Page 95 of The Book Club Boyfriend
Not usually my thing, but I’m already here, so I decide to look around.
Dresses. Tops. Flowy skirts I’d never wear unless I was running barefoot through a vineyard. I tell myself I’m just killing time, that it’s research for future character building or some other lie.
And then I see it.
A slip dress.
Midnight blue. Satin. Bias-cut and delicate without being frilly. The kind of dress that doesn’t try too hard. The kind of dress that says: I didn’t come to impress you, but go ahead and be impressed.
I reach out before I can stop myself. Let my fingers trail the fabric. It’s… lovely.
“Want to try it on?” the salesgirl asks, appearing beside me.
I almost say no.
But then—I don’t.
Inside the dressing room, I slide the dress over my head, and for a minute, I just stare.
Not because I look incredible.
Not because I’m suddenly transformed.
But because I don’t hate what I see.
There’s something about the way the fabric clings to me—unapologetically. It reminds me of something I haven’t felt in a while.
Desire.
Not for anyone else.
For myself.
I stand a little straighter. Smooth the fabric over my hips. And I know—I’m buying this damn dress.
Not for Chase.
Not for a photoshoot or an event or the fans.
For me.
Maybe I am a little different lately.
And maybe that doesn’t have to be such a bad thing.
Harper once bet me that I’d fall for Chase. At the time, I brushed it off as ridiculous. Now, I’m starting to see how easily a girl could fall for him… And that scares me.
Letting my walls down won’t be easy. But it might be worth it.
Back at my condo, the afternoon light spills across the living room in soft golden stripes. I toss my keys into the bowl by the door, drop the shopping bag on the couch, and then… hover.
I grab the bag.
A few minutes later, I’m standing in front of my full-length mirror, barefoot on the hardwood floor, slipping the dress back over my head. It falls into place like it belongs there. LikeIbelong in it.
It’s soft. And sleek. And scandalous in a way that feels quietly powerful.
I smooth my hands over the fabric. Tilt my head.
