“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 frontandthe 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 secondhandenjoyment 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 saidwhen 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.