I shook my head in dismay. “Not this again.”
“I guess that’s our cue,” Piper said, coming to her feet.
“Thank you for the dinner,” I said, kissing my grandma as I passed and then my mom. “I will see you all after the show Friday, right?”
“We wouldn’t miss it,” my mom said with a wink. “Have fun.”
I ignored her singsong tone and followed Piper out to the cars. We decided to leave the one I was borrowing from dad and take Piper’s Jeep to her favorite boutique, Chrome.
We were greeted by an overexcited twenty-something with incredible style. “Hi, welcome to Chrome. Are you shopping for anything special today?”
“No, thanks. We’re just browsing,” I said automatically.
Piper rolled her eyes and grabbed my arm. “Actually, my sister is going on a date and needs a killer dress.”
“Pipes,” I muttered.
“Oh, that sounds fun. Where are you going?”
“The Wright Christmas party,” Piper informed her.
“So, something cocktail. Not too sexy, but not too formal.”
“It’s really…I’m fine,” I told them both.
“No worries. I’m Veronica. You go ahead and browse. I’m going to look for a few pieces on my own, and then we can consult in the dressing room.”
I nodded gratefully to Veronica and began to wander the boutique. Piper followed behind me, adding things to my already-weighed-down arms.
“So, you and Isaac?” Piper asked, holding up a slinky red dress.
“What about us?”
“What’s it like, doing this all over again?”
“I don’t know,” I said truthfully. But Piper looked honestly curious, so I continued, “It feels right. Not like it was in high school, but like it is meant to be now. It sounds so strange. I’ve dated other people. He was obviously married. This isn’t like first love. It’s different.”
“Well, that was eloquent,” Piper said.
I chuckled and snatched a miniskirt out of her hand, replacing it on the rack. “I wish I could describe it. When we were young and stupid, all I wanted was to marry Isaac Donoghue and live happily ever after. I gave that up for ballet.”
“And now…what?” Piper asked.
I shook my head. “It feels like I’m reliving that fantasy. We’re just taking this one day at a time.”
“Far as I can tell, Pey, you and Isaac don’t take anything one day at a time. There is an on switch and an off switch. That’s it.”
There was no way to refute that. It was true and always had been.
“I keep thinking that we’re rushing into this, but when I try to stop it, I just can’t.”
Piper threw her arm around me as we headed back for the dressing room. “Well then, let’s find the best outfit for the party. He’s not going to be able to keep his hands off of you.”
That was what I was hoping for.14PeytonWe found the dress.
Actually, Veronica found the dress.
It was something that I never would have tried on in a million years. A magenta silk that flowed to my ankles with a slit up one side and a plunging yet tasteful neckline. There was a tie at the back to hold up the straps since it plunged in the back, too. It hugged the figure I’d carefully cultivated in ballet, but it didn’t make me look like I had no figure at all, which was the hardest part about shopping.
It was also more than I would have spent, but I’d decided to splurge and get the sparkly heels with ankle straps to go with it. Why not?
Blaire worked some magic with my curls, and I had no idea how it was possible. Half of me felt compelled to carry her around in my pocket at all times. I didn’t really understand how a girl like her could do hair like this. She wore a baseball cap ninety-nine percent of the time and was always in an oversize T-shirt and leggings. No one would guess how fit she was under all those clothes either.
After borrowing a pair of Piper’s dangly earrings, I was out the door. Isaac had wanted to come pick me up, but since his mom volunteered with United Way on Thursdays, and she was watching Aly, he wouldn’t have been able to come get me on time. We would have been late to the party. So I’d just offered to meet him at his house.
When I pulled up to the sidewalk, his mom had just parked in the driveway.
“I’m here. I’m here,” she said, hustling up to the front door. “I’m sorry. I got here as soon as I could.”
“Grandma!” Aly cried and ran down the front steps.
“It’s fine, Mom,” Isaac said. “We’re just glad you’re here.”
“I’m happy to see this little peanut,” she said, pulling Aly into a hug. “Did you have dinner already?”
“Nope. I was thinking mac and cheese.”
“Were you?” His mom looked up at Isaac, and they both laughed. Apparently, that must have been a common occurrence.