Page 49 of Taboo

Julienne: Okay.

She set her mobile down and stepped back into the closet. She spied the one dress she truly loved but had never worn. She had been shopping with Nicola last year and she had picked it out and insisted that Julienne try it on.

“You have to buy that!” Nicola said, stepping up behind her as Julienne looked at herself in the mirror.

“I don’t know.”

“Yes. You need to buy it. And if you don’t, I’ll buy it and then make you feel guilty that I spent my hard-earned money on it.”

Julienne smiled at the memory. She had never had a really close girlfriend before, it was impossible with her family, but Nic had become her best friend. Other ‘girlfriends’ had turned on her as soon as the news had hit about her break up, proving her suspicions true. But of course, Nic had been there, just as she had been since Jensen brought her back after he’d moved back from New York City.

Julienne eyed the dress again, then, she threw caution to the wind and grabbed the dress. The clock was ticking, and she didn’t have that much time before he would be here. After hanging the dress up on the door, she went light with her makeup. Since getting here a week ago, she rarely wore much makeup. It was just so humid, and she liked having just enough on her face. Otherwise, she felt as if she were wearing a mask.

After drying her hair, she put some shimmer product into her hair, turning it into a mass of shiny curls. She would normally run a straightener through it, but she didn’t have time. And here in Hawaii, it would be wavy within thirty minutes anyway. At first, she had hated it. Truth was, she had loved her hair when she was younger, but again, living in the eye of the tabloids had made her worry about it. Now she thought she looked…sexy.

Taking the dress with her, she stepped into her bedroom. Choosing her lingerie shouldn’t be that important, because they were not having sex, right?

She rolled her eyes. She was having a hard time convincing herself of that. Also, if even her thoughts were this wishy washy, she was going to have a hard time convincing Alek. She closed her eyes as she thought of him. It always sent a shot of heat racing through her blood. The dress had a built-in bra, so at least she could forgo that. So, she grabbed a pair of white lace panties and slipped them on.

Then, she picked up the dress, as second thoughts hit her. It had a halter top and usually she steered away from those. When she had been in her teens, her family had gone on an outing in the south of France, and she had worn a halter top dress. The tabloids had been brutal about her weight, and even though she knew she could ignore all of that, those emotions were wedged into her psyche. And as much as she always thought she had moved on from those feelings of inadequacy, they cropped up anytime she put on a halter top dress.

With what she was sure was a determined look, she donned the dress then walked up to the mirror. Julienne had gotten a little color in the last few days. It brought out the green in her eyes, and the dress added perfectly to that. But…damn, she looked good in this dress. It fit her perfectly, accentuating her curves. It dipped a little low in the front. Looking at the time, she wished she could take a pic and send it to Nic. She knew her sister-in-law was probably sleeping.

As if she heard her thinking about her, Nic texted.

Nic: What exciting things do you have happening tonight.

She frowned over the text. Not that she didn’t love hearing from her sister-in-law, but Nic should be sleeping.

Julienne: What are you doing up?

Nic: *Liz Lemmon eye roll gif* It’s six am. Plus, I went to sleep last night before eight.

That’s good, she thought.

Nic: So, again, what are you up to tonight?

Julienne took a selfie in the mirror so Nic could get the full effect. It only took seconds for a response.

Nic: You finally wore it! OMG, you are gorgeous.

She smiled and shook her head. She knew she wasn’t an ogre, but Julienne wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to shake off all of her insecurities.

Julienne: So it looks good?

Her mobile buzzed and Nic’s face came up on her screen. “You look amazing in that dress.”

“Thank you.”

“You look like you got a little sun.”

“I have. I’ve been slathering on sunscreen but apparently some sun got through.”

“It’s Hawaii. You’re close to the equator. And you are English and very white.”

“Like you can talk.”

Nic had alabaster skin, which looked stunning with her dark hair and ice blue eyes. It was one of the things that had made her so amazing on the ice. Julienne remembered watching her compete and thinking how she looked like an ice queen.

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