30. Fancy That Way

30

FANCY THAT WAY

“ H oly cow, talk about sexy!”

The following Saturday, Laurel turned when Easton came into her hallway in his suit. Not navy but not royal blue. Like a muted sexy navy. He had a cream-colored shirt on with faint stripes in it, no tie, the shirt unbuttoned at the collar, and a matching square in the pocket. On his feet were brown leather shoes that had a sneaker vibe going.

He was a modern professional and nothing at all like a stuffy lawyer.

“I’m sure I’ll be saying the same thing to you when you get your dress on. Do I need a tie? I’ve got one with me but don’t often wear it anymore.”

“Nope,” she said. “You don’t need one when you look like that. I’m not sure how I’m going to sit through this wedding knowing you’re on my arm.”

She’d told a few people she had a date with her. Not many. The sisters knew and Aster. She saw Aster enough and it came up. And since Aster’s girlfriend was in the wedding, he was going to be by himself at the ceremony.

“Not too fancy and smooth for you?” he asked and put one foot in front of the other, then did a spin.

She burst out laughing. “Not at all.”

“Then go get your dress on,” he said. “Your face looks great.”

The way he phrased that had her giggling some more. “It’s the face I’ve got.”

She’d just finished with her makeup and hair. She’d put a braid in the front on one side and had it stopping at her ear with one of Rose’s metal bobby pins in it. She’d put some loose curls in the rest of her hair to have it flowing down her back.

“What color is your dress?” he asked. “Nicole wanted to know. She said we were supposed to match and I told her she was nuts.”

“I think it’s a little early to be matching, don’t you?”

“I’m not into the whole matching thing,” he said.

“Good,” she said. “Neither am I. My dress is a coral color. Kind of light but not really peach. Nude high-heeled sandals on my feet. Open toe.”

He looked down at her feet. “You changed the color.”

“You noticed,” she said.

“I’ve never realized how sexy painted toes were,” he said.

She’d gotten a French manicure with her feet and fingers for the wedding. To her the dress was simple but fit her body perfectly and she’d put some jewelry on to accent what she needed to.

“Now you know,” she said. “Let me finish putting myself together. We’ve got time yet. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried. This is your deal if we are late.”

“Never to something like this,” she said.

She moved into her room and unzipped the sweatshirt she had on so she didn’t mess up her hair by pulling it over her head. She grabbed her dress out of the closet and stepped into it.

“Let me zip you up,” he said.

She turned her back to him and he pulled the zipper up. The material pulled against her body as he did, then she turned to show him. It was a V-neck that dipped a bit lower than she normally wore, but it wasn’t tacky. She’d put a necklace on that would hang down too.

“Well?” she asked.

“I love it when you wear sleeveless things. You’ve got the hottest arms of any woman I’ve ever known.”

“I don’t know if any man has ever said that to me before,” she said. “But I like it.”

She didn’t do anything in terms of exercise other than yoga five days a week. If she could get out and hike or do any activity outdoors, she did and loved every minute of it.

“We have to take a picture and send it to Nicole. Otherwise she is going to blow my phone up.”

“Can I tell you how cute it is that you send these things to your best friends? Did you always do this?” she asked.

“No,” he said. “No one asked.”

“I’m sure Rachelle was just doing it,” she said.

“She was always taking pictures and posing us.”

“It’s fun but not my thing to do it all the time.”

Though she did have plenty of shots of Easton on her phone and a handful of selfies that she took of them. Funny ones rather than posed. That was better in her eyes.

She put the rest of her jewelry on, then her shoes. He was watching her every move.

“Now those are sexy,” he said. “Don’t suppose they can stay on later too?”

“I’ll think about it,” she said. “Do you like to dance?”

“Not like you think, but I can handle a slow song now and again,” he said.

“I’ll take that,” she said. “Got your phone? Your arms are longer than mine.”

She put her arm around his shoulder, he lifted his phone and took the shot, the two of them smiling.

“One more just in case,” he said.

She crossed her eyes and puckered like a fish for it. “Send her that one too,” she said.

“I might only send her that one,” he said, laughing. “She’ll get a kick out of it.”

“Send her both,” she said. “Nicole has been texting me on and off in regards to accessories with clothing.”

He turned. “I didn’t know you two texted.”

She laughed. “Wow. Did you need to know that? I didn’t know I had to tell you.”

“You don’t,” he said. “I’m just shocked neither Liam nor Nicole said anything. It’s not like them.”

“It’s not a big deal. We exchanged numbers. She had a few questions on pieces at Blossoms.”

“Hey,” he said. “It’s not a big deal at all. That’s all you two talk about?”

“Don’t get nervous. I’m not someone to go behind your back to ask things or gather information. It’s not my way. I’ll ask you to your face if I need to know something.” She poked him in the side when she said that.

“Very true.”

His phone went off. “Is that Nicole?”

“It is,” he said and turned his phone to her.

She could read the comment on how cute they looked together. Another text popped up before he could move his phone, saying that they’d make a great aunt and uncle.

“Is Nicole pregnant?”

“What?” he asked, turning to look at his phone. “Shit.”

“I won’t say anything. That’s great. It’s wonderful.”

“She found out a few days ago.”

“And they told you right away,” she said. “That’s so sweet. As I said, I won’t say a word until they say you can.”

“She hasn’t even been to the doctor yet. I think she is going next week.”

“Mum is the word,” she said.

They left to go to the church and found a seat. There were a lot of eyes on her when she walked in with her boyfriend and she knew she’d be answering some questions.

The ceremony was sweet and fairly fast. Ivy looked like a princess going down the aisle on her father’s arm.

Laurel’s gown for her wedding to Philip looked like that. Similar. But over the top.

It wasn’t what she wanted either.

It’s what Philip had requested.

In her mind, she wanted something modern and sexy, almost slinky.

Just another sign in her mind that what should have been her choice wasn’t and she wondered where her mind was that she’d gone along with it.

Maybe she should look into selling the gown. No reason to keep it. It’s not like she’d wear it for someone else when it was not even something she loved.

When she saw Ivy in that style, she just knew right away that she’d never be able to pull it off.

They got to Mona’s for the reception and people were finding their tables to sit at and walking around mingling.

“And who are you?” Violet asked, coming over with her husband, Trace.

She’d met Trace before, as she’d gone to his house for New Year’s Eve. Sage and her boyfriend, Knox, had been there too and now Sage was engaged.

“This is Easton Cooke,” she told Violet. “My boyfriend.”

“It made the rounds you weren’t going to be alone, but I guess I wasn’t expecting this. You two look like you could be on a runway.”

She laughed and turned to see Easton’s face. He was almost blushing. “He’s fancy that way.”

He hadn’t shaved and she was glad about that. She liked his facial hair on him, but he kept it trimmed.

“Easton, this is Violet and Trace Mancini. And coming over is Trace’s sister, Sage. She works in the main office with Ivy, and her fiancé, Knox Bradford.”

Easton shook hands with them and many more before the night was over.

They’d danced together, plenty of slow songs, then left when the wedding was winding down.

“I’m so ready to get you out of this dress.”

“I’m ready to get it off too,” she said.

“Shoes stay,” he said. “I danced.”

“You did dance. You held me close and whispered how sexy I was in my ear and have been turning me on for hours. Before we even left I was turned on.”

“What every man wants to hear.”

“I only want one man though,” she said.