Page 94 of Rockstar Baby
I opened the door for them. “I didn’t know you’d be back in town so fast.”
“After the gallery opening, I kind of just wanted the quiet of the farm. My family was thrilled. Now I have a bunch of people hovering.” She sighed. “I didn’t think that idea through.”
“I have an older brother too. I hear you.”
Maggie climbed the stairs ahead of Zoe. “This place is so cool.”
The bottom half of the building was my brother’s furniture store, but Kinleigh had a separate entrance with winding stairs. The walls were papered in silk with fun photos of people in Kin’s vintage clothes. Some were for Halloween, some were set up for a dress-up party where Kinleigh took pictures for marketing purposes. There were children, adults, even a Red Hat Society get-together. My best friend was a genius at playing up the fun of a vintage shop. People came from far and wide to do her trunk parties. She even did some live on Facebook.
As we got to the top of the stairs, music was blaring. Kinleigh had her camera out and lights set up. She had a trio of wedding dresses on her mannequins and had even brought out her extra fun girls, as she called them, which were mannequins in dirty poses. I didn’t know how she had found them, but I also wasn’t sure I wanted to either.
Kinleigh’s Google search history had to be seriously interesting.
“Hi.” She popped up from behind a mannequin that was bent at the waist. She was wearing a very Marilyn Monroe-esque outfit with high-waisted panties and a sturdy, yet sexy bra. “I was just teasing my boudoir trunk party for tomorrow.”
Maggie’s eyes were huge as she looked around the warehouse-sized space. Kinleigh had partitioned two of the corners with trifold dividers. Dresses and slips hung off them as if someone was mid-change. Mannequins were set behind them with a light showing to make the shadows seem evocative.
The rest of the place was set up with various trunks and racks full of clothes. A hat rack stood half empty, thanks to the recent Kentucky Derby. She made a killing in the spring due to all the people who hadn’t shopped in advance.
Zoe silently crossed the room to a vintage dress form on wheels. An ivory lace wedding dress was half pinned, with the shoulder drooping. Kinleigh often got damaged dresses that needed to be fixed. Her seamstress skills were unmatched by any of the tailors in the area. “What’s this?”
“Oh.” Kinleigh blew a curl out of her eyes as she finished snapping the bra on the mannequin. “That’s a new dress I got in last night. It’s in rough shape.”
“I want it.”
“Oh. It’s really damaged. I have to do a lot of work on it.”
Zoe touched the edges of a sleeve. “It’s gorgeous.”
“I can alter it to fit.”
Zoe laughed. “Sorry. I mean, he technically hasn’t even asked me to marry him yet—my baby daddy.” She patted her stomach. “I’m pretty sure he’s going to ask soon though. He keeps playing with something in his pocket.”
“Sure it’s a box?” Kinleigh quipped.
“With Ian, you can never be too sure.”
“Ian…” Kinleigh’s gaze slammed into mine. “These are the girls you met at the orchard?”
“Kinleigh, meet Zoe Manning and Maggie McGuire. Rockstar wife—and girlfriend, though she and Ian act like they’re already married.”
“That’s the truth. He annoys me like a husband.” Zoe held out her hand to Kinleigh. “Pleased to meet you. This place is amazing, and I want this dress. I don’t care how much it is.”
I could see the dollar signs in Kin’s eyes. “She has fair prices,” I said.
“Within reason,” Kinleigh said quickly.
“This is an art form and I don’t mind paying for art. Considering that’s exactly what I expect when I sell a painting.”
“Oh, man.” Kinleigh rushed to Zoe and hugged her. “Girl, you get it. I can’t tell you how many people want me to sell them my stuff for less than twenty bucks. I revamp almost every piece I find.”
I left them to talk about the dress and alterations. Maggie was wandering around the store, touching jeans and tops, then finding something she fancied and draping it over her arm.
“Sorry, we lost them to shop talk.”
Maggie waved me off. “No worries. This place is ridiculous. I could wander in here for hours.” She pulled down a sheer blouse. “Kellan might like this one.”
“Pretty sure any man with a pulse would.”
