Chapter 26
twenty-six
Miles makes a face. “Absolutely not.”
I stare down at the long black dress on the hanger in front of me. Miles has turned down every single one of my finds, but he hasn’t suggested a single dress. He just browses through the racks with a face of determination and an unwillingness to consider anything with sleeves.
“How is it hideous? It’s just a black dress.”
He answers without looking. “My point exactly.”
I stare at him, waiting for more of an explanation, but he continues his search. I let out a groan and stare up at the ceiling, collecting myself before I tackle the next row. We’ve been at it for almost an hour, and I haven’t tried anything on.
“Should I just wait for you to find whatever you’re looking for?” I point a thumb over my shoulder at the pair of chairs where disgruntled husbands usually sit.
“No . . .” Miles drags out the word. “ You should be looking for something sexy instead of trying to dress like a scandalous nun for this thing.” He picks up one dress and considers it for a moment before tossing it over his forearm. “You set the bar with that black dress you wore on your date, and I know this occasion calls for something a little different, but the man has expectations now.”
I scoff. “I doubt it. He wasn’t exactly helpful when I asked him for specifics.” My mind wanders back to Chase listing off decorations before finally landing on mistletoe. That was easily the best first kiss I’ve ever had, and I’m still trying to figure out if that should disappoint me, or if I should be elated by it.
“Which dress did you just pick up?” I point to the material draped over his arm.
Miles glances down at the dark piece of fabric before waving me off. “It has potential, but I’m not convinced it’s the one.”
“At this rate, we’ll never find the one. Let me try it on.”
He holds up the dress in my direction like he’s trying to imagine it on me. “I guess it can’t hurt,” he finally says, handing it over.
Happily snatching it from his hand, I head to the dressing room with Miles at my heels.
“I’ll wait here for the big reveal.” He takes a seat in one of the chairs outside the women’s fitting room, and I slip inside. I know he wants Chase’s jaw to hit the floor when he sees me Friday night. I want that too, but I don’t think I have to go for solid sex appeal the way Miles is thinking. I’m sure if I find a nice dress that’s flattering for my body, he’d have the same type of reaction.
Slipping on the sleek maroon dress, I quickly realize I can’t wear a bra because of how low the back goes. I take off my bra and position the fabric. Staring at myself in the mirror, I can’t deny the dress is gorgeous. It’s simple with its thin straps and overlapping fabric, creating a dip at my chest. My chest fills out the dress nicely, but what really makes it eye-catching is the slit gliding up and stopping mid-thigh. I’m sure my leg would look incredible through that slit if I were wearing heels .
Once I step into view, Miles perks up. “God damn. That looks better than I thought it would.”
“Yeah?” I ask, looking down and smoothing my hands over the fabric.
He raises his eyebrows. “Uh. Yeah. You two might not even make it to the party with a dress like that, and that’s exactly what I was going for.” I roll my eyes, but he ignores me and circles his finger in my direction. “Spin.”
I do and look over my shoulder to see his response. “Damn,” he says again. “I’m good. I am really fucking good.” His eyes dart up to meet mine behind his neon glasses. “You know you can’t wear panties, right?”
“Yeah, I saw that. I might have a thinner pair at home I can try.”
He shakes his head slowly. “Eh, I wouldn’t risk it. Why mess up a dress like this with a panty line?”
He’s probably right, but I’ll still look when I go home. “So, you think this is good?”
He nods. “I think he’s definitely going to want to fuck you.”
I let out a laugh. “Why is that always the goal?”
“Consider me a matchmaker,” he says with a grin. “A true believer of Christmas miracles.”
My eyes narrow. “You just want to know if he’s good, don’t you?”
He nods, unashamed. “Very much so.”
I turn to study myself in the mirror, pushing up on my toes, so I can imagine what it will look like once I have heels on. “Well, if it’s anything like how he kisses, it’s bound to be good.”
Miles sits up straighter. “You kissed him?”
I catch his eyes in the reflection of the mirror and nod.
“And I’m just hearing about it now?”
I turn around to face him again. “It happened last night.” I shrug. “He thought it would help if we got it out of the way. ”
Miles groans, rolling his eyes with his whole head like he does. “Oh, fuck this practice shit. What happened?”
I laugh at how invested he is in all of this. “He kissed me at my salon, and then he walked me home.”
Miles blinks, but the fact that he’s not saying anything tells me he’s waiting for more.
“. . . And that’s it.”
He gapes at me. “That’s it? You didn’t pull him into our apartment and have your way with him?”
“I did not.”
His forehead falls into his hand, and he rubs his head like a disappointed coach might. “Candace,” he says quietly.
“Yes, Miles?”
“Sleep with the man. You’re attracted to him, and he’s attracted to you. Who cares if it doesn’t last? Have fun .”
My teeth sink into my bottom lip. He’s right. In some roundabout way, he’s always right, but I still feel like if I sleep with Chase, I’d be selling myself short.
Dropping my arms by my side, I let out a sigh. “Okay, fine. Maybe.” Raising my eyebrows at him, I ask, “The dress?”
Miles lets out one of his deep laughs I adore so much. “Never mind. Don’t sleep with him. You look like I just suggested getting a root canal with no drugs.” He stands and gets to his feet. Looking over his shoulder, he adds, “And if you like the dress, I think you should get it. Your boobs have never looked so good.”
My lips twist into a smile as he leaves the fitting room area. With a shake of my head, I turn on my heels and head back into the dressing room. Pulling the curtain shut, I stare at myself in the mirror. I feel good. Glancing down, I check the tag and that good feeling disappears. Holy shit. I mean, the dress is gorgeous, but $300? I grimace and study myself in the mirror again. It’s hard to justify spending that amount of money regardless of how good I look. My mind is already running through my schedule for the next couple of weeks to help justify the cost. At least it’s always busy around the holidays. Even Nicolette and all her friends push up their appointments to make sure they’re looking great going into the new year.
And this dress looks like it was made for me.
Taking a deep breath and facing forward again. I run my hands over the soft fabric. I can do this. I can buy myself an expensive dress.
And it took so long to find it. I know Miles would be a good sport if I went out there and said we needed to keep looking. He’d probably shop all day if it meant finding something perfect, but the last thing I want to do is start this search all over again.
My shoulders drop as I resign to keeping the dress. I don’t know if Miles is right about whether I should sleep with Chase, but he is right about one thing. My boobs do look amazing.