Laurie blinked. She should probably answer Emma’s question. “No, not really. Interesting family argument going on in the background, but the bride found her dress on the first try. You?”
“Nice! Well, mine wasn’t the first try, but almost. She’s going with the third one. She’s getting dressed again right now.”
“Let me know if you need any help ringing her up.”
“Thanks, Laurie. I will.”
Emma hadn’t been at the store for long, but she was learning quickly, and Laurie had no doubt that she’d soon be one of the store’s best consultants. She seemed to have a knack for intuitively knowing just what her brides wanted even when they didn’t know themselves, and her gentle way of making suggestions had saved more than one bride from walking out with a dress that was clearly not the most flattering.
“Lunch, Laurie,” Millie said, sticking her head out from her office.
Laurie glanced at the wall clock. Sure enough—she could definitely use the breather. She stepped into the back room, grabbed her wallet, and ducked out the back door of the shop to walk up the alley. It wasn’t that she was avoiding anyone on Main Street in particular . . .
Okay, yes, she was. Brennan from the jewelry store two buildings away had asked her out the week before, and she turned him down. He was a really great guy—tall, nice-looking, fun to talk to—but she felt no chemistry with him. None. At all. It was like talking to her brother, and the fact that he worked with Cara, her roommate, only made him seem more like a member of the family. And while going out on one date probably wouldn’t be the end of the world, she was looking for something serious, the real thing. She didn’t want to waste emotional energy on a date that she knew wasn’t going to go anywhere, and she figured Brennan would probably thank her in the long run.
But that didn’t mean she was eager to run in to him, so that’s why she was taking the alley to the diner like a fraidy cat instead of going down the sidewalk in front of the stores like a normal hungry person.
She stepped around the overflowing trash can behind the photographer’s studio, caught a whiff of perm solution as she walked past the beauty parlor, and heard the barking of dogs as she passed the pet store. But then something wonderful happened—she caught the scent of bacon. She increased her pace. If she were a dog, she’d bark too.
When she opened the back door to the café, Sloane, one of the waitresses, looked up in surprise from where she was refilling the salt and pepper shakers. “Sneaking around again, Laurie?”
“Just avoiding someone.” Laurie closed the door behind her and took in a deep breath. She knew what she was ordering, no question there.
“And you couldn’t avoid them coming in the front door?”
“Nope.” She didn’t even want to risk it.
Sloane screwed on the lid to the last pepper shaker and showed Laurie to a booth. “And what will you have?”
“BLT, extra B.”
“I should have guessed. What else?”
“Onion rings, of course. And a Sprite.”
“Coming right up.”
Sloane handed the order to the cook and then returned to Laurie’s table. “So, how’s your day been since you were here for your morning hot chocolate?”
“Pretty good. Sold a dress.”
“Good for you.”
“And I spent far too long ogling the bride’s brother.”
“There was a brother?” Sloane plopped down on the bench across from Laurie, even though she wasn’t supposed to. Some stupid rule about fraternizing with the customers. “Do tell.”
Laurie blushed a little. “Well, I tripped on the carpet because I was checking him out and got distracted.”
“That cute, huh?”
“Cuter. But I’ll probably never see him again—he wasn’t excited to be in the shop, and I can’t imagine him coming in for the fitting.”
“I don’t suppose you could crash the wedding or anything, volunteer to help the bride get dressed on her big day?”
Laurie chuckled. “There’s an idea. It’s just up at the lodge, so it’s not that far out of my way.”
“Order up,” the cook bellowed.
“Oh, I guess you want your lunch. Be right back.”
Laurie gazed out the window while she waited for Sloane to return with her food. Bookmarks, the store across the street, was having a 20% off sale on their paperbacks. She’d have to swing by . . . Or maybe she should read the fifteen books she already had sitting on her nightstand. It was a tough call. Especially when one of her other roommates worked there and she could use her friends and family discount on top of the sale price . . .
“Here you go.” Sloane placed Laurie’s order in front of her. “Need anything else?”
