Her dress is a shimmery, rosy gold.The top is fitted, with thin straps and a low neckline.The fabric at the skirt is see-through up until mid-thigh.A pattern of sequins makes it all sparkly and shit.
It’s fucking perfect on her.
“That one.”The words come out strangled.I can barely speak.I don’t even want to blink.I don’t want to miss a millisecond of seeing her in this dress.“That’s the dress.”
“Dmitri, seriously.”She laughs and smooths her hands over the shiny fabric.“This is the first one.There are, like, fifty more to try.”
“Doesn’t matter.This is the one.”I look to Gage for back-up.
“It’s a very nice gown.Very flattering.”Gage gestures toward three mirrors angled around a raised platform.“Why don’t you hop up there, little girl?Get a good view so you can decide.”
“The fuck?”I stand and point at Leah.“This is the best dress to exist in the history of dresses.Look at her—she’s a motherfuckinggoddessin this dress.That’s the one dress to rule them all and I will die on this hill.”
Leah turns on the raised platform and presses her lips together as if she’s trying not to laugh.“Noted.”
I gesture at the spread of cookies and drinks.“I mean, I don’t know why we’re sitting around.Unless you want some juice and cookies.We could buy this one and go, right?”
“Sit down, Dmitri.”Leah returns to the fitting room with another laugh.“There are a lot more dresses to try.I’ll put this one in themaybepile.”
Amaybepile?There’s amaybepile?I glower at her closed fitting-room door.
She puts on several more dresses, venturing forth to model each one in front of the giant, three-way mirrors.She looks amazing in every dress she tries.I mean, it’s Leah, so of course she looks great.But I know the gold dress is the best one.Leah must know it too.
I clear my throat when Leah’s behind the door.
Gage arches an eyebrow as he turns his attention to me.
“You think the gold one is best, don’t you?”
His lips turn up at one corner in a half-smile.“Surely it’s up to Leah, whichever oneshethinks is best?”
I want to throw up my hands in frustration.“Yeah.But it’sobviouswhich one is best.”
“The oneyoulike.”He sounds so patient, I want to sock him in the jaw.
I try to behave myself through several more dresses.I like them all.If there weren’t such a clearrightchoice, I’d say any of these would work.
Finally, the racks are empty.Leah emerges from the dressing room.She’s wearing the gold dress.Thank fuck she came to her senses.
Except…she’s holding another dress in her hands.Cherry-red, strapless.The complete opposite of the shiny perfection on her body.
“So, after thinking about it, I’m going with this one.”She holds up the strapless gown.
I fold my arms across my chest.“I notice that isn’t the dress I liked.”
“Nope.I wasn’t feeling the gold.”She glances down at it dismissively, but her lips twitch.
Suddenly, I realize—“You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?”
Gage and Leah both burst out laughing.
“Sorry,” Leah says through her giggles.“But yeah.Of course I’m picking the gold.Although if you like it so much, we should ask Charles if they have it inyoursize.”
“I’ll ask right now,” I retort.
“Good, do it.”She gives me a sassy little smile.“I can’t wait to see how the straps frame your shoulders.”
Gage tilts his head toward me.“She’s being rather impertinent.Are you going to let that little girl get away with this?”
