Page 39 of Second Chance Wedding
“How come?”
Yeah, how come? She inhaled and searched for clarity, landing on, “Because we…already had our moment, and it didn’t work. Cole wants business advice. That’s all.”
Ben looked highly suspicious, and she couldn’t blame him. After all, why would she need to wear her gala dress if it was just business?
And then there was the fact that Cole wasn’t in the Marines any longer, and she wasn’t eighteen anymore.
A small thrill shot through her.
Was it a date?
* * *
Ana still pondered the question the following afternoon when Quinley came breezing into the boutique.
“Oooh, look at that. You didn’t tell me I had new bling to buy,” her bestie said when she made a beeline to the sparkly tank top on display.
Ana smiled at Quin’s endless passion for all things glittery and shook her head. “Just put it out this morning.”
Quinley sorted through the hangers beneath to find her size and pulled the tank top out, carrying it with her toward the counter when she squirreled to another display of blinged out clutches.
“Getting ready for the holidays?” Ana asked, grinning.
Quinley turned and made a show of opening her mouth in OMG surprise as she held up a tiny heart-shaped crystal bag with an ornate silver handle with a small block base so it stayed upright.
“Howcuteis this?”
“I knew you’d like it when I ordered it,” Ana said, crossing her arms over her front.
The bag was barely big enough to fit a credit card, key fob, and lipstick, but such things didn’t matter when impact was key. “She’s a new designer fresh out of school, but I think she’ll grow fast.”
Ana watched as Quinley’s gaze ran over every bag on display with fierce intensity before she chose a second one. Ana smiled because Quinley had chosenthetwo bags Ana had picked with her friend in mind.
“What else have you brought in to torture me with?” Quinley asked.
“Check out the boots in the front display,” Sasha called from the back of the store where she sat stacking a new shipment of shoes.
“Is she holding out on me, Sash?” Quinley shot Ana a mock glare.
“How big is your closet?” Ana asked as if she didn’t already know.
“You should know by now there will always be room for more bling,” Quinley said.
Ana couldn’t help but wonder if Quinley’s shopping addiction for items in her store had more to do with helping her than actual want of bling but knew better than to ask. “Here, let me take those,” she said, crossing the space to free up Quinley’s arms. “How was your weekend? Good?”
“Yeah. Worked most of it.” Quinley tilted her head to one side as she eyed the boots Sasha had recommended. “Would these go with that teal skirt I bought?”
Ana set the items on the counter and turned. “Oh, wow, yeah. I wouldn’t have put those two together, but definitely. I’ll have to do something similar in here now. You know that, right? That’s a great combo.”
Quinley grabbed her size and carried the box to the beautiful chair there for just such things as trying on shoes.
Ana frowned, wondering how she could bring up the subject of advertising a limousine business without being totally obvious. “Can I pick your brain for a sec while you do that?”
“Do you even have to ask? What’s up?” Quinley asked without lifting her head from her task.
“How do you go about advertising a service beyond the obvious holidays and such? I mean, with the clothes we focus on special occasions or treating loved ones, but would that work for that, too?”
“I guess it would depend on what ‘that’ is,” Quinley said as she stood and took a few steps in the boots to check the fit and feel. “I mean, if the service is sewage disposal, it’s a little hard to sell as a special occasion.”