“No, I’m fine. Thanks.”
“So about this guy—”
Two new customers walked in just then, and Sloane sighed. “Duty calls. Back in a minute.”
Laurie picked up her BLT and took a bite. Heaven. Absolute heaven.
Her phone chimed a moment later and she grabbed a napkin to blot her hands before swiping the screen. She’d been copied in on the e-mail sent to Richardo’s studio with the order and all Kelly’s measurements. He really was a nice guy. He deserved more than brownies—when Laurie got the commission for this sale, she’d finally be able to pay off her car, and that deserved eternal gratitude.
More customers walked in, and Sloane didn’t have the chance to come back and hang out at Laurie’s table. That was just as well—she’d probably keep filling Laurie’s head with crazy ideas about ways to see Logan again. If she wanted to see him again. Which, you know, she really wasn’t sure she did. He was nice to look at and all, but his attitude—she took another bite of sandwich to help her forget about him.
Chapter Two
“We’re celebrating tonight, girls,” Laurie called out as she walked into the apartment she shared with three of her friends from her high school days, Regan, Cara, and Morgan. A sack from the grocery store dangled from her hand.
“What did you bring us?” Cara asked from her spot on the couch.
“Ice cream,” Laurie replied. “The good kind.”
“The good kind?” Regan poked her head out from her room, a book in her hand, as always.
“The good kind.”
Not two minutes later, they were all gathered around the bar in the kitchen, digging in without worrying about bowls.
“What are we celebrating?” Morgan asked after licking a drip off one of her fingers.
Laurie handed her a napkin. “I earned a very nice commission today, and I’ll be able to pay off my car.”
“That’s awesome,” Morgan said. “Come in as soon as you get the check and I’ll help you process the final payment.”
“Thanks, Morgan.” It was downright handy when your roommate was also your banker.
“Was it a pretty dress?” Cara asked.
“It was part of the Lodge Collection.”
“Ooooo!” the other three chorused. They knew what that meant. In fact, they almost knew the store’s inventory better than Laurie did. A favorite evening activity when they didn’t have dates was to study the store’s website, especially when seasons changed and the new lines came in.
“Yeah, the bride looked great in it. Her brother didn’t seem so impressed, though.” Dang. Why was she telling everyone she knew about Logan? Had she even talked to the checkout clerk at the grocery store about him? She thought back. No, she didn’t think so. But he had certainly been on her mind since that morning.
“Who cares what brothers think? Brothers are just obnoxious little twerps who sit in the corner and play on their iPads.” Regan tucked a lock of her long blonde hair behind her ear and went in for another spoonful of caramel fudge.
Logan hadn’t been like that, though . . . Oh, wait. Yes, he had been. Only, the grown-up boy’s version of it, with a phone instead of an iPad.
“I noticed the sale sign out in front of the bookstore,” Laurie said in
an attempt to distract herself from obsessing about Logan any more than she already was.
“You’re not thinking about buying more, are you?” Regan gave her an incredulous look. “Okay, you’re my best customer, but still. You’d spend your entire paycheck on books if you didn’t need stuff like food and gas.”
Laurie didn’t want to admit that sometimes she had scrimped on food and gas in favor of a new release.
“I can’t believe I’m going to say this—and please don’t tell my boss—but there’s this great thing called a ‘library’ right down the street,” Regan continued. “Maybe you’ve seen it. Big gray building, next to the post office . . .”
“It’s not the same as owning your own copy,” Laurie said. “It’s not as personal.”
“Okay, whatever. I’m just sayin’.” Regan gave her spoon another lick and then tossed it into the dishwasher. “Your bookshelves could stand to go on a diet.”
“So could I, but I’m still sitting here eating ice cream.” To prove her point, Laurie went in for another bite.
Cara picked up the bottle of chocolate syrup and upended it over the cherry chocolate chip. “So, Laurie,” she said, her voice a little too casual, “I understand Brennan asked you out.”
Um, awkward. “Yes, he did. And I told him no.”
