Chapter Seventeen #2
“Here,” he said, lightly brushing his thumb against her cheek. His skin hummed as their gazes held. He felt each distinct pounding of his heart. He forced himself to drop his hand away before he did something ridiculous like cradle her face and kiss her.
“Thank you,” she said.
He swallowed hard. “You’re welcome.”
They reached their destination: Daniela’s dress shop. Noelle used a napkin to dust the sugar residue off her fingers. Then she did the same for Jeremiah. He liked the feeling of her hands pressed against his in any way possible. Even if it was just to rid them of sugar.
A Closed sign hung on the door. Jeremiah knocked and Daniela, the store owner, appeared and unlocked the door. Her thick, curly hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she’d switched into a pair of comfy-looking sneakers instead of the heels that she usually wore during regular store hours.
“Hey, hey, come on in,” Daniela said, opening the door.
Noelle peered around at the many gowns hanging throughout the store. Her mouth formed into a perfect O.
“Thank you so much for staying open late,” Jeremiah said. “I really appreciate it.”
“Of course. You know your mom is one of my most loyal customers. Your family’s grant helped my business when I really needed it.” Daniela smiled at Noelle. “This must be your beautiful girlfriend, Noelle. I’m Daniela.”
Noelle smiled. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too, sweetie. So you need a dress for the gala next week?” She looked Noelle up and down. “You have a great figure. We can probably take a dress off the rack and do minimal alterations.”
Noelle blushed. “Thank you.”
I agree, Jeremiah wanted to say. She does have a great figure. But he stayed quiet and folded his hands behind his back and listened to Daniela with a serious expression.
“What silhouette are you looking for?” Daniela asked.
“Um, maybe A-line with a slit,” Noelle said. “A classy slit, of course.”
Daniela nodded and took Noelle by the hand. “I’ve got options.”
Jeremiah sat by the chairs in front of the dressing room area and he watched as Daniela and Noelle bustled around the store. If Noelle liked a dress, Daniela hung it up in one of the changing rooms. Once they were finished browsing, Noelle had chosen three dresses.
Before Noelle tried on the first dress, she walked over to Jeremiah, chewing her bottom lip. “These dresses are expensive,” she whispered.
“Don’t worry about that. Just choose whichever dress you like best.”
A wrinkle appeared between her brows. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“Noelle?” Daniela called. “Come, come, sweetie.”
Jeremiah smiled at Noelle as she hurried inside the dressing room.
“Let me know when you’re in the gown and I’ll zip you up,” Daniela said, closing the curtain as Noelle got undressed.
Jeremiah could see her feet below the curtain.
Her sundress dropped to the floor, followed by her bra.
He swallowed thickly and glanced away, trying not to imagine what she looked like right now.
“Okay, I have it on,” Noelle said.
Daniela disappeared behind the curtain and presumably zipped up the back of Noelle’s dress.
Then the curtain opened, revealing Noelle.
The dress was emerald green with a beaded bodice.
Skinny straps went over her shoulders, and the skirt was made of tulle.
She looked like a princess. Daniela instructed Noelle to step onto the platform in front of the mirror.
“You look beautiful,” Jeremiah said.
Noelle smiled at him and blushed. “Thank you.”
“Doesn’t she? The color suits you well, Noelle,” Daniela said. “What do you think?”
“I like it.” Noelle looked at Jeremiah. “What about you?”
“I like it too.” His opinion didn’t really matter at the end of the day. He wanted her to choose whichever dress she liked, but he was glad that she’d made him feel included.
Noelle observed her reflection, turning from side to side. “I like it,” she repeated slowly, “but I don’t love it.”
“Let’s try on the next one,” Daniela said, leading Noelle back into the dressing room. She waited while Noelle slipped into the next option, and she popped behind the curtain to zip Noelle up.
This time when Noelle emerged, she wore a low-cut silver gown that displayed a nice sliver of cleavage. Jeremiah sat up straighter.
“I like this one too,” he said immediately.
Noelle laughed and shook her head as she looked at her reflection. “You would say that.”
“This is one of my most requested styles. Very sexy,” Daniela said. “You look gorgeous.”
“You really do,” Jeremiah agreed.
“Thank you.” Noelle bit her lip. “I like it a lot, but I still don’t think this is the one either.”
“Third time’s the charm,” Daniela said, whisking Noelle away behind the curtain once more.
It took longer for Noelle to put on the next dress.
Jeremiah overheard Daniela mumbling about a tricky zipper.
While he waited, he checked the time on his phone.
It was almost nine p.m. He wondered if his family had gone to the movies or not.
