Chapter 2 Ezra

" And that's why you'll never know what could've been. Let's light these flowers on fire." -Arcade Lake

The bell above the front door of my boutique dings. I glance up to see one of my favorite customers.

"Hey, Mosby. I'm glad you're back. I have something for you."

Mosby's fingers rub against his clean-shaven jaw. I get the impression he was reaching for his unruly blond beard, only to forget Ty had touched up his appearance.

Ever since falling for one of our locals, Mosby has made it a point to frequent my little fashion boutique as often as possible. Mosby claims he's dressing up for himself, but I see the way Ty appreciates his man in a new pair of jeans.

I walk over to the rack of clothes I just set up this morning, and reach for a green shirt that I know will make his eyes pop, matching it with a pair of dark jeans.

"How are you so good at picking out everyone's outfits?"

I smirk and give him a curtsy. "Why thank you, sir. It's a talent I love to show off."

Mosby scoffs. "More like a superpower. I don't even need to try it on. If you say it'll look good on me, then it will look good."

"Just in case, feel free to swing by the boutique if you need me to tailor anything," I reply, knowing it will look amazing on him. It's my thing. I am a couturier, stylist, clothing designer, and fashionista to my core. I take a lot of pride in my shop and my ability to find the perfect outfit for those who want to feel beautiful inside and out.

People always joke that I named my shop Beauty and the Boutique because of my appearance, but the beauty stands for how I want people to feel when visiting my little slice of heaven here in our quaint town. I also want my shop to be a safe haven of sorts here in Foggy Basin. A place where anyone who feels different knows it's okay to stand out and look beautiful doing it.

For as long as I can remember, fashion has always been a passion of mine. I can thank Mama for that. When I was little, maybe eight or nine, Mama and I used to rush to the local gas station every month just to purchase the latest issue of Dee Rama Magazine. We would bond over our favorite styles and fashion faux pas, all while dreaming of moving to a fashion-focused city like New York.

Let's just say, college life made me realize just how much I missed Foggy. Busy cities might be fun to visit, but this town is my home and my shop is my happy place.

After ringing him up, I wrap Mosby's new outfit in some teal tissue paper and place it in a bright yellow paper bag with the shop logo on it. "Make sure you tell Ty I want to see him soon."

Mosby's whole face lights up at the mere mention of his man. Blah. I will not be jealous. I will not be jealous , I chant, silently telling myself I don't need a boyfriend to cuddle up with at night. That's what Tabby is for, and trust me, my cat can cuddle better than any man.

"Holy shit. You actually did it," Rebecca says, scanning my laptop screen from over my shoulder.

"Fuck, Becca. I was so nervous when I hit the submit button." I get out of my office chair and tilt the screen toward her. She takes it as the silent invitation it is and plops down in my abandoned seat before scrolling through my application.

"You're gonna be great. Fashion and designing is in your blood."

"Well, I can't undo it now." I walk over to the front door of my shop, flip over the closed sign, and turn off the window display lights.

"We need to celebrate. This is a really big deal, Ezra. You're putting your designs out into the world and competing against others in a fucking fashion show . We need to drink, and maybe even dance."

I scrunch my face. "I don't really feel like driving all the way to downtown Sac tonight. Can we just celebrate here?"

"Oh, come on. Sacramento always has the best bars and clubs."

The more excited she sounds, the heavier my bones feel. God, why do I feel ancient? I'm only twenty-five, for fuck's sake. "Why don't we do it next week? I've been manning the shop all day."

"Speaking of, where is Tessy? I don't think she's taken an extra day off since she started working here."

Tessy is my only other employee—besides Rebecca. She's a beautiful woman in her fifties. Sweet and a little mysterious, with a motherly, nurturing demeanor. "She took the day off to clean up around the house. Apparently, her nephew needed a place to stay, and she was getting ready for his visit."

"Oh!" Rebecca gives me a sly smile. "Fresh meat. Tell me more. Is he our age? I know he's an adult. And he has to be attractive with how pretty Tessy is, right?"

"Oh my god, stop." I laugh. "Leave Tessy's nephew alone. He's probably eighteen or nineteen."

"As long as we're both consenting adults, it should be fine," she jokes.

"You're such a horn dog."

Rebecca chortles. "Like you're not?"

Fuck, yes. I'm horny all the time. But that doesn't mean I want to jump some random guy's bones. Let alone my employee's family member. Talk about conflict of interest.

"Wait, when was the last time you hooked up with someone? Weren't your last few attempts epic fails?"

I wince, hoping she wouldn't remember that. Huh. But when was the last time I had sex? When was the last time I wanted to? Ever since breaking up with Forrest last year, I've missed being in an actual relationship, and apparently, I've grown out of the hook-up scene. I loved going home to someone, being wrapped in their arms, and feeling cared for.

