Cherry Creek by Dani Matthews Page A

absolutely nothing , and now I'm the one getting grilled. Figures. “Ah, I think so. I haven't been here long, so I don't really know that much about him.”
    The bell above the door dings, and we both look up as a couple of women enter the shop. Selena pats the pile of panties that still need to be set out. “I'll let you finish this,” she says as she saunters away towards the women.
    I go back to working on the display as I hear all three women laugh while Selena leads them towards the back of the store. A bit later, I've just finished helping a woman in her mid-thirties pick out a lingerie set for a bridal shower she's attending, when I turn around and come up short.
    A beautiful girl my age stands before me. She has long, glossy, ink black hair that falls almost to her waist while beautifully exotic, brown eyes study me with bold interest. She's taller than me by a few inches, and she's dressed to impress. Her blouse shows off her full breasts, and she's wearing tight, black pants with knee-high boots over them. The purse hanging over her arm probably costs more than my entire wardrobe. Not the one Sorcha bought, but the one that I've compiled through the years with my own cash.
    The girl smiles at me, but it’s the kind of smile that has me going alert with caution. It reminds me of the way Roman looks at me. Like he's humoring me. “I'm Tatum, a friend of Roman's,” she introduces.
    Well, that's not surprising. Roman's gorgeous, so I would expect him to surround himself with good looking people. I wonder if they're dating. “Nice to meet you,” I say politely.
    “I would have introduced myself at the party, but you disappeared.”
    “I wasn't really in the party mood,” I say lightly.
    Tatum nods as if she understands. “It must be strange getting used to a new family and new town. At least you don't have to deal with school until September.”
    The mention of school has apprehension rising slightly. The idea of being the new girl once again has me dreading the end of summer. I hate being the new girl. “What's the school like? Is it big?” I can’t help but inquire.
    “Not too big. Trust me, though, you're going to want friends before you start,” she warns.
    “It’s that bad?” I ask as my eyebrows shoot up.
    Tatum purses her lips slightly as if she's debating on what to say and how to say it. She tilts her head and shrugs a shoulder. “I wouldn't say it's bad. But it's very...cliquish, you could say. Everyone has their own group to hang with. Trust me, you're going to want yours before school starts.”
    “And what if I don't? Have a group, that is?” I ask as a hint of concern creeps up on me.
    “Oh, honey, we're already working on it. You'll be fine. Just start opening up a little more. Come to the club and play.”
    Come to the club and play? I don't understand these people, and I'm not in the mood to figure out exactly what 'play' means. “Is the school dangerous?” I ask, going back to the topic that worries me the most.
    Tatum shrugs carelessly. “No more dangerous than any other school.” She turns away and picks up a red teddy, looking at it intently. “Mm. What do you think?” She turns to face me as she holds it up against her body.
    “It's pretty.” What little of it there is.
    Tatum arches her eyebrow. “Aren't you a sales clerk? Shouldn't you be telling me that the color will really pop against my dark hair and tan skin? That the sides ride up to accentuate my small waist?”
    I can feel myself flushing. I've been comfortable giving strangers my opinion, but Tatum is different. I feel like she's toying with me, and I'm trying hard not to fall into her trap.
    Tatum sighs. “Roman wasn't kidding,” she says with distaste as she puts the scrap of fabric hanging from the padded hanger back on the rack.
    “What's that supposed to mean?” I feel my hackles beginning to rise.
    “You're shy, ” she says as if she’s just bit into something distasteful. “You can't by shy