“Well, if you’re sure…” I grin, unabashedly pleased that I don’t have to wear one of the other dresses she’s brought along. As soon as she zipped me into this one, I knew it was perfect.
Shelby snorts in amusement. “Do you want jewelry, too? I brought some nice pieces…”
“No.” I reach beneath my neckline and pull out the gold sun pendant, so it hangs over the front of the dress. “I’ll wear this. I have a feeling I’ll need whatever lucky juju I can get, tonight.”
Shelby stares at the necklace for a minute, then nods. “It looks perfect, actually. Whimsical.”
“Cool.” I grin. “But Shelbs, I think you’re forgetting something.”
“Impossible. I’m like a rhino. I never forget.”
“An elephant.”
“Did you just call me an elephant?”
I roll my eyes. “No, idiot. The expression — it’san elephant never forgets, nota rhino never forgets.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s a rhino.”
“It’s not.”
“Well, I like my version better.” She shrugs. “Animals aside, I didn’t forget anything.”
“Beg to differ.” I narrow my eyes at her. “I need underwear, genius.”
“Oh, that.” She makes apffftnoise with her lips. “You aren’t wearing any.”
“I know, that’s the problem.”
“No, I mean you aren’t wearing anytonight. Not with this dress, anyway.”
“Excuse me?”
“Gemma.” Her hands land on my shoulders and she looks deeply into my eyes. “You are not wearing granny panties with a Simon Gilbert design. Underwear lines in this dress would be a crime against humanity.”
After five years of being Shelby’s best friend, I’ve learned to recognize the battles I’m never going to win.
This is one of them.
“Fine,” I mutter darkly. “But I’ll have you know, I like my granny panties just fine, thank you very much.”
Ignoring me, she reaches into her purse, pulls out her phone, and gestures for me to turn in a circle. “Do a spin for me, I want to see the dress move.”
Eyes on her phone, I raise one brow in question.
“Oh, fine.” She sighs. “Chrissy threatened to kill me if I didn’t send her a video of the 360 degree finished product. She’s mad enough she can’t be here in person — if I don’t do this, she’ll probably murder us.”
“Mad as inangryor mad as incrazy?”
“A little of both.” She shrugs. “Nowspin!”
“Fine, fine.”
I do as she says, pivoting in slow circles, catching my own eyes in the mirror each time I come back around. Even after she’s finished filming, I keep spinning, until I’m dizzy and breathless with laughter, twirling around the room like a little kid. I can hear Shelby screeching about wrinkles and torn hemlines, but right then, in that instant, I’m too happy to listen.
When two warm, callused hands close over my bare arms, I jolt to a sudden stop. For a few seconds, the world continues to spin around me — if not for the steadying grip at my biceps, I’d fall on my ass in a swirl of silk. I’m still laughing when the dizziness fades and I finally meet Chase’s eyes.
“Hey,” he whispers, leaning in to brush his lips against mine.