, but I feel Britt’s eyes on me as she unzips the gown Cass is wearing.

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