Page 87 of A Class of Her Own

I wrinkled up my nose. “Of course you do.”

“What’s so wrong with it?”

I turned to more fully face him and leaned sideways. “I guess it’s more that I had a certain expectation that I’d be lazy and happy tonight. Now I have to dress up and have good manners. A theme night also suggests that it won’t only be my friends. Some of Ford’s people will probably be there, too. So, no licking my fingers after eating Cheetos.”

He grinned. “So, do you want me to go grab my suit and tie?”

“That would probably be good.”

His eyes crinkled as he pushed away from the car. “I’m going to go grab it before you change your mind. I’ll get changed at your sister’s shop, too. Does she have a bathroom where I can get cleaned up?”

“Yeah,” I replied, noticing the sawdust on his clothing and in his hair.

“Give me two shakes.”

Willow opened the back door of her shop as I was pulling up to park ten minutes later and gestured to me to hustle inside as the air was freezing. She opened her mouth to say something, probably snarky and very sisterish, when the passenger door of my car opened and Brooks got out. Her mouth froze in an openO, and her eyes darted between us. I saw the moment she realized who he was and imagined that her meddling manifestations had worked.

“Welcome to my home,” Willow said warmly to him, shaking his hand. “Come on in.”

Brooks stood aside to let me enter first and then took the door from Willow, closing it behind us as we made our way through the back storeroom. Willow pinched my upper arm as we walked and leaned close to me to whisper how happy she was to see that the universe had come through. I told her to zip it until we were alone.

“Brooks needs to get cleaned up and changed into his suit,” I said to Willow as we moved through the backroom doorway and onto the sales floor. “Do you want him to use a changing room or go upstairs?”

Willow smiled at Brooks. “There’s a restroom over there. But hurry up so you can still chat with us while we get Meredith situated.”

I doubted Brooks was excited about that, but, in typical fashion, he smiled and agreed. Ugh. He was so agreeable all the time. I secretly loved it.

“How nice to find an agreeable man,” Willow said as though she’d read my thoughts.

“It’s annoying,” I replied under my breath.

She laughed. “Liar.”

I rolled my eyes and followed my sister to the rack of maroon sparkly dresses she’d mentioned. She pulled out my size and directed me to go to the changing room.

“You have maybe five minutes to give me all the details and leave nothing out,” she said under her breath through the curtain.

I smiled, surprised to feel excited rather than hesitant. As I changed into the dress, I talked as quickly as I could, telling her all the things I thought were highlights, saving the little details for another time. She made happy noises or little squeals, and, when I was ready to be zipped into the dress, she pressed me into a hug.

“This has made my day. You have no idea. When I met him on Black Friday, I felt something, and I knew he’d be important in your life.”

I spun around, giving her access to the zipper. “Well, let’s try not to start monogramming anything. We only decided last night to be a couple.”

Brooks came into the room, and Willow pulled aside the curtain so we could see each other.

“So, Brooks, I didn’t realize you’d be attending the party with Meredith tonight,” Willow chirped. “That’s fun.”

“I wasn’t actually invited,” he replied, happily. “I’m crashing.”

“Oh.” Willow clapped her hands together. “Even better.”

“Hailey and Ford won’t care,” I responded as I folded my clothes.

“Tell me, Brooks, do you consider yourself a hard-working person?” Willow asked.

“Stop it,” I hissed, recognizing that she was starting down the list of attributes she’d manifested to me. “Brooks does not need to be grilled by you.”

Willow only laughed. “Smart? Kind? How do you feel about exercise and lifelong learning?”

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