Silence followed my words and I turned to look at Evy. She was staring back at me, a confused look on her face. “Okay. I get that. Bossy mom and all that jazz. But now she’s not here. And you’re an adult. You get to choose what you wear. And, honestly, you can’t keep walking around dressed so heavily in this weather. You’ll spontaneously combust.”
I laughed softly, glad that she was taking my story without criticism. “Oli, my best friend, tried to get me to buy some less ‘sophisticated’ clothes. It didn’t work exactly since I was too far gone to actually be able to accept any of her guidance.”
She grinned. “Your friend sounds like my kind of person. We’ll have to Skype her so I’ll get to gossip about you.” She clapped her hands once, drawing the attention of the clerk. “Now, then. You leave this to me, girl. I promise by the time you walk out of these doors – and a few others down the street – you’ll be a changed person. Ready to take on California and then the rest of the world.”
I shook my head in amusement. “Nate said I should be mindful of this. He said I shouldn’t let you get over-excited because you turn into a shopping maniac.”
Her eyes glimmered with mischief and I groaned inwardly. Great Inquisition part two. “Nate said so, huh? Well, Nate is going to really appreciate the clothes I intend on having you buy. Do you know his favorite color is blue? Which incidentally,” she held out a royal-blue top in front of my torso, “goes very well with your complexion and hair. Go on. Try it.”
I winced. “Don’t you think maybe we should be taking baby steps? It’s too big a leap from cream to royal blue.”
Evy shook her head, still holding out the top for me. “It’s not about leaps and steps. It’s about whether you like it or not. Do you like it?”
I looked at the top warily. Did I like it? I sort of did. That is to say, it was a beautiful color. But would it look good on me? And what if it was too bright? What if I ended up feeling ashamed of wearing it, and it ended up hidden in the back of my closet?
Evy sighed. “It’s a simple question, Alicia. Do you like it or not?”
“I—”
“Yes or no?”
“I—”
“Yes or no?”
“Yes!”
She grinned. “See? It was that easy.”
I shook my head. “Bloody hell, are you always so intense?”
She kept grinning, kept holding that bloody top in front of my face. “Yep. When my friends need help, I’m there.”
I took the top from her and grinned back. “Aren’t you being a little rush? How do you know we’ll be friends? You only met me this morning.”
She arched a well-defined eyebrow. “I didn’t say we’re going to be friends. I said we are friends. Nate’s friends are my friends and that’s that. Now. No more thinking. I ask you a question, you answer the first thing that pops into your mind.”
I grinned again. “Wasn’t that a game the characters from Friends played? Didn’t it backfire on them at some point?”
She shook her head, looking serious. “That was because they didn’t have proper supervision. I’m a master in this, and I can use it as much as I want to. So. Are you going to comply?”
I hesitated and she arched a brow. “Yes,” I exclaimed.
She looked pleased. “Great. What’s your favorite color?”
“Um…”
“First thing that pops in your mind, Alicia. Stick to the rules.”
I laughed out loud. “Alright. Call me Ali. And I wasn’t prepared.” I cracked my neck left to right softly to relax. “Alright. Ready now.”
She grinned. “Favorite color?”
“Purple.”
She seemed impressed. “Favorite neckline?”
“Sweetheart.”
“Favorite skirt type?”
“Never wore one.”
Her jaw dropped. “What?” she squealed.
I winced. “True. Mother said I needed to have longer legs to wear a skirt properly. Mine aren’t long enough.”
Evy’s eyes widened in shock. “What a bitch!” I couldn’t hold back my giggles. “Sorry. I was caught off guard and I’m not good in holding back my reactions. Kaylan feasts on that actually.” She blushed momentarily and then shook her head. “Now I’m all confused. Let’s go again. Favorite food?”
I lowered my eyebrows in confusion. “What’s that got to do with shopping?”
She sent me a dry look. “I’m trying to get us both back in the mood. Stick to the rules and answer. Favorite food?”
I sighed. “Spaghetti with carbonara sauce.”
“Favorite movie?”
“The Last Airbender.”
“Do you like it here in LA?”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing when you graduate?”
“Medical school.”
“Are you crushing on Nate?”
“Yes.”
She stopped and grinned, and two seconds later I realized what I’d just admitted. I clamped a hand over my mouth. “Bollocks! You’re pure evil!”
She laughed. “No, I’m pure genius. But I would have known the answer even if I hadn’t asked. You’re kind of obvious around him.”
I goggled at her. “I am most definitely not.”
“Why? Because he’s not responding?”
My shoulders slumped. “Well, bloody hell. You truly are evil.”
She placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “Honey, you know nothing. I know Nate better than I know myself. And he’s into you. He’s just… He’s a little reluctant because he had his heart broken a little less than a year ago. It’s nothing to do with you.” She grinned. “But he’s definitely into you. Just be you and he’ll eventually show it.”
My mobile rang, and I was grateful for the small reprieve. I glanced at the caller ID and grinned, answering with, “How did you know I wanted to phone you?”
Oli giggled. “I sensed you summoning me. Now out with it.”
“Um, I can’t really talk right now. I’m trying to do that wardrobe change we were—”
Evy grabbed my mobile from me. “Hello? Is this Oli?”