“Yeah, that’s what he said. He asked me why my roommate couldn’t appreciate his charms.” She stirred the mixture together. It looked gross, but it probably tasted wonderful.
Laurie almost choked on her bite of caramel fudge. “What?”
“Just kidding.” Cara laughed. “He just sort of brought it up during a lull this afternoon. He didn’t seem too bugged by it—maybe just a little disappointed.”
Laurie wondered what a lull at the jewelry store would look like. She’d never seen the place really hopping—well, except for on Valentine’s Day. “And what else did he say?” she asked carefully.
“Well, he did want to know if we’d talked about him, but he seemed pretty chill about it. I think he really likes you, though.”
“So why did you say no?” Morgan asked. She always got right to the heart of things.
“That’s a hard question to answer,” Laurie hedged. Did she even know?
“I think she’s still holding out for Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome,” Regan said.
“It’s your fault for selling me all those Jane Austen novels.” Laurie reached for the jar of marshmallow cream, but she couldn’t get it open. Morgan reached across, took it from her, and twisted it with almost no effort at all. “Thanks,” Laurie mumbled.
“You’ve got to be practical about this whole love thing,” Morgan said. “There just aren’t that many guys in town who match that description. Brennan’s a nice guy, he’s sure not hard to look at, and you might hit it off. You never know.”
“You’re probably right.” But Laurie didn’t want her to be right. She’d seen brides come into the shop who were so in love, she practically had to nail their feet to the floor to keep them from floating away. And on the rare—and discouraged—occasions when the grooms did come in with the brides, she’d noticed little touches and glances that were so electric, they could have set the entire shop on fire. She wanted that. She didn’t want a really nice guy—she wanted the guy who could make her feel like the queen of the universe just by touching her hand while they sat side by side on a couch in a room full of people.
“Laurie’s daydreaming again.” Morgan’s voice pulled her back to reality.
“What?”
Morgan chuckled. “Do you want any more ice cream, or should we put it away? Sheesh, I only asked you twice.”
Laurie felt her cheeks get warm. “Sorry. Yeah, put it away. I should probably eat some dinner.”
“Dinner? That was my dinner.” Cara patted her perfectly flat belly. “I’ll have to hit the gym half an hour earlier tomorrow to make up for it.”
“Or not, and just live a little,” Regan said.
Laurie ignored their good-natured bantering as she rummaged through the fridge. Cara had been an adorably chubby child and teenager and now, although a gorgeous woman, she still struggled with feelings of inadequacy. Regan had taken it upon herself to tease Cara out of it whenever she got too obsessive. Cara, on the other hand, found new, healthy recipes for everyone to try, so hopefully there was some balance going on. And they’d need it after that little binge.
“Okay, I’m outta here,” Morgan said. Laurie hadn’t noticed until just that minute, but Morgan was dressed for going out. She’d pulled her dark hair back into a sleek ponytail and she wore her black blouse and black slacks. She looked like a very stylish Goth.
“Where are you going?” Cara asked.
“A recital down at Harpstrings,” Morgan replied. “And yes, I have a date, and no, it’s not anyone to gush over. It’s just Rory from the bank.”
It was kind of sad that anyone should be referred to as “just,” but Laurie knew what Morgan meant. Rory was a lot like Brennan. Both nice guys, and both not really love-interest material.
“Would you see if they have my sheet music in yet?” Cara asked. “I meant to get down there earlier, but we’re always supposed to have two people in the shop—I couldn’t leave Brennan alone.”
“Yeah, I’ll check. See ya.” Morgan grabbed her purse—yes, her black purse—and stepped out the door.
One by one, all the roommates trickled out, and Laurie sat at the bar with her slice of leftover pizza. She could see what was on Netflix, she supposed. But after flipping through the endless list of romantic comedies, she felt a little restless. Maybe there really wasn’t a Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome out there for her. But that thought was too depressing, so she pulled out her running shoes. She’d go punish the pavement for a little while and see if she could snap out of this funk—the funk she hadn’t been in until Logan Reese had walked into the bridal shop.
