Page 147 of The Perfect Spiral
We make our way to the changing room, closing the door behind us. “What’s up?” I ask, standing in front of him. His eyes roam over the dress. “Knox? What’s up? Is there something you need?”
“Oh, um… well, I just got a call from my agent. The Science Conference publicist called her to ask if you’d consider speaking at the Girls in STEM talk? It’s in New York, and they said they’d pay.”
“What? Are—what?” I stand there, stunned. “I—I can’t even talk in front of people.”
He steps closer, placing his hands on my shoulders. “You don’t have to if you’re not comfortable. I can tell them you can’t do it. But I’ll be there with you.”
“What? What do you mean you’ll be there with me?”
“I’ll be going to New York for an event with People magazine for an award.”
“What award?” I blurt out.
“Uh—sexiest… man alive thing.”
I raise an eyebrow, smirking. “Don’t give me that look, baby doll! Look, if you decide to do it, will you come with me to the event? If you don’t want to do it, will you still come with me to the event?”
“What about Lauren? Wouldn’t she be better at that than me?”
“I’m asking you, not her… But if you don’t want to go, I’ll go myself. If it’s any consolation, I think you should do the talk. You’d be a good role model for girls, regardless if they’re interested in a career in STEM.”
“What? Me? I—” I pause, weighing the pros and cons. I’ve never been good at public speaking. But this is a great opportunity to make a name for myself in the STEM industry.
Come on, Alex. Just do it!
“Fine, I’ll do it. But I have two conditions. One, all the money I’m getting goes to help girls get an education in STEM programs. And two, no personal questions about me. Only about the science and engineering aspect.”
He grins, pulling out his phone. “So that means you’ll be my date?”
My heart races at the word ‘date’. Is that what this is? No, it’s not a date. You’re just his date.
“Sure, I mean, I’m there already, right?” I try to sound as nonchalant as possible.
“Perfect! The event is in the next few days. My agent will fill you in on the details,” he said, circling around me to reach the door. He swung it open, then paused, leaning back into the room. “Oh, and baby doll?”
“Yes?” I responded, twisting my body to look over my shoulder at him.
“You look absolutely beautiful,” he said, winking at me before he closed the door behind him. His words sent a pulse rippling through my body.
My heart pounded in my chest, my palms were slick with sweat, and I could hear my own breath echoing in my ears. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, and I stood there, frozen, staring at the closed door.
He just called me beautiful.
I quickly changed out of the dress and back into my own clothes, not waiting for the woman to come help me. I hung the dress back on its hanger, left the room with it in hand, and handed it off to the woman.
I wouldn’t need any further adjustments until a week before the wedding. We’d all have to try our dresses on again to ensure they fit perfectly.
I walked back out to the group, who were standing and sitting around, watching the other bridesmaids model their dresses. Amy, Sam’s college friend, was currently showing off hers. She looked gorgeous, and her smile told me she loved it too. My phone buzzed, and I glanced down to see a message on the screen.
Wes: Can I talk with you? I looked across the room and nodded towards the door, signaling that we could talk outside. He followed me out, closing the door behind us as we walked out to the parking lot.
I kicked a small rock on the ground, sending it skittering towards a secluded spot. There was a bench under a tree where we could sit.
“Is everything alright?” I asked, breaking the silence. The distant sounds of cars and car horns filled the air. Wes sat down next to me, his eyes meeting mine.
He was nervous. I could tell by the way he was rubbing the back of his neck.
“You looked gorgeous in that dress, Alex.”