"Oh, no." Rebecca twirls a manicured finger in front of my face. "You have that damn look again."

"What look?"

"The ‘maybe I shouldn't have dumped Forrest' look."

I playfully smack her wandering finger out of my way. "That's not what I was thinking." It totally was .

"Oh shush, Ezra. Don't forget, we're best friends. I know your facial expressions better than my own."

I pout. "It's just—"

"No. It's just nothing. You were miserable at the end of your relationship. Forrest is a good guy, just not the guy for you."

She's right. My ex and I grew apart. He's sweet and wholesome, and he wanted me to act the same way. Forrest was so shy that he wanted me to dress in neutral colors, never stand out, not contradict others, or draw too much attention. Basically, blend into the background. We dated for two years, and while, yes, we loved each other, it's almost as if he outgrew me during that time, rather than growing with me. He never actively tried to hurt me with his words, he just always acted disappointed, and in some ways that was worse, more painful.

It made me feel like it was wrong to just want to be myself.

"Anyway," I say, suddenly feeling a new sense of urgency. "Are we going to go celebrate?"

"Yes!" Rebecca cheers. "There's a new club that just opened up downtown. I can order an Uber and—"

"Let's go to Pints ‘n' Pool."

Rebecca narrows her eyes. "Fine. It's your celebration. But we're going to Sacramento next weekend. No excuses."

"Deal," I smile, plucking her hand from her lap and shaking it. "Now, let's doll ourselves up. Just because we're going to our local dive doesn't mean we can't look hot."

By the time we make it to the bar, all the pool tables are preoccupied and a small crowd has formed around the bar top. Being one of the few places to go in Foggy, most of the locals frequented Pints ‘n' Pool for a drink after work.

I tug Rebecca forward, leading her to an open spot near the bar. I raise my hand and wave, catching Nate's attention.

Nate, the owner of this fine establishment, whistles when he takes in my outfit. "And who exactly are you dressing up for?"

"I always dress for myself." I give a little twirl, showing off my tight pants and flowy white crop top. I'd also decided to add a little eye makeup and some lip color tonight. It's light but obvious, and even though I identify as male, it gives me a gender-neutral look I love.

As I spin, I notice three handsome men in a booth near the back. Normally, I'd be attracted to the two outgoing smiling men, but there's something about the scowling guy with the intense stare that has me pausing long enough to check him out.

Kit appears by Nate's side. "Oh, wow. I, um, I…" Kit studies me a little longer, his cheeks heating.

Nate wraps a possessive arm around Kit. "Boy," he growls near Kit's ear. "You trying to make me jealous?"

A shy smile tugs on Kit's lips, and Nate grins. Those two only have eyes for each other.

"Right," I drawl. "Before you two start eye fucking, can I get two strawberry margaritas?"

Nate rolls his eyes and passes me two mugs and a pitcher of beer on tap. I wink at Kit and sashay toward a table closest to the jukebox. And if it happens to be close to some eye candy, sue me.

Rebecca laughs as she follows close behind me. "How upset are you that Nate is officially off the market?"

I glance back at the couple just as Nate leans in and places a kiss on Kit's lips, right there in the middle of the bar. It's quick, but the affection between the two is obvious. "Nah." I wave a hand in the air. "I've never seen Nate this happy before. It's almost as if Kit has brightened up his life. They're perfect together."

"So, tell me more about this fashion show. How does it work?"

I pour us both a glass of beer and dive into my explanation. "If I get accepted, then I will get a package in the mail with the theme. From there, each person participating in the fashion show will feature four to seven outfits. I'll need to find a model or two who would be willing to walk the stage. Then the first-place winner will win twenty thousand dollars and a feature in Dee Rama magazine."

"That's amazing—" Rebecca's eyes pop wide at something behind me. "Oh, fuck," she breathes out. "Don't look behind you."

My heart pounds. Oh God, why would she tell me not to look? Of course, now my neck is stiff and aching to twist around. Seriously, who does that? If you don't want someone to look behind them, don't say a word. Act normal. Telling me to not turn around just makes me want to do exactly that. Warning be damned.

"Did I hear you say Dee Rama magazine?" asks an all-too-familiar high-pitched voice. "You wouldn't be talking about the fashion show contest, would you?"

Despite my bestie's warning, I turn around in my seat. Sure enough, Flora Sellar is standing behind me.

Flora Sellar, my nemesis. The girl who made college a living hell for me.

She looks absolutely stunning in a white-and-yellow dress with sunflowers on it. She's wearing strappy white sandals that show off her perfectly pedicured toenails and her tiny, adorable feet. Her blonde hair is pulled back by a white headband that should be outdated, but instead looks quite fetching on her. And yes, the word fetching would make a comeback just for her. But the thing that has me absolutely floored—like mouth gaping and an unattractive sweat breaking across my upper lip—is the hand looped through her arm like the latest Gucci purse.

