Page 59 of The Best Little Christmas Shop
‘Honestly,’ she said, flicking through my wardrobe, ‘I don’t know why I bother.’
‘Oop! See, there’s another one!’
‘Oh, be quiet, you. Now what about this?’
‘God no!’
‘Why? It’s lovely.’
‘It is. On the right occasion. Definitely not this occasion.’
‘Why not?’
‘Way too much boobage.’
Xander snorted. ‘You wish.’
I hit him with the biscuits.
‘Ohh!’ Giselle held the dress out in front of her a little more, ‘Oh yes. You’re right. I didn’t realise it was the same one. Looks different on the hanger.’
‘Probably not that much different. That hanger’s got about as much cleavage asLexi has.’
Like having three brothers wasn’t enough. I had to have an honorary one too.
‘Don’t be so rude!’ Giselle actually wagged her finger at him, pulling off the gesture without looking ridiculous. ‘She’s got just the right amount for her frame and in this dress with the right bra … well! Let’s just say Cal wouldn’t be able to concentrate.’
‘Isn’t that what you want? For him to fall downwith his tongue lolling out?’
‘What an attractive picture you paint. And no. That isn’t what I want. I want him to be able to just sit and talk to me. Properly.’
Xander blew out a dramatic sigh. ‘Why do girls always want to talk so much?’
‘Here,’ I said, handing him the remote, ‘put some cartoons on and amuse yourself.’
He pulled a face, stuck out his tongue, and began channel surfing.
‘This!’Giselle exclaimed from the depths of my wardrobe, ‘Now this is perfect!’ I studied the midnight blue boat neck dress with its full circle skirt. It was pretty but classic. Elegant but not dramatic.
‘I think you might be right.’
A mumbled ‘Hallelujah!’ drifted over from Xander’s direction.
***
Cal had wanted to pick me up but I’d decided it might feel like less of a date if I just met him atthe pub. I wasn’t actually sure if this was a date and had sort of forgotten to ask. Hence the hoo-ha with the wardrobe choices. He’d booked a table for us in the restaurant adjoining the pub for half seven and I was now stood there ten minutes early trying to ignore the interested glances I could feel being thrown my way.
Maybe dinner out of town would have been better. I’d dealt with this,and a whole lot more, but Cal was still relatively new here and from what I heard, he wasn’t big on dinners for two with anyone other than George. This was fresh fodder for the gossip machine and I worried how Cal might feel about that.
Straightening my back, and smoothing down my dress, I walked to the bar. I’d done the same thing plenty of times before over the years but rarely in a dress.It felt different. I felt different. The dress was beautiful and I really did love it but I’d spent most of my life either in jeans or overalls and it was what I was used to. When I put my team overalls or shirt on, I knew what I was doing. Who I was. This was a whole new experience and I was way out of my comfort zone.
But there was a part of me that felt excited by that. By all of this. I wasstill doing my best not to totally fall for Cal Martin but when he looked at me and the rest of the world went into soft focus, it felt right. Even if it was wrong. And OK, so that feeling never lasted long. I was, after all, much better at reality than fantasy. But a little bit now and then couldn’t hurt, could it? And putting this dress on tonight, saying yes to dinner, even as friends, it gaveme that feeling again.
I’d actually loved putting on this dress and may even have done a twirl or two in the privacy of my own room. Afterwards, I’d popped into the house to see Mum to check I looked OK and she’d burst into tears. Not helpful to my whirling, contradictory thoughts but kind of lovely.
‘Wow!’
I hadn’t seen Cal when I’d arrived and so had ordered an orange juice while I waited.I looked up as he now stood beside me, an expression of appreciation on his face.
