Chapter 55
While Dot waited to hear back from Kitty’s call with the candidate, she poked her head into the living room, where Mary and Harper were watching the Kardashians and scrolling through TikTok. Pippi had moved to Harper’s lap during Dot’s call with Kitty.
“Hey, you two.” She grabbed a seat on the couch and tucked her legs under her. “Danny said when he picks us up for dinner that we need to make a quick stop by the bookshop before we go. Cool?”
“Yep, sounds good. I’ll head upstairs to get ready.” Harper gently got out from under Pippi and slid off the couch.
“What are you wearing?” Mary asked. “Are we Wisconsin nice or Manhattan naughty tonight?”
“When have you ever dressed as Wisconsin nice?” Dot asked.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Mary said.
“Whatever you wear, I bet Jake tries to take it off later,” Harper said, jetting up the stairs with Pippi close behind.
“A girl can dream,” Mary said, tilting back the last of her sparkling lemon water.
THAT NIGHT, DOT took extra care getting ready. With her project for the day behind her, she was excited to see Danny.
She brushed her hair and then added two gold clip barrettes in a half-up, half-down look for the evening.
She chose a hot pink midi column dress with a light pink suede leather jacket and gold slingbacks with kitten heels she’d ordered on .
She added a pair of sparkly drop earrings and a spritz of the Delina perfume her parents had sent for her birthday.
She turned left and right in front of the bathroom mirror then took a selfie and sent it to her sister in Colorado.
“Fancy,” Anne texted back with a dancing girl emoji. Then she sent her sister a photo of herself in light colored jeans, a plaid flannel shirt, a trucker’s cap, and her hiking boots. “My evening attire.”
“Do you even own a pair of heels?” Dot loved to tease her little sister, but she was happy she’d landed right where she wanted to be.
Dot slipped her phone into her small gold handbag that went with everything and called for The Crew to get ready to load up. Danny would be there any minute. The thought of seeing him gave her a warm shiver down her spine.
Downstairs, Harper was settling Pippi in for the night on the couch with a chew toy, a blanket, and a promise that she’d be home soon.
“I always come back,” Harper said. Pippi gave her a pitiful “How could you leave me all alone here?” look but curled up in her bed and sighed loudly, resigned to her fate.
“She breaks my heart,” Harper said, kissing the dog’s head.
She had on white straight-leg pants, tan high-heeled clogs, and a Bohemian top in a deep copper that went well with her coloring. She’d left her hair loose and curly.
“They’ve evolved to make us feel guilty. It works! Anyway, don’t you look fresh!” Dot complimented her outfit.
“I don’t know. Are you sure?” Harper said, twisting this way and that, second-guessing her choice.
“It’s great!” Dot reassured her then called upstairs, “Mary! Danny’s almost here.”
“Coming!” A few seconds later, Mary came down the stairs in a black mini-halter tiered dress and silver spiky heels.
She wore chandelier earrings and a stack of silver bangles on her wrist. She carried a black leather jacket over her arm and swung a new sleek black bag with a chain over her shoulder.
“Are you trying to give Jake a heart attack?” Harper asked.
“Yes,” Mary said simply as she applied one more coat of Tay Tay’s favorite Pat McGrath red lip gloss. She play-kissed the mirror, and Dot ushered them out and closed the door behind them.
They walked onto their porch and Dot waved to Danny as he pulled up in his four-door pickup. As they were getting into the truck, Dot felt her phone buzz in her handbag. She pulled it out and saw the message from Kitty she’d been waiting for about the dating profile.
“She loves it. No edits. Post anytime then send me the link,” Kitty said and added a star emoji.
“Oh wow,” Dot said.
“What’s up?” Danny asked as he pulled his truck onto the street to head to the bookstore.
“Long story—just a work thing. I’ve got one more thing I need to do tonight.”
“Need to stop at the office?” he asked.
“Nope! I can do it right here.” Dot waggled her phone at him. She read her Lopez dating profile one more time just to make sure there were no typos. “Okay, here we go.” Her finger hovered over the send button. This was so risky. But it was also exhilarating.
She hit “post” and said a silent prayer that it would work.