Page 88 of Let's Call a Truce
“In the pictures, it looked like a gorgeous soft sage color.” I stomped my foot at the twos and a three reflected at me.
“Well, in person it looks like a soft puke color.” Dani never was one to mince words. I groaned and stomped off, not needing to hear any other feedback.
Back in my bedroom, I pulled out the fifth dress. It had been my favorite in the pictures, and I took a minute to admire it before my friends’ comments inevitably ruined it.
I stepped into the dress, shimmying it over my wide hips. Navy-blue lace slid over my body, a form-fitted nude underlay peeking through the material. The lace followed the line of the underlay, slightly looser, keeping the dress from looking too risqué while showing off my generous curves. A high neckline wrapped around the base of my neck but left my shoulders bare.
I jumped and wiggled to reach the zipper, wanting to get it all the way up myself without having to call one of them in and ruining the reveal.
I walked into the living room to a chorus of gasps. Not a single one of them lifted her score card.
“I don’t know what you all are thinking if you don’t use the damn cards.”
“I don’t think my cards go high enough,” Gabriela said with a brilliant smile. Asia was nodding next to her with her hand over her heart.
“We don’t even need to see the last one, since there is no way it will beat that.”
Asia smacked her sister with the scorecards. “Don’t ruin my fun. I was promised a six-dress fashion show and I’m getting myself a six-dress fashion show.”
I laughed, turning this way and that to show them the dress. “Are you sure it’s not too much? This is a work event, and I’m worried it might be too tight.”
Asia stood and took my hand, spinning me around as they admired the dress from all angles. “It’s a black-tie work event with your ex-boyfriend. You deserve to feel beautiful and powerful, and you will in this. It’s not revealing, but you’re hot as hell.”
“Poor guy’s gonna be hard all night,” Dani said under her breath, and my three best friends howled with laughter.
“How much do you think it would cost to bribe the league to change the soccer schedule?” Asia whispered to me.
We shared a loaded glance when we saw Paris and Stephanie making their way toward us. Paris stopped to talk to her friends, but Stephanie’s trajectory never wavered.
She wore a bright smile, but her body language showed her defensiveness. “Hi, Asia. It’s been a long time.”
“Not long enough.”
Her chipper mask never slipped. “Come on. You’re Ben’s best friend. Can’t we put everything behind us to support him while we put our family back together?” Her eyes flicked to me.
Asia rolled her eyes, but before whatever quip she came up with left her lips, a blur of color tackled her around the legs.
“Auntie Asia! Isn’t it so exciting? My mom is back.”
“It is exciting, honey. I’m so happy for you.”
“She’s going to watch my game. Daddy’s getting the snacks for everyone out of the car, so she walked over with me. You’re going to stay, right?”
“Of course! I never miss your games.” She sent a glance, discrete but pointed, in Stephanie’s direction.
“Hi Miss Juliana. I miss you!” She grabbed my hand, and I pulled her in for a hug.
“I miss you, too, Paris.”
“Can I come over and play with Sophie after my game? We could do a big barbecue like we did all summer. Mom’s never been to one of your barbecues.”
I blinked down at her as I processed her flying words. I hadn’t heard her say so much in the past five months of knowing her. The abandonment had dimmed a light in her, one I hadn’t even realized existed until I saw the alternative, and having her mother back made her shine the way she was meant to. It broke my heart, but I saw why Ben made the choice he did.
My thoughts strayed to him, and a second later, he popped up alongside our little group.
“Daddy, we’re going to have a barbecue at Miss Juliana’s after my game.”
Ben sent me a questioning look, and the spark of hope in his eyes was like a punch to the gut.
