Chapter Forty-SixGrace
Chapter Forty-Six
Grace
“ T his isn’t the fancy mall,” Riley said as Spencer’s car cruised through a little neighborhood full of shops that looked high-end.
Evan had texted that there was something going on with Rose he had to deal with and that Spencer was sending a car to get me. I’d met him at work, we’d picked up Riley, and here we were.
My outfit for dinner was also in his trunk.
“No, it’s not.” Spencer parked and went around to open my door as Riley scrambled out the back.
He led us into an unassuming shop, where an elegant man greeted us. The shop was filled with racks of dresses.
“Spencer, it’s been too long,” he gushed, accent almost French.
“Andre, it was Monday.” Spencer chuckled. “Thank you for taking us on short notice. This is Riley and Grace. This is Andre, it’s his shop.”
Monday. Had the red dress come from here?
Andre looked us up and down. “Perfect. The racks are here for your approval.”
He led us toward the back of the shop, where there was some sort of waiting area with couches. There were also two small racks, filled with outfits.
Spencer went through them, separating out a few things. There weren’t just dresses, there were sparkly jumpsuits, sleek pantsuits, even a tux.
We also weren’t alone. An older woman browsed a rack in the corner. A couple of girls a little older than Riley were comparing dresses to a fabric swatch.
“I want to wear this.” Riley came over holding a short, black, studded number.
“The gala has a dress code–and a theme. This year’s is All that Glitters ,” Spencer said, moving to the other rack.
Riley rolled her eyes. “It’s shiny. Do I even get to pick?”
“Out of the ones I select for you, yes,” Spencer replied. “Brennan’s mother is… particular.”
With a huff, Riley put it back. Spencer loaded a bunch into my arms and Riley’s.
Dresses selected, we were moved back into an area with a settee, lots of mirrors and several large dressing rooms.
Riley went into one, and I went into another. We began trying things on. The dresses in my pile were all sleek, beautiful, long dresses with a hint of sparkle, not unlike what I’d worn to the science dinner. Most had high backs or wraps.
I started with a black shimmery one.
“Can you zip me?” Riley called from her dressing room.
“Sure.” I left my room and went over to hers. “You look great.”
She wore a black and white sleeveless formal romper. I zipped her up. Riley looked at herself in the mirror, then had me take a picture.
We tried on dresses, spinning in the mirror and taking pictures of each other.
Occasionally, Riley would go out and get Spencer's opinion–or chat with the girls trying on blue dresses for something called an excellent eighteenth.
Spencer was back out where the racks had first been, drinking a glass of champagne and answering work emails on his phone.
Andre came back to check on us a few times.
“Nothing is the one, is it?” he finally asked me.
“They’re all beautiful,” I replied. No, none of them were the one .
He nodded. “I have better ones. Ones that fit the dress code, but might be a bit flashy for the queen mum’s idea of what family should wear.”
“I’d like that. Thank you.” It was pretty funny how people referred to Brennan’s mom as the queen mum. It also explained a hell of a lot.
Andre came back with an armful of dresses. “You try these.”
“Thanks.” These were puffy, princess-y numbers.
I took out all the low back ones and then tried a blue one first.
“Ooh, that is more like it,” Riley breathed when I came out.
I looked in the mirror; it was very Cinderella.
She had on a tux and spun. “I could match the boys. Like?”
“So dapper. You need a hat,” I told her, twirling.
“I want a hat.” She nodded.
I tried on the rest of the dresses. The yellow one didn’t look right. The green one was a little fussy for my taste.
Last was a silver gown, with puffy sleeves and a little train. It had a corset back I couldn’t quite lace up. The neckline showed off the girls but wasn’t too daring. It showed my scars a little so I threw on the wrap.
I walked out into the dressing area and looked at myself in the mirror. Oh, my God. It was exquisite, with light sparkles in the brocade. That train. I looked like I was going to the Met Gala.
“Oh, my dear, you look extraordinary,” a woman said as she stood there. “Are you getting married?” She was old enough to be my mother.
“This is for a gala. I think it’s too much.” The train was massive. How would I navigate in that?
She smiled. “At your age, there’s no such thing.”
Andre came back and beamed. “Perfect. The train bustles for dancing.” He showed me. “We’ll have it altered for length.”
“Wow.” Riley came out in a silver jumpsuit, looking adorable. She took a picture of me. “Evan needs to see you in that.”
She went to try more things on, and I just stood there, looking in the mirror.
The older woman came back out, in a demure blue beaded number. “You are precious in that. Which gala is it for?”
“The Morris Foundation. I’ve never been. I don’t know if it’s appropriate. All the dresses I’ve tried are lovely, but this…” I felt like a princess.