My mouth fell open and I simply stared as she talked with my best friend.
“This is Evy. Ali is crushing on my best friend and I’m helping her with her new wardrobe.” She laughed. “I know. She’s cute though. I’m trying to get her to buy some color. Uh-huh. Yes, she told me, although I was also planning on blue too, since it is Nate’s favorite, and green because it goes so elegantly with her eyes. Yeah, Nate is the crush I mentioned. Oh, he’s already mesmerized, only a little shy on the field. She’s totally his type. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I got this. Thanks, Oli. We’ll Skype at some point. Look me up; I’m Evelyn Williams with the photo of a crazy kitten. Great. Bye.” She handed the mobile back to me. “She wants to talk to you.”
My mouth was still hanging open as I took it from her and placed it back against my ear without speaking a word.
“Hello? Ali? Are you there?”
I blinked out of my daze. “Yes. Yes, I’m here.”
“Blimey, that girl sounds fantastic. I can’t wait to meet her over Skype. I gave her some suggestions for your clothes. She seems to have it all figured out though. Just listen to her advice and buy what you like, and you can’t go wrong there, alright luv?”
“Um, I guess?”
Oli chuckled. “Right. Then I’ll leave you to it, luv. Ta-ta!”
And she hung up. I remained still for a few long moments, blinking at a still grinning Evy, and eventually lowered my mobile and pushed it back into my purse.
“I think I’m losing the plot,” I muttered.
“Is that another British expression?”
I nodded. “It means I think I’m going mental.”
She giggled. “Don’t worry, girl. I’ll take care of you. Oli told me exactly what you like and what she thinks would look good on you. And, from what I’ve heard, I think she and I agree on everything.” She laughed a short laug
h. “I just realized how your names sound. Ali and Oli. Cute.”
I shook my head. “Do you realize you’verendered me speechless? I tend to speak an awful lot, especially when I’m nervous or excited, and you just achieved the exact opposite. This should be put in record.”
She shook her head in amusement. “Forget about that. We have lots of shopping to do, and then we’ll go by the gym to meet with the boys. We’ll grab a quick lunch and maybe we can all go out for dinner later on.”
She took my hand and shoved me in a changing booth along with every top she’d been holding a few minutes ago.
“Try out the colors and tell me which ones you like, and then we’ll go from there.”
An hour later, I was walking out of that shop with Evy and several bags full of tops and shorts. We hadn’t found a skirt that both she and I liked, and we’d skipped on that for the time being. Even though Evy seemed like the bossy type and always made sure her opinion was known, she didn’t push me to buy something I didn’t like just because she’d liked it. Instead, she listened intently when I gave my opinion, and eventually started only giving me pieces of clothes I would like.
“Alright. Now we need shoes, and maybe look for some skirts and dresses in some other shops as well. And lingerie. Definitely lingerie. Guys love seeing girls in a good, matching set of lingerie.”
“Um, would you mind if I did that kind of shopping on my own? I think I have that area covered since Mother never had a say in it.”
She tilted her head and smiled. “No problem. I can just point you to the right shops.” We walked in silence for a few minutes, and then she asked, “Can I ask you a question?” I nodded. “What happened in the morning that had Nate all worked up?”
I felt heat rising on my cheeks. “Um, it’s really awkward.”
“Oh, come on. I already know you have a crush on him. What happened? Did you try to kiss him? Did you snuggle into him? Did you… touch him?”
I groaned, pushing my glasses higher on my nose. “Please, Evy, don’t make me say this.”
“Okay, I won’t make you say it. Just answer with yes or no. Just like before. What do you say?”
Realizing that she wasn’t going to rest, I sighed in acceptance. “Yes.”
“Did any of the aforementioned happen?”
“No.”
“Hm. Did he do something?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Did he snuggle?”
“Yes.”
“Only that?”
I sighed. “No.”
Her eyes opened wide and she stopped walking, so I had to turn around and look at her. “Did he touch you?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
I groaned. “Evy!”
“Fine! Yes or no questions only. Your belly?”
I nodded.
“Your boobs?”
I nodded again.
“Anywhere else?”
I sighed. Why was I torturing myself by telling her the truth? Oh. Because I bloody needed to tell someone and Oli was in London! “One more.”
Her eyes widened. “No! He didn’t!”
I groaned. “He was half-asleep. He thought he was dreaming, probably of someone else if I may add, because he was all… excited.”
Now it was Evy’s turn to groan. “Oh, hell, that’s TMI. You need to understand that I really see him as my brother and that’s just gross.”
I gaped at her. “You asked! I didn’t want to tell you in the first place!”
She looked at me dryly. “Yes, you did. You were dying to talk about it with someone, or you would have just lied ten questions ago.”
I groaned once again. “You’re an evil genius.”
She laughed. “Yeah, I know that. But, Ali, that’s good. Not for my mental health, obviously, since I’m going to have to scrub my brain raw to get what you said out of it, but the fact that he was all over you like that. It proves he’s interested.”
I looked at her warily and started walking again. “He was dreaming.”
