AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But the woman had already walked off, so my whispered, “need shoes” fell into empty air. I guessed I was getting shoes.
I surreptitiously looked at the price tag hanging on the side under my right arm. Oof. I could swing it. Barely. I’d just have to bring sandwiches or Cup-O-Noodle to work for lunch for a month or so instead of all the café ordering I’d been doing. That would probably be better for my waistline anyway. Even though I most often got salads, there was no way the dressing I drowned them in did anything to help with a lower or healthier calorie count.
“Here we go. These are just made for that dress.”
They might as well have been. The color was a near perfect match, and they had the same style of seaming across the toes, with the addition of winking rhinestones in the crisscrossing straps.
I slid my feet into the shoes. “How’d you know my size?”
“I’m very good at what I do.” The woman beamed. “You look ravishing. Was that your friend I saw you with?”
I nodded.
The woman held up a finger and disappeared. It wasn’t long before she returned with Whitney in tow.
“Oh.” Whitney’s hand flew up to cover her mouth. “Cody is gonna die. That’s the one. It’s perfection.”
Whitney drew a circle with her finger in the universal command for someone to turn.
I rolled my eyes but did a little twirl, secretly loving the way the bottom of the skirt flared out and spun around my ankles when I did.
“Sold. And it’s a perfect fit.” Whitney looked at the store associate, who nodded in agreement. “You were worried.”
“Shouldn’t I try on the others?” The dress might not be stoplight red, but there’d been a navy dress in there that would draw less attention.
“No. Because you don’t mess with perfection.” Whitney cocked her head to the side. “Unless you’re telling me you don’t love it?”
I sighed. I did love it. I didn’t want to. I wasn’t sure about the whole no-bra thing, but I couldn’t deny that I looked good. “When am I ever going to wear it again?”
Whitney waved away my objection. “Please.”
“I’m serious. I’m not spending this much on something I’m only going to wear once.” Because a bookstore owner didn’t exactly have black tie optional invitations coming around every other week.
Whitney scooted close and lowered her voice. “Did you forget who Cody is?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
She grunted. “You could wear this to a Broadway show. Or out to a nice dinner in New York. Or Paris.”
“Paris?” I had no plans to go to Paris with Cody. Or without Cody, for that matter. I mean, yeah, I’d love to go there. Hello, bucket list. But I couldn’t buy a dress because I dreamed about going somewhere to wear it.
“My point is, he can afford to make it possible for you to wear this as many times as you want.”
“Oh.” The whole billionaire thing. But I wasn’t with him because of that. “I don’t care about his money.”
“No. I know. So does he. No worries there. But it doesn’t mean you don’t buy the dress.”
I wasn’t sure I followed her logic, but the fact was I needed a dress. I liked this one. It fit. I could afford it. Basically. And if I bought it now, I could go home and put on sweats and be done with this whole shopping excursion. “All right.”
“Yay!” Whitney clapped her hands together. “Now I just need to find the right one for me and we’ll be set. Can I use your changing room?”
“Let me get out of this first.” I stepped down off the pedestal, wobbling slightly in the unusually high heels. I’d have to practice in them before next Friday so I didn’t make a fool of myself.
I made quick work of getting back into my regular clothes.
The saleslady was standing close, ready to take the dress and shoes from me right as I stepped out. “I’ll put these up at the register for you and be right back.”
“Sure. Thanks.” I tucked my hands in my pockets. “I’ll hang here, I guess. You’re going to show me your choices, right?”