He was opening his text thread with Amara when Noelle finally came out of the dressing room.
He dropped his phone in his lap. The gown was satin black and strapless with a slit that went up her right thigh.
The dress hugged her body, and her braids were pulled to the side, showing off her elegant neckline and shoulders.
She was a classy, sexy bombshell. And she’d rendered him speechless.
“Va va voom,” Daniela sang, buzzing around Noelle. She gestured to the slit. “You can dance easily in this one. We can take in the hem at the bottom and a little at your waist.”
Noelle spun in a circle, standing on her tiptoes as if she were wearing heels. She grinned at herself in the mirror. It did something to his heart to see her look so happy.
“I love it,” she declared. She looked over her shoulder at Jeremiah. “What do you think?”
He was too busy staring at her to answer.
“Jeremiah?” she prompted.
He blinked. “You’re breathtaking.”
Noelle paused and they locked eyes for a heated moment. She smiled softly. “Thank you.”
“Is this our winner?” Daniela asked, glancing between the two of them.
Noelle nodded, and Daniela clapped her hands. At the same time, the store’s phone started to ring, and Daniela sighed.
“Who would call this late, knowing that I’m closed?” she grumbled. “Noelle, sweetie, let me know once you’ve taken off the dress and I’ll be there in one minute.”
Daniela walked to the register to answer the phone, and Jeremiah’s eyes trailed Noelle as she slipped back behind the curtain. Next Saturday, he was gonna have to survive an entire night of Noelle wearing that dress. He didn’t know how the hell he would do it.
“Oh shit,” Noelle suddenly muttered. “Jeremiah?”
He stood. “Yeah?”
“This zipper is stuck.” She hesitated. “Can you help me?”
He glanced at Daniela, who was still on the phone.
His heart thrummed in his chest as he pulled the curtain aside.
Noelle was standing with the zipper halfway down, exposing most of her back.
She clasped the front of the dress to her chest to keep it from falling.
His pulse thundered in his ears as he was enveloped by her floral perfume.
He held his breath as he stood behind her and moved her braids to the side.
His fingers brushed against the smooth skin of her back, and his hands tingled.
He made himself focus on the reason she’d asked for his help.
There was some fabric stuck in the zipper.
Slowly, carefully, he began to dislodge the fabric, trying not to rip it in the process.
“I didn’t break the zipper, did I?” Noelle asked, sounding stressed.
“No, it’s okay. Don’t worry.”
She held still as he meticulously pulled the fabric from the zipper.
“Um, you should look at the price tag while you’re back there,” she said.
He noted the price. “It’s fine.”
When he glanced up at the mirror in front of them, he found her watching him.
“It is?” she asked.
He nodded and refocused on the zipper. He tried his best not to imagine touching her anywhere else or undressing her with his eyes.
“I’ve almost got it,” he said.
When he finally pulled the fabric free, the zipper nicked Noelle’s skin a little, and she winced.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” he said, rubbing his thumb against the reddened skin to soothe the spot. He kept his thumb pressed there as he looked up and met her gaze in the mirror.
“It’s okay,” she said.
He let his eyes trail the slope of her neck. He wanted to place his mouth against her beating pulse. He wondered how she would respond if he did. When he met her gaze in the mirror again, she was watching him, her lips slightly parted.
“Okay, I’m back,” Daniela chirped. She paused on the other side of the curtain and chuckled. “I see two sets of feet under there. No funny business in my shop, young people!”
Jeremiah spared one last glance at Noelle before he backed away and stepped out of the dressing room, letting the curtain close behind him.
He held his hands up innocently. “No funny business here.”
Daniela laughed as she disappeared behind the curtain. Jeremiah shook his head to clear his thoughts.
Noelle was torturing him.
No, he was torturing himself.
After Noelle redressed and Daniela took her measurements, Jeremiah paid for the gown, and Daniela promised to have alterations finished before the gala next weekend.
“Thank you,” Noelle said to Jeremiah as they walked home. “Not just for the dress, but for the whole experience. I haven’t tried on dresses like that since senior prom. It was fun.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he said. And he meant it.
Noelle deserved to be fitted for beautiful gowns and to be told over and over again that she was beautiful.
She deserved to have fun, and she deserved a break.
From the looks of things, she’d been the heart of Hidden Gems Books, and it hadn’t stopped her from losing her job.
She’d been given the shitty end of the stick.
He was torn between respecting the professional nature of their agreement and his desire to know more about her. His desire won in the end.
“Can I ask you something?” he said. “It’s personal.”