"Forrest?" I stammer. "You're back in town?"

Flora answers for him. "He is. Forrest thought it was finally time for me to meet his parents."

I blink, trying to compute the insane words tumbling from Flora's mouth as she places a possessive hand on his chest.

"Hi, Ezra. You look really nice," he says in a soft, unsure tone.

I muster a smile for my ex, the man I spent over two years of my life with. He's such a genuine guy and I know he's trying to break the tension.

A flash of something—probably evil—flickers in Flora's gaze before she hides it. "Yes, Ez. You look quite nice. Honey, will you get me a drink at the bar? Something sweet, please."

Forrest leans in and kisses Flora on the cheek. She preens under his touch, all the while never breaking eye contact with me and smirking as if she won some grand prize.

As soon as my ex is out of sight, I feel my hackles rise. Why can't she just act like an adult? It's like she's permanently reliving her high school bully years.

"Well, isn't that a cute surprise," Rebecca drawls, clearly on edge too. "Forrest and Flora. It's like the two of you were meant for each other."

"Why thank you, Rebecca." Flora's smile drops and she looks at me. "And I hope you'll be mature about this, Ezra?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" I reply, tone sugary sweet. "I just want Forrest happy." God, how could he date someone like her? Forrest was always too nice. He probably doesn't see how much of a witch Flora really is.

"That's not what he told me." Flora flips her blonde hair over one shoulder. "I know the two of you weren't really compatible, and I know it must be hard to see me with the man who broke up with you. But honey, he's upgraded, so don't go crawling back while trying to flaunt yourself. It won't work."

"Crawling back?" Oh, hell no. Upgraded? The bitch. I stand up, tempted to get in her face. Instead, I take a deep, slow breath. It's been a few years since I've seen Flora, but I swear she will probably turn me into an anxious college student, even in my sixties.

"That's right. I expect you to go crawling back. It's kind of pathetic. You lost a really good man and now you're in this small-ass town. What do you have to show for it?"

For some reason, her words cut deep, leaving me speechless.

"He isn't pathetic," Rebecca sneers as she gets out of her seat and stands next to me. "Ezra graduated top of his class and now owns his own fashion boutique."

I nod eagerly. Right.

"And he is a successful designer, creating clothes that sell out."

God, I could kiss Rebecca for being here. I nod again. I mean, they do sell out… eventually . I only make one or two unique designs at a time, but Flora doesn't need to know that.

"Not to mention, he just applied for the Dee Rama Magazine's fashion show. That's definitely something to be proud of," Rebecca continues, and I grin.

"That's right." Flora smiles, although I'm pretty sure a smile shouldn't make someone look so calculating. "Seems like we'll see more of each other. I've already been accepted, and I just so happen to know the themes they are considering."

My heart tumbles. They've already started picking people? How is that possible? Today was the last day to submit the application.

"Yeah, well, Ezra has a gorgeous boyfriend, is a successful designer, and owns his own business. What do you have, Flora?"

I nod again—wait, what? My head snaps toward Rebecca. Did she just say I have a gorgeous boyfriend? Why the fuck would she say that? I peer around nervously, hoping said boyfriend would magically pop up and volunteer as tribute.

As if sensing my panic, Flora's too-cunning gaze narrows before she smirks. "A boyfriend. Well, where is he? Come on, don't be shy."

"I, uh, what?" Fucking hell. Is it hot in here? I'm really sweating now.

Flora's phone rings and she lights up when she glances down at the screen. "Speaking of, that's my sweet boyfriend. Let me answer this real quick." She spins around and talks into the phone.

I can see Forrest from here, talking to Nate, probably unsure which drink to get for his girlfriend. Forrest was always so indecisive. As soon as she's out of earshot I hiss at my soon-to-be ex-best friend. "A boyfriend? Are you serious? I don't know how long they're going to be in town. Now I'm going to have to find a magical boyfriend just to save face, or admit that I really am as pathetic as she thinks."

"I'm sorry," Rebecca whispers before chewing on her lip. "I wasn't thinking. I just fucking hate her so much. She made our lives a living hell, and now she's dating your ex. It's messed up. Does she even like Forrest?"

"It's none of my business," I reply in a rush. "Forrest is an adult, and if he can't figure out how manipulative she is, then that's on him. He always thought I was exaggerating every time she tormented me in school."

"I'm sorry, Ezra. I just couldn't let her win."

I'm about to reply when Flora turns back around. Her smile widens as she gives me a slow once-over. "Let me guess. You don't actually have a boyfriend, do you, Ezra?"

I swallow hard. What. The. Fuck? Can Flora Sellar read minds now, too?