Her cheeks deepen to the color of her nipple, and I want to suck it in my mouth all over again. “That seems fair. Maybe you should.”
I start to answer her, but I hear the front door chime go off. “Shit!” I exclaim, putting her bra and shirt back right before pulling her from the back room and to the front of the store. When we get there I see my dad going towards his office. I grab Lily’s hand and we sneak out the side door. My Jeep is parked around back, so he may not know we’re still here.
We run out, and I help her in before jumping in the driver's seat and taking off. I look over at Lily and she’s got her hands over her mouth, trying to muffle a giggle.
“That was all your fault,” I say, reaching over and grabbing her hand. “Let’s get you some dinner and then I’ll take you home.”
We laugh the whole way to the diner, and then sit on the same side of the booth holding hands and talking before our night is over. I always hate the end of the day when I have to say goodbye to her. She’s my everything, and letting her go, even if it’s only to her house, breaks my heart a little more every time.
18
Lily
“That one is perfect, Lily.”
I look down at the light blue gown feeling a like a princess. The top part has a sweetheart neckline that’s fitted and edged with rhinestones. The bottom flares out, creating the illusion of an hourglass figure, and I feel like Cinderella in it. I even kind of look like her with my blonde hair and blue eyes.
“I love it.” Ren’s mom, Janet, is smiling so big I can’t help but return one. Her excitement is contagious.
We have been dress shopping all morning, and I’m not sure who is enjoying it more, her or me. I turn and look in the mirror, biting my lip and wondering what Ren will think of it.
“I’m telling you, it’s perfect.” She does a little hand clap, her excitement bubbling over. “I have some shoes that will go with that dress. You’re a size seven, right?”
“Yes, but I’m not sure if I can walk in heels. I’ve never tried.”
She bats her hand in the air, likes it’s no big deal. “They aren’t too tall, plus that’s why you have a man to hold on to at these things. You don’t have to worry about your feet.”
That’s true. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure Ren would be okay with me wearing heels. He treats me like I’m made of glass. He won’t even let me carry my own freaking backpack. The thought makes me smile. Everything about him makes me smile. In fact, I can’t recall the last time I was this happy. It feels unreal.
“Hair up or down?” Janet asks as she plays with it.
“Down.” That’s how Ren likes it. I know because he can’t keep his hands out of it when we kiss. His hands are always full of my hair. But I don’t tell his mom that.
“We’ll take it,” she tells the salesperson before unclasping the hook in the back so I can slip out of it in the changing room. I glance down at the price tag, happy the dress isn’t too expensive and that I’ve been getting paid in cash for working at the hardware store. This isn’t something I’d normally spend money on, but I could tell how much Ren wanted to go. Now I’m starting to think he wanted me to go because he likes the idea of me spending time with his mom like this.
She seems the most excited about it, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t having a good time with her. It was bittersweet spending the day and getting ready with her. But it’s been fun getting excited about something like this, something I would have done with my own mother.
When I come back out of the room, the sales lady takes the dress from me and puts it into a bag. I pull out my wallet, but Janet stops me.
“Already got it,” she says, the happy smile still on her face. Her cheeks have to be hurting by now, because I think mine are, too.
“Oh. You didn’t have to do that. I have—”
“Wasn’t me. It was Ren. Trust me, I tried to get him to let me buy it, but he said he’d be paying for his girl’s dress.”
That makes me blush. He always talks like that, even in front of his mom and dad. I still get embarrassed about it. He even kisses me right in front of them like it’s no big deal. I guess it would be awkward if his parents didn’t approve, but Ren’s mom gets so excited seeing us together.
I thought boyfriends’ mothers were supposed to be the worst. She’s nothing like that at all. In fact, she’s almost more motherly to me than to him at times. Yesterday she brought dinner to the hardware store and forgot to get the boys something. They stood there dumbfounded and she sent them out to get something while she and I ate. I think she does it on purpose to get alone time with me.