“So?” I ask. I didn’t think they would be speechless. “Is it bad?” I start to panic.
“No!” they both rush to say.
“I love it.” Julie’s whole face lights up with a giant smile.
“It’s sexy as hell,” Gracie agrees.
“Is it too much?” I try not to fidget. I’m not used to showing so much skin.
“No!” Again they both respond at the same time, making me laugh. I relax some, knowing they would never lie to me.
“It’s just not usual for you, so we’re surprised. But I swear I love it,” Gracie says excitedly.
I walk over to the giant mirror to get a better look at myself. The heels really add to the dress, making my legs look longer than normal. The plus to owning a bridal shop is that I get invited to a lot of weddings. In turn, I’ve gotten great in heels.
“Let me change and then we can leave. This is going to be so much fun.” Gracie grabs her bag to go change quickly.
We’re going to dinner first at Gino’s and then over to Pretty in Pink. It’s a local bar, but there aren’t a ton of choices. Julie wanted to keep it close to home, so we agreed to stay around town.
With having to work with local venues, I’ve given Pretty in Pink a bit of a face lift over this last year. An event planner owed me a few favors, and she got a crew in there to make some much needed updates. The girls are going to be blown away. I think everyone is going to be shocked with how sexy tonight is going to be. None of them think I can even say the word cock, but something inside me has shifted these past few weeks.
“I’m ready!” Gracie declares, coming out of the changing room. Her dress is sexy, but somehow Gracie always manages to ride this line of being sexy yet innocent at the same time.
When the bell at the front of the shop chimes, I turn around to tell them we’re closed.
“I’m sorry we’re—” I trail off when I see it’s Tidas standing there. I bite the inside of my cheek when his eyes travel down my body and all the way back up very slowly. His mouth forms a straight line, and I see a muscle in his jaw flex.
“You put your trash in my bin again.” It takes me a second to register what he’s saying because that was not what I thought he was going to say. He mutters a curse when I don’t respond before he turns around and walks right back out.
“What the hell was that?” Julie asks. Gracie says something under her breath to her that has Julie’s eyes going wide.
“Let’s go. I need a drink,” I say as I walk over and grab my purse, trying to mask my emotions. Honestly, I’m not sure what I feel at this moment.
What I do know is I’m going to have fun tonight. I might even flirt with someone. Tidas Combs can shove that dumpster right up his ass for all I care.
Chapter Ten
Tidas
My plan was to go next door and see if I could fish out some plans for this bachelorette party tonight and maybe follow Valerie. It wasn’t like I was going to stalk her or anything, just check and make sure they all got home okay, just in case.
One look at that fucking dress, and all plans of keeping my distance went right out the fucking door. It was all I could do to keep from shaking as I got in my car and drove straight home to change. I have a strong suspicion on where they’re going since there’s only one place in town nice enough to celebrate anything special, and it’s too late in the evening to drive to the next town over. Not to mention getting a ride back if they’ve been drinking.
Gritting my teeth so hard they ache, I pull up to my house, and I’m surprised to see Donovan on my porch.
“No time to talk, I need to be somewhere,” I say as I pass him and go into my house.
“The mail carrier was different today,” he grumbles, and I hear him come in behind me as I go straight to my bedroom.
“So what? Did they deliver what you ordered or not?” Quickly pulling off my suit, I grab a pair of faded, well-worn jeans and a dark gray long-sleeve Henley. Donovan's standing in my bedroom doorway watching me get ready. “What?” I bark as I grab my boots.
“I don’t like when the mail carrier is different.” He looks down at me as if seeing me for the first time. “Where are you going?”
“Pretty in Pink,” I say as I tug one boot on and lace it up.
“Why?”
“Donovan, I don’t have time to play twenty questions.” Just as I say it, a thought occurs to me. “Wait, I need you to come with me.”