Chapter 35 – When You Know, You Know
Rosalie
Kam flips through the clothing racks like a woman on a mission. I don’t blame her. We’re on our third store. This would be so much easier if I’d had time to shop online.
She stops and scrunches her nose at something before moving on. When I tilt my head over to look, she says, “cheap material,” and shoos me back to my row.
The search continues. I have two contenders on my arm. I don’t feel like I’m that picky. I just want something that looks good on me and looks expensive. If it’s not actually expensive, that would be even better.
“So, to clarify, you’re hoping for a cocktail dress that screams ‘I’m a boss babe, but also, my boss thinks I’m a babe?’”
Kam doesn’t believe in using her inside voice.
Two teen girls turn in our direction before linking arms and whispering things about me I don’t have time to worry about.
We still have the matter of my hair. I have an appointment in less than an hour, at a place I’ve never been to.
It’s okay. Whatever they do will be better than anything I could create myself.
“I trust your fashion sense more than mine, Kam.” I would have stolen something from her closet, but she insisted nothing was nice enough.
Kam deliberates for a minute before handing me a beige dress, and then I head into the dressing room for what will hopefully be the final time.
“I want to see all three,” Kam hollers from the dressing room hallway. “I’m getting good at these tricky zippers.”
“A little louder for those in the back,” I mutter.
“Tricky zippers!” Kam repeats louder with a laugh. “I’m kinda hoping we get kicked out of here. It will force you to decide on one.”
The dress I’ve just put on is so gorgeous that I can almost ignore her. It’s one I picked out, amazingly enough. I turn back and forth in front of the mirror, trying to examine it from every angle. There are no bad angles. It flatters in the front and the back. “Kam, I’m in love.”
“With the dress or the man?”
“Both.” I exit the dressing room and go to stand in front of the larger three-way mirror right outside.
For once, Kam is speechless. The dress is a midnight-sky sapphire blue with little diamond accents across the halter-top neckline.
It shows off my shoulders and makes my hips look curvier than they are.
Hitting mid-calf, the silky yet rich material opens at just the right height a few inches above my knee, but it has a slight ruffle to it, with enough material to wrap it closed when I sit.
Kam holds up her phone and takes a picture. “For Aubrey.”
I don’t bother trying on the other two dresses, despite Kam’s protests. When you know, you know. Plus, I have a pair of silver heels at home that will look like I bought them to go with this dress.
Once purchased, I carefully lay the dress in its bag across the back seat, and then we zip through a drive-thru.
If I’m going to eat five-star food tonight, it should be on an appreciative stomach, so I settle for a small smoothie and the secondhand enjoyment I get from watching Kam devour her large burger and fries.
She always eats like it’s the first time she’s ever experienced food, probably because she burns so many calories.
Even when she’s not exercising, she’s a force of nature.
Sure enough, she groans when she bites into her first fry. “So good. They even salted these just right.”
I steal one and sigh. They are good. Or maybe it’s Kam making me believe it. Food just tastes better after she gives it her stamp of approval. “Is Gavin mad that I stole you for the afternoon?”
“Furious.” Kam laughs, but it looks forced. She picks up her drink and sips for a long time before setting it down. She would never let me get away with something like that, so I stare her down at the next red light.
Her eyebrows go up. “What?”
“Is he actually mad? Did you miss something important today?”
“Not at all. I’m actually… glad for the distance.”
That was not what I was expecting, but my GPS is telling me to turn left at the next light and then make an immediate right, so I pay attention to it until we reach the salon parking lot. I opt for a shady spot. We’re twenty minutes early.
“So, what’s going on with you two?”
Kam gathers up her trash and consolidates it before answering. “He said something the other day that was like, ‘oh, when we get married, I’ll tell you.’”
“He’d tell you what?”
“Nothing important. He was just making a joke. But he said when we get married.” The last part comes out as a shout-whisper. She balls up the fast-food bag with a loud crinkle. “Ro, I don’t know if I want to marry him.”
Kambryn has been planning her wedding her whole life. She definitely wants to get married. I just didn’t expect her to say Gavin isn’t who she’s looking for. They’ve been dating for two years.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing. I just laughed it off. I’m a terrible person. I’ve been trying not to think about my reaction ever since.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Two weeks?”