“I’m going as well. You’ll be fine. I’m Evangeline,” she introduced.
“Grace.” I swished the skirts. I nodded at her outfit. “That dress is nice.”
“It’ll do. But you, you will be the delight of the red carpet in that gown. If you don’t have a special someone, you will after wearing that.” The corners of her eyes crinkled as she smiled. “Do you, because I am happy to make introductions if you don’t?”
“I do, two actually.” I giggled. I had two.
Perhaps there’d be a third at some point. Maybe.
“Lucky them.” Her smile widened. “You’re so pretty. Are you an actress?”
“A mathematician, actually,” I replied.
She nodded. “You work at a university?”
I shook my head, still swishing. “I just moved here, and I’m still looking, but there’s a company I’m interested in.”
We talked a little longer, and she returned to her dressing room. I just stood there, not wanting to take off the dress.
“Show Spence.” Riley pushed me out into the main room. She now wore a black, spangled dress with a handkerchief hemline. “Spence, Grace needs this one.”
“Grace.” Spencer exhaled sharply, standing.
The look on his face made me want to kiss him. Yeah, I wanted this dress, pretty please.
“Oh, you look exquisite.” Spencer kissed my hand, then he looked at Andre.
“It is a little more, but, ah, she’s lovely,” Andre said.
“He brought me more dresses,” I ducked my head a little.
Spencer grabbed my chin gently and moved my head back up, his touch searing me.
“It is appropriate for the gala, though a little beyond what Siobhan likes for family. Still, it’s exquisite.” His eyes never left mine. “You are exquisite.”
My lady parts grew warm. That praise.
“Perhaps you show him the blue?” Andre asked.
I tried on the blue dress for Spencer along with my favorite of the ones Spencer had chosen.
“We’ll get the silver, if that’s what you prefer, but we’ll need it altered,” Spencer said.
“Wait, I can?” Something about it made me giddy.
“Of course. I can’t wait to see Wes and Evan’s faces,” Spencer told me, reaching out and stroking my hair.
“I want this one.” Riley came out in a silver dress with a high-low hemline.
“Ri, it’s extraordinary,” I breathed. “Now we match.”
“I know.” She giggled. “I feel so fancy–and it’s silver so it goes with the theme.”
Spencer nodded. “Go ahead. You’ll need the right shoes and earrings.”
Andre beamed. “Excellent. I’ll get you rung up.”
Riley squealed and threw an arm around me. “We are princesses.”
I grinned, her excitement was contagious. “Yes, we are.”
“Grace, can I ask you a question?” Riley said using liquid eyeliner to give herself cat-eyes.
We were in her dorm room, getting ready. After dress shopping, Spencer had offered to take us some place, but Riley insisted that we get ready in her room. Evan would come and take us to the restaurant.
“Of course.” I tried to decide what color eyeshadow to use.
“You love my brother, right?”
I applied a pale shade all over my eyelids. “I do.”
While we hadn’t said it yet, I did love Evan very much.
She moved to the other eye. “You know, your story doesn’t make sense? The whole thing with you and Wes meeting as kids and all that, right?”
“It doesn’t, does it?” I put a darker shade in the crease. We’d never really come up with a backstory for me.
“No. Um, you know I know that you didn’t have a record?”
I nearly dropped the eyeshadow brush. “You do?”
“Yeah.” She got out a tube of mascara. “Even if your mom took you from here when you were seventeen, you’d have a record.”
“Maybe I just visited. That’s why his dad and sister never met me.” I added some highlighter.
She gave me a look. “You went to university. There’d be a record of you someplace, somewhere.”
“How do you know I didn’t have a record? Did Evan tell you?” I frowned as I added a hint of sparkle.
“Yeah, when he asked me to make you one. What? He and Wes didn’t do it themselves. They’re not that smart.” She added another coat of mascara to her long eyelashes.
“Oh. Evan didn’t say it was you. Wow, you’re talented.” I mulled that over. She was talented enough to create a government record for me? Wow.
“It’s a secret. Also, Spencer’s right, I promised I wouldn’t do shit like that anymore.” Riley appraised herself in the mirror.
I took a deep breath, taking a moment to put away the eyeshadow and get out my eyeliner. “What did Evan say about me?”
“That it’s not his story to tell.” She rolled her eyes.
“Evan, Spence, and Wes know. Do you really want to know? I don’t want to hide things from you. But… it’s a secret.” I started to line my right eye. If anyone would believe me, or at least keep an open mind, it would be her.
“I can keep a secret. But you shouldn’t keep secrets from Bren and Jett.” She frowned and chose a lipstick.
“I know.” I sighed. “We’ll tell them soon. We’re still figuring everything out. It’s weird.”
“I’m listening.” Riley applied lipstick.