She caught up with me. “Half-dreaming. Half-awake. Part of him knew it was you.”
I shook my head. “You can’t know that.”
“Hey, it’s a science thing. Chemistry. The pheromones and all that. I’ve read books, you know. A lot of them. Part of him knew it was you and awakened his… gross side.”
I gave her a sideways glance. “You really think so?”
She nodded. “Yep. Only… Look, I’m not going to lie. He really thinks he can’t get romantically involved again. He’s letting himself believe that. He might be difficult to approach, but if you’re really interested you can help him let go.”
“I’m not sure, Evy. I only know him for a week, during which we’ve only met three times. It may not be as exciting as it sounds.”
She snorted. “Please. I only knew Kaylan for five minutes before I knew I wanted to jump his bones. And we’d been fighting the entire time, mind you. He kissed me after a week and it was like we set each other’s world on fire. When there is a spark, there’s nothing you can do about it. And, from what I’ve seen, the spark between you and Nate is as intense as it was between me and Kaylan.”
I brought to mind the first time Nate’s fingers had touched my skin, and how it had felt like electricity running through me. The first time he’d pressed his lips against my temple. There was definitely a spark. But according to Evy, he didn’t want to acknowledge it. Why would I want to cling to a guy that wasn’t interested even if he was interested?
Was I making any sense anymore?
I groaned. “Enough about that. I’ll lose my mind entirely if we go on. Just… Let’s focus on shoes, and dresses, and skirts, and… the rest can wait.” I shook my head. “Bloody hell, you’re too intense, Evy. You really do remind me of Oli.”
“Alright, okay. I’ll change the subject. Tell me about your dad.”
I looked back at her in confusion. “My Dad?”
She nodded and continued softly, “You talked about him in past tense. What happened?”
Sadness crept into me. “His plane crashed when he was returning from a business trip in South Africa. I was eleven then and… I’m adopted. Mother never wanted to have children, but Dad did. So the only option they had, since Mother had had an hysterectomy at a young age, was to adopt. They had me almost from birth.”
She smiled kindly. “And they always wanted you to take over the business?”
I shook my head. “Dad and I always talked about how I would become a world renowned brain surgeon.” I smiled at his memory. “He’d bought me a real stethoscope and a white robe, and I used to wear them both every day, all day. Until one day I asked him why I was carrying a stethoscope when I wanted to be a brain surgeon. He’d laughed and said that since I finally got the difference, I was ready for medical school. Mother and I were never close. She’s not to blame though. She always knew she wouldn’t be a good mother, and that is why she didn’t want children. But when Dad died she got worse. I think in some ways she’s blaming me for losing him. Or that she had to share his time with me, and it ended up being too little.”
Evy sighed. “You know, I’m really bad at changing the subject. I’ve made you sad now, haven’t I?”
I laughed softly. “Not to worry. I always feel a little sad when I remember my Dad, but then again I remember him almost all the time, so you didn’t make me sadder than I already was. As for Mother… I have never cared enough for what she might think, so I don’t care now either. But seeing as this subject has been thoroughly analyzed, it’s time to change it again. What kind of skirts are we looking for?”
She laughed in relief and linked her arm with mine. “Well, seeing as you’re not too tall, we need to show off your legs, make them look longer. So mini-skirts will work better. Knife-pleated and ruffled are the best. A circle cut would work great too. And, if you like a little something longer for the fall, it should be either just above the knee or full length. And not something with too
many layers because it will make you look fat.”
“Do I have to wear heels all the time?”
She stopped on her tracks, right outside of the shoe shop. “You don’t have to wear anything, Ali.” She was being completely serious and gentle. “I’m not here to tell you what to do, only to give you my suggestions. And, no, you don’t need to wear heels all the time just to look taller. You should be proud of your height, no matter what it is. Full length skirts don’t always look good with heels, depending on the line. And, whatever you get, you have to be comfortable in it. Shoes that hurt you aren’t an option, because then you’ll be stiff all the time.”
I gave her a grateful smile and pulled her towards the inside of the shop. “Then we should get started because I really love shoes, and we’ll be spending quite some time in there!”
Nate
“You really need to find a female trainer.” I glanced over at the blond throwing herself at my brother, while he was patiently trying to show her how to operate the elliptical machine and keeping her in a distance. “If Evy walked in here right now, you would be mourning a member. And maybe some of the equipment too.”
Luke chuckled. “Don’t care, man. Some women need to eventually learn how to read negative signals. Kay is obviously not interested, and that one is still trying to rub herself all over him.”
He laughed outright when the blond tried to grope Kay’s ass and he all but jumped out of her way.
“But it’s true. I’m looking for someone to start over a yoga class. Many women have been asking for that. And I was also considering bringing in a masseuse or two. I’m still going through some financial checks, but maybe by the new year I’ll have arranged something. Oh. This is just awesome! Incoming.”
Luke turned fully towards Kay and crossed his arms over his chest, with a look of absolute amusement on his face. I glanced through the mirror towards the entrance, where Evy had just stormed through with Ali scurrying behind her. Evy’s face was a mask of anger, while Ali looked slightly frightened. She tried to talk to Evy, but she had no idea what my twin was like.
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