31. Sophie
“Xander is going to pass out when he sees you in that dress.” Dakota grins at me as I stand at the center of the boutique. Her gaze falls to my chest. “Especially when he sees your boobs.”
Maya and Ingrid burst out laughing. I chuckle and shake my head.
The boutique worker standing by the rack of gowns nearby stifles a laugh before walking up to us. “She’s right. You look amazing.”
I thank her before she walks off. Maya, Ingrid, Dakota, and I are all going to the Bashers fundraiser this weekend, so we decided to go shopping for gowns together. Theo’s cousin Ingrid is emceeing the date auction, and she offered to take us to a high-end boutique in Cherry Creek to look for dresses. She’s friends with the owner and has done multiple ad campaigns for them on her social media accounts.
“Dakota’s right,” Maya says. “That color is so pretty on you.”
I tell her thank you and smile down at the satin gown I’m wearing. I take a second to look at my reflection in the boutique mirror. They’re right—the dress is beautiful. It’s a simple sheath gown with delicate straps and a deep v-neckline. It’s blush pink—the same shade of pink as the roses Xander sends me. The same shade of pink that he says my skin turns when I blush.
I think back to the other night when he and I fooled around at his place, how he told me that the blush of my skin was his favorite color.
My heart flutters at just how sweet and romantic that was.
And just like that night, my skin flushes hot when I think about all the filthy things we got up to.
How I stripped for him, how sexy and confident I felt as he watched me, how supportive he was when I told him I wanted to try throat fucking.
How he prioritized my pleasure the entire time—how he made sure I came first.
It was hands-down the hottest night of my life. And the most romantic.
It was also the night that I realized that my feelings for Xander were growing and intensifying…and that I wouldn’t be able to fake it with him much longer.
Because I’m falling for him. Hard. And I want him to be my real boyfriend.
I think about the way he cuddled me into his chest after we finished, the sweet kisses we shared, the way he looked at me…how his gorgeous hazel eyes flashed with intensity and emotion.
And I wondered if maybe his feelings for me were growing too.
I was going to ask him, but I lost my nerve. It was a perfect night, and I didn’t want to make things weird by spilling my feelings to him.
So I just focused on the moment and fell asleep in his arms.
The next morning when I woke up, Xander was in the kitchen making me breakfast. And he surprised me with a fresh bouquet of pink roses. I swooned hard.
It was perfect. He is perfect.
The end date of our fake relationship is coming up, and I need to work up the nerve to tell him how I feel.
“What jewelry are you thinking about wearing?” Maya asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“I’m not sure,” I say. “I’m so used to wearing scrubs and uniforms, that I hardly ever think to wear jewelry.” I turn to Maya. “What do you think would look good? You’re the expert.”
She smiles and walks over to me. “I just designed a pair of white diamond chandelier earrings that I think would look so pretty on you.”
She pulls out her phone and shows me a photo on her Instagram.
“Oh wow…” I murmur.
“Don’t get too excited. They’re fake diamonds,” she teases.
“They look gorgeous,” I tell her. “I’d love to wear them. Will you set aside a pair for me so I can buy them?”
She says no problem.
She, Ingrid, and Dakota head to the fitting room with some dresses to try on. I head back to my fitting room and change back into my clothes.
“Sophie, can you zip me up?” Dakota asks.
“Sure.”
I step out and see Dakota standing in a strapless, form-fitting black dress.
“Whoa. You look hot,” I say.
She beams. “I’m so excited to go. I’ve never been to a formal event like this before. I’m pumped that Sam asked me to go with him.”
I zip her up. “So is it a date?” I ask.
Dakota laughs. “No way. We’re just going as friends. He just said he didn’t want to go alone.”
I was wondering if Sam has told Dakota that he likes her yet, but clearly he hasn’t.
“I’m surprised that your brother didn’t insist that you go with him as his date.”
Dakota rolls her eyes. “Even if he had, I would have said no. I’m tired of his overprotective act. At least with Sam as my date, Del won’t lose his shit since they’re good friends.”
She steps over to the mirror and takes in her reflection. “Okay, I love this dress.” She beams.
