look cute on me?”
“Yeah, doll. That is cute. And Beverly, I’ll have some water, please.” The situation was getting too girly for him. That looked like a colossal amount of clothes for her to go through… Maybe he’d send her shopping alone next time, or with a girlfriend.
While Marley oohed and aahed and tried on countless dresses and sweaters, James checked his portfolio, his email, and finally the Dallas Vipers sports news on his phone.
James was a huge football fan, and his buddy, Natron Dakers, was the star wide receiver on the team. The Vipers needed to win only one more game to make it to the playoffs.
He lifted his gaze to see Marley dressed in a short gray sweater dress topped with a zebra print scarf, gray leg warmers, and sexy black knee-high boots. She looks great, but I’d rather see her in only the boots.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“Love it, especially the boots.”
She scrunched her shoulders happily and turned back to Beverly. “I think I need more things like this. Things I’d wear every day. I don’t really need anything fancy, do I, Daddy?”
“No,” he replied absentmindedly, then changed his mind. “Now that I think of it, maybe a ball gown and a cocktail dress, Beverly.” There would be occasions coming up where she would need to be dressed up.
“A ball gown?” Marley’s eyes grew big as saucers.
“Yes. I go to charity events on occasion. I’d like you to come with me.”
“I’ve got just the dress,” Beverly told Marley.
The University of Texas fight song jangled in his hand. Saved by the phone. He excused himself. The girls didn’t even notice his exit.
It was his friend Charles. “Hey, J, what’s goin’ on?”
Charles had recently returned from Iraq. He and his girlfriend Kimberly were engaged and they had asked James to be the best man in the wedding. Charles hadn’t said much about the wedding yet, but James expected the planning would begin in full force after the holidays. “Not much. What’s up?”
“Sloane texted Kimberly that you were at Neiman’s shopping with a new girlfriend. She wants me to get the scoop.”
“Already? I’ve only been here an hour.” The gossip pipeline flowed remarkably fast. Guess there wasn’t much you could keep private in this town. Not that he’d want to. Marley wasn’t a dirty little secret, he was proud of her. He’d want to show her off to his friends. Just maybe not so soon…
Charles laughed. “I know, right? Kimberly wants to meet her. Do you think she would get along with the other girls?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Okay, will you give her Kimberly’s number? The girls are having lunch next week and she and Sloane are dying to meet her.”
“Gotcha. I will pass that along.” They spoke for a few more minutes about work and the Vipers before they hung up.
James poked his head back into the dressing room. Marley viewed herself from all angles in a khaki trench coat with ruffles at the bottom, her face plastered with pure delight. His chest tightened. He wanted to see her happy like this always.
He closed the curtain back and called Milton, who complained he wasn’t at the office.
James considered cutting their day short and going in to work for a couple of hours, then brushed aside the idea. When was the last time he’d taken the day off? It had been ages. Maybe for some dental surgery last year. It felt strange not being at the office, but he was looking forward to spending the rest of the day with Marley.
The next time he checked on her, Marley stood in front of the mirror in a flowing floor-length gown with a portrait collar. Billows of red surrounded her, like flames licking the air. She was stunning.
“That one for sure,” he said to Beverly. Marley beamed.
Next she slipped into a deep green beaded cocktail dress with three-quarter sleeves. It reminded him of the panties they’d purchased earlier.
“It matches your eyes. It was made for you,” Beverly
“Yeah, doll. That is cute. And Beverly, I’ll have some water, please.” The situation was getting too girly for him. That looked like a colossal amount of clothes for her to go through… Maybe he’d send her shopping alone next time, or with a girlfriend.
While Marley oohed and aahed and tried on countless dresses and sweaters, James checked his portfolio, his email, and finally the Dallas Vipers sports news on his phone.
James was a huge football fan, and his buddy, Natron Dakers, was the star wide receiver on the team. The Vipers needed to win only one more game to make it to the playoffs.
He lifted his gaze to see Marley dressed in a short gray sweater dress topped with a zebra print scarf, gray leg warmers, and sexy black knee-high boots. She looks great, but I’d rather see her in only the boots.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“Love it, especially the boots.”
She scrunched her shoulders happily and turned back to Beverly. “I think I need more things like this. Things I’d wear every day. I don’t really need anything fancy, do I, Daddy?”
“No,” he replied absentmindedly, then changed his mind. “Now that I think of it, maybe a ball gown and a cocktail dress, Beverly.” There would be occasions coming up where she would need to be dressed up.
“A ball gown?” Marley’s eyes grew big as saucers.
“Yes. I go to charity events on occasion. I’d like you to come with me.”
“I’ve got just the dress,” Beverly told Marley.
The University of Texas fight song jangled in his hand. Saved by the phone. He excused himself. The girls didn’t even notice his exit.
It was his friend Charles. “Hey, J, what’s goin’ on?”
Charles had recently returned from Iraq. He and his girlfriend Kimberly were engaged and they had asked James to be the best man in the wedding. Charles hadn’t said much about the wedding yet, but James expected the planning would begin in full force after the holidays. “Not much. What’s up?”
“Sloane texted Kimberly that you were at Neiman’s shopping with a new girlfriend. She wants me to get the scoop.”
“Already? I’ve only been here an hour.” The gossip pipeline flowed remarkably fast. Guess there wasn’t much you could keep private in this town. Not that he’d want to. Marley wasn’t a dirty little secret, he was proud of her. He’d want to show her off to his friends. Just maybe not so soon…
Charles laughed. “I know, right? Kimberly wants to meet her. Do you think she would get along with the other girls?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Okay, will you give her Kimberly’s number? The girls are having lunch next week and she and Sloane are dying to meet her.”
“Gotcha. I will pass that along.” They spoke for a few more minutes about work and the Vipers before they hung up.
James poked his head back into the dressing room. Marley viewed herself from all angles in a khaki trench coat with ruffles at the bottom, her face plastered with pure delight. His chest tightened. He wanted to see her happy like this always.
He closed the curtain back and called Milton, who complained he wasn’t at the office.
James considered cutting their day short and going in to work for a couple of hours, then brushed aside the idea. When was the last time he’d taken the day off? It had been ages. Maybe for some dental surgery last year. It felt strange not being at the office, but he was looking forward to spending the rest of the day with Marley.
The next time he checked on her, Marley stood in front of the mirror in a flowing floor-length gown with a portrait collar. Billows of red surrounded her, like flames licking the air. She was stunning.
“That one for sure,” he said to Beverly. Marley beamed.
Next she slipped into a deep green beaded cocktail dress with three-quarter sleeves. It reminded him of the panties they’d purchased earlier.
“It matches your eyes. It was made for you,” Beverly
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