When she released him and sat back down, she drew in a breath.
“I really am sorry about yesterday. The sleeping bag was a really nice idea.”
“I’m glad you’re okay with it. Do you want to try the family dinner again? There are more presents to open and I’m sure Carmen would be happy to fix something special for dinner. All the while telling me that she could have done that in the first place, but no, I had to go hire a caterer and if that ever happens again, she is going to be very angry with me.”
Keira giggled. “She would probably slap you.”
“She’d try and I’d have to let her, which I would not like. So do-over?”
She nodded. “Yes, please.” Her expression shifted from happy to stricken. “Did you guys eat my cake?”
“No one touched your cake. It’s still there, in all its glory.”
“Whew, because that would have been horrible.” She scrambled to her feet. “Come on, Malcolm. We have to go tell everybody there’s going to be a party tonight!”
* * *
Delaney spent the next week avoiding both her life and the people in it. She went through the motions, showing up to her job, going to class, texting with Malcolm. She’d put him off for a couple of days only to realize she missed him desperately. She’d invited him over for basically a booty call and he’d obliged with great enthusiasm. What was there not to like? But by the weekend, she’d figured out that avoiding wasn’t going to fix the problem. Not that she’d defined the problem exactly but it was on her to-do list, right there at the top.
At eleven on Saturday morning, Callie arrived for their shopping adventure. She’d begged for help finding a dress for the upcoming charity gala.
“I come bearing addresses of consignment stores,” Callie said as she walked into the condo. “I am not paying retail for a dress I’m going to wear once in my life.”
Callie’s natural energy and upbeat personality lifted Delaney’s spirits. She laughed for the first time in what felt like ages.
“You do realize that you’re kind of an heiress, right?”
Callie rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. I work on a factory line pouring tablespoons of secret spice mix into plastic bags, then sealing them.”
“You’re the one who wanted to work.”
“I know and it was the right decision. I would go crazy cooped up in that big house. I need to be out doing something.” She studied Delaney. “How are you feeling? Malcolm said you caught a bug.”
Which was what she’d told him when he’d asked about her spending so many evenings at home, Delaney thought, ignoring the guilt. She hadn’t been sick from anything but trying to figure out her life. Going to work and to class had taken every ounce of energy she had.
“I’m getting my strength back,” she lied. “Okay, the gala. Let me show you what kind of dress we’re going to be looking for, then we will start our consignment store bonanza.”
She led the way into the bedroom and walked to the larger of the two closets. As she reached for the door handle, she mentally braced herself to step into her former existence. She flipped on the light and took a breath, then allowed herself to breathe in the happy sight of suits and shells and dresses and dozens of shoes.
“Holy crap.” Callie stared at the neatly arranged racks. “What is all this? You have a secret life I knew nothing about.”
“I used to be in corporate finance.”
“Like Santiago?” Callie groaned. “Everyone I know is so smart and successful. I know it should be inspiring, but it’s a little intimidating.”
“I work part-time as a barista and I’m taking two classes at college. I’m hardly an inspiration to anyone.”
“You’re wrong. You wanted to change your life and you did. That’s amazing.”
It was less amazing when you knew that she wasn’t sure she’d made the right decision, Delaney thought glumly.
“Dress,” she said pointedly. “Let’s look at those to give you some ideas. Although honestly all you have to do is flash a little something-something and you’ll do fine.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’d offer to let you borrow one of mine, but you’re what, twenty pounds lighter, two inches shorter and yet you have bigger boobs. Why do I like you?”
Callie laughed. “Well, when you put it like that, I have to feel special.”
Delaney walked over to the dress section of the closet. “Okay, here’s one of my favorites. I wore this two years ago to the Seattle Humane Society’s Tuxes and Tails event.” She held up the St. John velvet cold shoulder gown.
Callie touched the fabric, then studied how the straps would drape across the upper arm. “That’s really lovely. So a long dress?”
“You’ll see all lengths, but most will be long. The guys have it easy. They only have to wear a tux.”
She got out a second dress that still had its tags. Deep green sequins covered the knit column style. The V-neck was flattering and the straps were wide enough that she could easily wear a regular bra.
“Oh, that’s beautiful,” Callie breathed. “Have you ever worn it before?”
Delaney waved the tags. “Not even once. I need like five kinds of shapewear to make it work, but maybe I’ll try it for the gala.”
“You should. With your red hair and green eyes, you’ll be stunning. Seriously. Okay—I sort of have an idea of what I’ll be looking for. I really appreciate you going with me. I would be nervous on my own. I’m still nervous about the whole evening, but I figure it will be a good life experience for me.”
“Don’t be nervous. You’ll do fine. Malcolm and I are at the same table and you’ll be with Santiago.”
Callie looked away. “Yes, that will be great.”
Delaney’s radar went on alert. “What’s wrong? Are you two fighting?”
“No! It’s fine. Everything is...” Callie put her hands on her hips. “Actually it’s not. I can’t figure him out. He acts like he’s crazy about me.”
“How is that bad?”
“It’s not. It’s wonderful except he won’t, I mean we haven’t...” She closed her eyes, then opened them. “We kiss. That’s it. Kissing. He doesn’t even try to take things further and I don’t get it. From everything he’s told me he was a total skank with women, so why not me?”
Delaney did her best to look serious even as she desperately wanted to laugh. “You’re mad because you’re not getting any?”
“It’s been nearly a decade. I think I’ve earned the right to be moody.”
“Oh, right. Good point. So ask him. Or rip off your shirt. Either way, he’ll figure it out.”
Callie sighed. “I’m not really the rip-my-shirt-off type. I guess I’ll have to talk to him and that totally sucks.” She brightened. “Maybe I can find a really slutty dress that will make me impossible to resist.”
“You absolutely will be.”
They drove to the first consignment store. Delaney scanned the layout, then headed directly to the back where the evening gowns were.
“Don’t worry about length,” she said as she began to flip through the dresses. “I know a great tailor who can work miracles in very little time.”
She checked sizes and pulled out several dresses, studying them before handing some to Callie and putting the others back. Ten minutes later, she ushered Callie into the dressing room with firm instructions to come out in every one.
“You’re not the decision-maker here,” Delaney informed her. “I’m the expert.”
“You’re kind of bossy.”
“Tell me about it.”
While Callie changed into the first dress, Delaney wandered the store. She was having fun, she thought in surprise. Her dark mood had lifted. Maybe she should have gotten out of the house sooner. She still didn’t have answers to her questions, but for now, that was okay.
Callie came out in a fairly traditional strapless black dress that hugged every curve.
“I feel like the top is going to fall down,” Callie said, tugging at the bodice. “I’d need a strapless bra, I guess. I don’t know.”
Delaney eyed her critically. “It’s okay, but not special. Next.”
“You’re just like Keira,” Callie told her. “You should have seen her when we went shopping. She made her decision in about two seconds and what I thought didn’t matter.”
Delaney grinned. “I knew I liked that girl.”
Callie tried on every dress Delaney had picked for her. There were a couple of maybes but not the one. They went to the second store and repeated the process. On the third dress, Delaney smiled at her friend.
“That’s it.”
The “it” was a strapless gown that was fitted to midthigh before flaring out slightly. The wrapped fabric hugged every curve, but the effect was softened by an overlay of mesh dotted with black flower petals. The fit was perfect and with the right shoes, the hem only had to come up a couple of inches.
Delaney circled her. “You’ll need a great strapless bra. I have the name of someone in the lingerie department at Nordstrom. She’ll get you fitted.”