Chapter Three
It had been two days since Kelly Reese had come in to order her dress, and in those two days, Laurie had sold two more dresses. Neither one carried such a big commission, but every penny was welcome and appreciated.
This morning’s bride was Marissa, a twenty-seven-year-old former model who was getting married in Las Vegas in eight months. She stood on the pedestal in front of the large mirror, turning from side to side, teetering just a bit in her five-inch heels. Laurie hadn’t even known shoes came with five-inch heels—it seemed like a new form of torture, but you really can’t argue with what the bride has chosen to wear on her wedding day. “Can you clip up the back a little tighter?” Marissa asked. “I want this dress to fit me like a second skin.”
It already fit her like something only an X-ACTO knife could remove, but Laurie complied. She tightened the laces a little while she was at it.
As she was giving the strings a final tug, she happened to glance out the window and saw Logan Reese coming up the sidewalk. What? Her hands started to shake a little and she scolded herself. He’s probably not even going to come in. There are tons of stores on Main Street—maybe he’s going to get a dog at Noah’s Ark or something.
But he slowed, and then he opened the door to Millicent’s. Laurie had been tracking his movements out of the corner of her eye and was now craned around so far, she’d probably need neck surgery.
“Um, Laurie? My dress?”
“Oh, sorry.” Laurie turned back and kept tightening the laces. Marissa’s waist was looking tinier and tinier, but the smile on her face was growing.
“I’m here to see Laurie.” His voice floated across the store.
What? Here to see her? Laurie gave the ties an extra tug and then moved to step away, but her fingers were caught. Somewhere between getting sidetracked the first time and the second time and the third time, she’d tied the fingers of her left hand into the laces on the back of Marissa’s dress, and she hadn’t even noticed. Until now, when she was stuck, and her fingers kind of hurt and they were turning purple.
She sensed, rather than s
aw, Logan walking up behind her, and in desperation, she gave her hand a sharp tug. But she hadn’t realized what a light person Marissa really was, and she’d forgotten about the five-inch heels and the fact that Marissa was standing on a pedestal. She pulled Marissa backwards and the two of them crashed onto the floor in a tangle of satin, tulle, and lace. Yes, all those fabrics were on the same dress. It was pretty outrageous. Not from the Lodge Collection, but just as fancy.
Laurie looked up from under the pile of bridal finery. Logan was staring down at her with a look of total disbelief on his face. Marissa tried to pull herself back up, but Laurie’s hand was still stuck, and Laurie was essentially keeping her on the floor. Millie and Emma both scurried over.
“What’s going on?” Mille asked in an undertone.
“My hand is caught in the laces,” Laurie whispered.
Millie unlaced the dress just enough to get Laurie’s hand free, and Emma helped Marissa to her feet and did the laces back up—the right way this time. Laurie just sat there, totally humiliated, until Logan reached down and offered her his hand. She took it, not because she wanted to, but because she really could use some help getting off the floor.
She could now play this one of two ways. She could make a joke and laugh and be all funny ha-ha, or she could pretend like nothing had just happened and that she most certainly had not just pulled a bride onto the floor.
She decided on the latter.
“Logan,” she said, smoothing down her gray smock. “What brings you by?”
“Are you okay?” he asked, glancing around. Laurie wasn’t sure why. Maybe he was looking for hidden cameras and for the host of America’s Funniest Home Videos to come out and tell him this had all been an elaborate ploy just to entertain the masses and spike ratings.
“Me? I’m fine. How can I help you?”
“You’ve got . . .” He motioned to her head. She turned and caught sight of herself in the mirror. Several strands of her dark hair had been pulled from the bun she wore at her neck and they were now sticking out at odd angles. She pulled out the clip and let her hair fall loose. That would have to do. It was still sticking up a little strangely, but she could hardly excuse herself and run to the salon two doors down so she’d look perfect for him. Although, the idea did have some merit, and they did take walk-ins . . .
And Something Blue (Main Street Merchants Book 1) Page 2