“Kam!”
“If we break up, then it’s over. What if he’s the one and I’m being an idiot? I used to love that he’s an overgrown puppy. We would laugh so much.”
My phone starts ringing, and I pull it out to silence it, but Kam’s faster. She swipes across to answer and puts it on speaker. “Hi, Liam,” she sings out. “Ro found a dress. You’re going to lose your mind.”
No pressure or anything.
“Hi, Kambryn. I was just going to run something by Rosalie.”
I take it off speaker and put the phone up to my ear, giving Kambryn an apologetic smile. She, of course, doesn’t look bothered at all. An interruption from Liam means our conversation about Gavin is over and she can pretend we never had it. I have a feeling I’m the only one she’s told.
I’m not sorry to hear from Liam, though. Like he senses we’re in the middle of something, I have to reassure him I have time to talk.
Kambryn opens her passenger door, taking her fast-food bag and my empty cup. There’s a trash can outside next to the curb. “I’m going in,” she tells me. “Don’t be late. Watch the clock. I’ll text you if they want you early.”
“Thanks, Kam.” Once she’s shut the door, I push my seat back to give myself lounging room. “Is everything okay?” I ask Liam.
“Oh yeah. I’m cleaning up my kitchen and thinking. Plotting, actually.”
“Plotting ways to get out of tonight?”
He laughs. “Is the nanny thing going to bother you forever? We’re going to be telling that story for years. If you’re embarrassed every time, they’re definitely going to think I was inviting you over for sleepovers.”
“Liam!” I actually love his teasing. He spent years holding out on me.
But woven through his joke is the word forever.
Maybe I wouldn’t have zeroed in on it if I hadn’t just had a conversation with Kambryn.
The thought of forever with him doesn’t fill me with dread, though.
I feel… peace. Like of course that’s where we’re headed, because it’s the two of us.
No other person would be right. No other person has been right.
“So, do you want to hear about my plotting?” he asks. “I think I can help you feel less embarrassed.”
“Of course. I’m all ears.”
“First, how do you feel about Esther knowing about us?”
“I’m not against it. I mean, after tonight she’s bound to hear anyway.”
“Well, good. Because I think we should give the impression that she’s the one who set us up. A little bit of good PR spin.”
“You’re such a consultant. Did you already talk to Esther about this?”
“Of course not. I’m plotting. But I think Esther would have no problem taking the credit. And adding her matchmaking interference will make the whole boss-nanny thing sound less…”
“Forbidden?”
“Yeah. You know it’s not forbidden for me to date you, though.”
I grin. “I know, dear.” The more I think about it, the more I like the idea. It makes getting through the party tonight feel a lot less intimidating if I have a story to tell. “Okay. Throw her into this. If she’s willing.”
“She’ll be willing. She once asked me if it bothered me that you were so pretty, and I shut that down so fast that she laughed in my face. She probably thinks she is our matchmaker.”
“She did the same thing to me,” I admit.
I hadn’t thought about it in a while. It was the same question, her wondering if it bothered me that Liam was so hot.
At the time, I’d considered it a mind game or maybe testing my loyalty, seeing as how we were talking about her ex-husband.
I’d lied and said he was cute, but not really my type. Liam is exactly my type.
Liam groans. “She really is a schemer. Do you want to call her, or should we tell her together?”
“Oh, no. You talk to Esther. But make sure the kids aren’t listening in the background.”
“Agreed. We’ll tell Callie and Wyatt about us when the time is right. I don’t think they’ll be surprised. We’ve been hanging out in the kitchen a little too much for them not to notice.”
I think he’s overestimating their observational skills, but I’m not scared to tell them. I love those kids. And their dad.
I’m twirling a lock of hair around one finger, but I drop it when I look through the windshield and see Kambryn hanging halfway out the door to the salon and waving to get my attention. I bet she texted and it didn’t make a sound.
“Liam, I have to go. Let me know how it goes with Esther.”
“Okay. See you tonight. And just so you know, any dress on you would make me lose my mind.”
I blush. “Good answer.”