minded if you did.” Wow, where did that come from?
“ Zoey Beckett…I like you already,” he said as he grinned at me.
*******
“He likes you,” Claire informed me. “I mean, like he really likes you.”
“Do you think?” I asked nervously. It was Saturday night. I was getting ready for my date. I was trying on my fourth outfit. Claire had already refused to let me wear jeans. She’d told me my shorts were too casual.
I had pulled out a dress but now that I was wearing it, it felt too…prim and proper. I stared at myself in the full length mirror on the back of the door. I was not happy with what I saw.
“He definitely likes you,” Claire said with a grin. “He could not stop checking you out. But not like, in a lecherous way. Just in an ‘I can’t keep my eyes off of her’ way.”
I laughed at that. Yes, he’d asked me out so I knew he had to be somewhat interested. While he’d been friendly the night before that was all he’d been. He and Sean had chatted like they were old pals. They’d both stayed pretty late. I’d walked him out to his truck and he’d done nothing more than given my shoulder a friendly squeeze. Although, I had to remind myself, last night wasn’t a date. Last night was just more of getting to know each other. It had been dinner with friends and really, nothing more.
“That dress…?” Claire said with a wrinkle of her nose. “It makes you look like you’re heading to church. Hang on. I’ll be right back.”
Moments later she returned with another dress. It had a black, fitted top with cap sleeves. The bottom had a black and white striped, knee-length, flared skirt. “Simple, yet flirty and fun,” she told me. “Try it on.”
I shimmied out of the floral print dress I had on and exchanged it for the one Claire held out to me. It wasn’t a surprise that it fit. Claire and I had always been the same size.
“It’s perfect,” Claire assured me.
“I like it, too. Thank you,” I said as I finished taking another long, critical look in the mirror.
“I’ve missed this!” Claire said with a little squeal. “Sharing clothes, staying up gossiping, just hanging out!” She bounced up from the edge of my bed where she’d been seated. “Have I told you how happy I am that you’re here?!”
She threw her arms around me in a strangling hug. I laughed as I hugged her back. I had missed this too. I’d missed it more than words could say.
When Claire released me, she narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “We are never, never going to lose touch again.”
“No, we won’t,” I agreed.
The enormity of what I had done hit me then. I had really begun to move on. I had really taken the steps I needed to take to begin a new life. I was on the path to a better future for myself. While it was a positive feeling, it was overwhelming, too.
I could feel Claire’s gaze, burning into my back as I took in my reflection once more.
“You should be wearing a high -voltage smile,” she informed me. “Why aren’t you?”
I shrugged as I turned around to face Claire. “Do you think this is too soon? I mean, I just left Jason less than a week ago.”
“ You realized a long time ago that your relationship wasn’t one worth having,” Claire carefully said. “So no, I don’t think this is too soon. In fact, I think this is long overdue.”
I nodded as I blew out a small breath of relief.
“As soon as you told me you met Alex, I told you I thought he was a nice guy. Now, after spending some time with him last night, I see that he’s an absolute doll.”
I smiled and I had to agree.
“I say, after the last few, hellish years you’ve had, you deserve something good to happen to you. And Alex? I think he might be as good as it gets,” Claire said with another huge smile. “Now, let’s get to work on your hair and make-up. I want that man to be wondering what in the hell hit him when you walk through his door.”
Chapter 7
“You look—” He
“ Zoey Beckett…I like you already,” he said as he grinned at me.
*******
“He likes you,” Claire informed me. “I mean, like he really likes you.”
“Do you think?” I asked nervously. It was Saturday night. I was getting ready for my date. I was trying on my fourth outfit. Claire had already refused to let me wear jeans. She’d told me my shorts were too casual.
I had pulled out a dress but now that I was wearing it, it felt too…prim and proper. I stared at myself in the full length mirror on the back of the door. I was not happy with what I saw.
“He definitely likes you,” Claire said with a grin. “He could not stop checking you out. But not like, in a lecherous way. Just in an ‘I can’t keep my eyes off of her’ way.”
I laughed at that. Yes, he’d asked me out so I knew he had to be somewhat interested. While he’d been friendly the night before that was all he’d been. He and Sean had chatted like they were old pals. They’d both stayed pretty late. I’d walked him out to his truck and he’d done nothing more than given my shoulder a friendly squeeze. Although, I had to remind myself, last night wasn’t a date. Last night was just more of getting to know each other. It had been dinner with friends and really, nothing more.
“That dress…?” Claire said with a wrinkle of her nose. “It makes you look like you’re heading to church. Hang on. I’ll be right back.”
Moments later she returned with another dress. It had a black, fitted top with cap sleeves. The bottom had a black and white striped, knee-length, flared skirt. “Simple, yet flirty and fun,” she told me. “Try it on.”
I shimmied out of the floral print dress I had on and exchanged it for the one Claire held out to me. It wasn’t a surprise that it fit. Claire and I had always been the same size.
“It’s perfect,” Claire assured me.
“I like it, too. Thank you,” I said as I finished taking another long, critical look in the mirror.
“I’ve missed this!” Claire said with a little squeal. “Sharing clothes, staying up gossiping, just hanging out!” She bounced up from the edge of my bed where she’d been seated. “Have I told you how happy I am that you’re here?!”
She threw her arms around me in a strangling hug. I laughed as I hugged her back. I had missed this too. I’d missed it more than words could say.
When Claire released me, she narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “We are never, never going to lose touch again.”
“No, we won’t,” I agreed.
The enormity of what I had done hit me then. I had really begun to move on. I had really taken the steps I needed to take to begin a new life. I was on the path to a better future for myself. While it was a positive feeling, it was overwhelming, too.
I could feel Claire’s gaze, burning into my back as I took in my reflection once more.
“You should be wearing a high -voltage smile,” she informed me. “Why aren’t you?”
I shrugged as I turned around to face Claire. “Do you think this is too soon? I mean, I just left Jason less than a week ago.”
“ You realized a long time ago that your relationship wasn’t one worth having,” Claire carefully said. “So no, I don’t think this is too soon. In fact, I think this is long overdue.”
I nodded as I blew out a small breath of relief.
“As soon as you told me you met Alex, I told you I thought he was a nice guy. Now, after spending some time with him last night, I see that he’s an absolute doll.”
I smiled and I had to agree.
“I say, after the last few, hellish years you’ve had, you deserve something good to happen to you. And Alex? I think he might be as good as it gets,” Claire said with another huge smile. “Now, let’s get to work on your hair and make-up. I want that man to be wondering what in the hell hit him when you walk through his door.”
Chapter 7
“You look—” He
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