“It looks like it was made for you,” I tell her. “You have to get it. You look stunning in it.”
She smiles at me and says she’s definitely going to get the dress. Maya and Ingrid step out and gush over just how pretty Dakota looks.
Both Maya and Ingrid look like actual models in their dress with how tall they are. I tell them they look incredible and they thank me, but they both want to keep looking for different dresses. Dakota goes back into her fitting room to change out of her dress and back into her clothes.
I grab my gown from my fitting room and walk back out into the boutique.
My phone buzzes, so I grab it from my pocket and see an Instagram alert. I see that Ethan commented on one of my photos with a flame emoji.
I make a disgusted noise. Is he serious?
I delete the comment and notice an unread DM. I tap on it.
Hey. You’re looking pretty sexy lately. We should catch up.
I immediately block Ethan. God, he really is a creep. I can’t believe he’d send me a DM like that when he has a girlfriend. I wish I had her contact info. I’d text her right now and tell her what a creep her boyfriend is being.
I sigh, annoyed that I don’t have a way to get ahold of her. She seemed really sweet and nice. She doesn’t deserve to be with a guy who’s trying to chat up his ex.
“Miss, did you end up deciding to go with that dress?”
I look up and see the sales associate from earlier. I smile at her, pushing Ethan out of my mind.
“Yes. I’d like to buy this one.”
She flashes a knowing smile. “It’s already been taken care of for you.”
I frown, confused. “What do you mean?”
“Your boyfriend called the boutique this morning and said he’d like to pay for your dress. And anything else you want.”
I’m speechless as she takes the dress out of my hands and says she’ll pack it up for me. This morning Xander asked me what my plans were so I told him about shopping with Ingrid, Maya, and Dakota. He must have called the boutique after I left.
“You should think about getting a pair of new heels too,” she says. “We have a lovely selection. He sounded quite eager to treat you.”
I bite back what I’m sure is a giddy smile. She walks off and I grab my phone out of my pocket to text Xander.
Me: You’re buying my dress??
Xander: Yeah ;) I asked you to come as my date, so I want to pay for your dress. And anything else you want to wear.
I bite my lip, grinning like an idiot at my phone.
Me: Xander, this is too much. I told you, I can pay for my own things.
Xander: I know you can. But I want to treat you.
Xander: And remember what I said before? You’re never paying for anything. Not with me
I bite back a squeal. I still can’t get over how romantic and thoughtful he is.
Xander: Don’t stop at the dress, Sophie. Get more.
My stomach dips. It’s just a text, but I can picture the smile on his face as he texts me. That sexy half-grin that always makes me weak in the knees, that he flashes when he surprises me and can’t wait to see my reaction.
I glance around the boutique and spot a gorgeous pair of rose gold heels that match the gown perfectly. I walk over and try them on. They fit perfectly. After a minute of debating myself, I give in and decide to get them.
I text him again.
Me: I decided to get a pair of heels to go with the dress.
Xander: Good. Now get some lingerie to wear under it.
I bite my lip, hoping that no one else in the boutique notices just how red my skin is. Because even though I can’t see myself, I know I’m blushing hard at Xander’s request.
But I love how he’s telling me what to buy. I can tell it turns him on. And it turns me on too knowing that he gets so much pleasure from spoiling me.
Me: What kind of lingerie do you want to see me in?
Xander: You’d look good in anything, gorgeous. I want to be surprised when I undress you.
My breath catches, and my skin burns hot. I tuck my phone back in my pocket and notice the saleswoman who helped me earlier hanging a dress up on one of the racks.
I walk up to her. “Do you have any lingerie?”
She flashes that knowing smile again. “Of course.”
She leads me to the far end of the boutique to what looks like a large fitting room. But when she opens the door, it’s a huge closet full of the most beautiful and delicate lingerie I’ve ever seen.
“I’ll leave you to take a look,” she says and walks out.
I look at the endless hangers of bras, panties, stockings, and endless other lingerie pieces. I notice all of the designer names are in French and Italian. So fancy.
My gaze catches on a strapless lace bra and matching thong in the most beautiful color. I grin to myself. Perfect.