Page 41 of The Friendship Pact

Kate’s name was written in a beautiful romantic script on top of the box. So pretty! She brought the box into the kitchen, set it on the island, and gently removed the satin ribbon, wondering what she had done to deserve such a gift.

A note on linen cardstock sat atop the tissue: This item is to be worn to the bachelorette party. Paige has always wanted to be part of an ’80s girl band. Call us if you have questions. Maggie’s and Chloe’s signatures were accompanied by a sketched heart.

Both Nyla and Lucy jumped onto one of the counter stools. They were as curious about the delivery as she, although they were more interested in sitting in the box than they were about the contents. Kate pulled back the tissue and held up the black garment. She swallowed, her smile slipping as she took in the shorter-than-she-had-ever-worn sexy black dress in front of her. She fingered the expensive fabric as she carried the dress into her bedroom. She’d been working hard on her figure and her mindset over the past year, and she’d managed to quiet her inner critic. But that was before seeing her ex-boyfriend’s post on social media with his new French model fiancée. Now her inner voice was telling her she was too fat to wear something like this in front of the skinny girls. She repeated her mantra a few times in her head, then once out loud for good measure. “I am strong. I am smart. I love who I am.” She stripped to her undies, stood in front of the mirror, and held the dress to her body.

Nyla sauntered through the door, her black bushy tail swishing back and forth.

Kate addressed the feline. “I don’t think I can wear this. Maybe I can say it doesn’t fit, and I didn’t try it on until an hour before the party. Do you think that will work?”

Nyla lay on the bed, stretched, and flipped on her back, her legs splayed.

“You are no help,” Kate said. “Unless you’re trying to tell me something, in which case I agree with you. Finding a date wouldn’t be a problem in this dress.”

She sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath. Maybe if she stopped talking to her cat and tried on the dress with her Spanx underneath, it wouldn’t be so bad.

With the belly- and butt-flattening torture gear in place, she pulled the dress up to slip her arms into the long sleeves, and by the time her arms were in, the hem of the dress came mid-thigh. She smoothed the fabric down and stared at herself in the mirror.

“Oh. Okay. It’s short, but . . .” She pulled at the fabric to cover more thigh, then turned sideways and looked over her shoulder. “Huh.” She smoothed the fabric down the sides. Her new healthy eating plan had paid off. She looked pretty damn good.

In her closet, she found her knee-high black leather boots and slid them on. She held her fingers together and struck a pose like Kate Jackson on Charlie’s Angels.

Her phone beeped with an incoming text from Chloe.

I hope you’re not freaking out, she’d written.

How did she know? I actually was, Kate typed back.

Want me to come over? Chloe responded.

Kate bit down on her lower lip. If you have time.

BRT.

* * *

It was the night of the bachelorette party, and Kate had been looking forward to it. She entered the Blue Ox bar and restaurant on the lower level of the Deer Creek Lodge. The party was taking place in a private room tucked in the corner of the lounge and separated from the rest of the bar by a set of French doors covered with sheer curtains. A sign outside the doors read “Private Party.”

Balancing the cupcake box in one hand, she opened the door. Red and silver helium balloons danced around the ceiling; tendrils of curling ribbon swayed in the circulating air. Black and white streamers were looped end to end and attached to the opposite wall, along with a large Team Bride banner.

Maggie and Chloe turned in her direction. Kate glanced around. “The room looks great.”

Place cards and white gift bags stuffed with red tissue stood on a large banquet table. A table along the wall held two large platters laden with cheese, olives, crackers, meats, and a selection of vegetables and dips.

Kate handed Chloe the bakery box. “Cupcakes as promised.”

“I can’t wait to see! You look beautiful, by the way. I love your boots,” Maggie said.

“Thank you.” Kate smoothed the black dress down in hopes it would lengthen a tad more. For too many years, baking and eating her confections had made her hips wider and her middle softer. “I never wear this short of a dress.”

“You should. You look fabulous,” Chloe said.

Kate smiled. “I see you went with combat boots. Love them!”

“Thanks. I’m going for ‘sexy badass.’ Besides, I’m not the most graceful in heels.”

“I had to learn to walk in heels when I catered in Chicago, but I prefer flat-soled shoes too.”

Chloe moved closer to the food table. “I’m dying to see the cupcakes.” She opened the bakery box.