Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
“Great. I’m really looking forward to taking you out, Harley.” He steps forward and leans down, lips brushing my cheek and lingering there.
“Me too.” It’s mostly a whisper.
“Until Saturday, then.” He steps back, chest rising and falling on a deep exhale.
“Until Saturday.”
He waits until I’m inside my car before he returns to his.
And I wait until I’m driving down the street before I shriek with excitement.
I have a date with Gavin.
* * *
On Saturday afternoon I bring half of my wardrobe to Spark House. This weekend’s event is a sports dinner, so the bridal room is open, which means I can use it to prepare for my date. Could I have gotten dressed at my house on my own? Yes. But it’s been a long time since I’ve gone out on a proper date.
Chad and I never really did the date-night thing, not unless you count going out with friends or nights spent on the couch with his Switch an actual date. Which I do not.
Since the breakup, Andrea and I have messaged back and forth, and we’ve made plans to go for coffee just the two of us, but Allen is Chad’s friend and coworker, and so is Ted, so I understand that our breakup makes it a challenge. I have my sisters, and most of the time, they’re more than enough.
“This is the dress,” London says as I step out of the changing room.
It’s mint-green chiffon: light, flowy, and elegant.
“Are you sure the black dress wouldn’t be better? Isn’t it sexier?” It sure does hug all my curves.
“The black dress is sexy, but this dress is you.” London taps her lip. “And I say you accent with gold. Here.” She passes me a pair of heels. “See how these look.”
I try on the heels, and London outfits me with jewelry and a clutch before I get to work on my makeup. While I’m applying mascara, she checks on Avery to make sure everything is running smoothly with the event. She slips back into the bridal room ten minutes later.
“How’s everything going out there?” I ask.
“Running like clockwork. It’s so much easier now that we have the staff to support the events instead of it being the three of us running everything all the time. Here, let me help you with your liner.” She takes the brown pencil from my hand and forces me into a chair. “Close your eyes.”
I do as I’m told and tip my chin up. “It’s hard to believe we tried to run every single event with just us and a skeleton staff for years, isn’t it?”
London mm-hmms. “It honestly blows my mind sometimes when I think back to how we used to run things around here. And with the franchises, it’s really going to be about us overseeing the events and letting the staff take the reins more and more. It’s why we hired all of these competent people.”
“Do you think we’ll be able to free up two weekends a month soon?” It had been in the works before the franchise opportunity, which delayed us because our staffing needs have grown even more. I’d say something about how I’m worried about what the future is going to look like for us, but this isn’t a great time, not when I’m about to go on a date.
“Honestly? I’m pretty sure we could make a case for it now. As it is, Avery’s handling things fine out there on her own.”
As if she can hear us talking about her, Avery knocks on the door and then slips into the room. She lets out a low whistle. “Wow. Nice dress pick, London.”
“How do you know it wasn’t me who chose this dress?”
“Because London is the fashion guru.”
“Fair. How’s everything going out there?” I ask, even though London and I were just talking about it.
“Great, apart from my freaking swollen feet.” She drops down into a chair and toes her shoes off. She grunts and leans forward, rolling off a sock. “Good lord, how much water can one person retain?”
London and I both look down at her feet. The print of her sock is embedded in her skin and there’s a dent where the top of her shoe ends. “You have to take it easy on the salt.”
“I have been! All my food today has been boring and bland.”
“On the upside, at least it’s fall, and you don’t have to wear sandals until well after the baby is born,” London points out.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to fit my feet into shoes by the time I’m ready to pop this baby out.”
“I had to give up heels about four months in,” London replies. Out of the three of us, she’s the only who willingly wears heels most days of the week. I tend to stick to flats unless it’s an event night, and Avery avoids them altogether. She wore flip-flops on her wedding day and running shoes during the obstacle course wedding party introduction at the reception.