Then I agonized over that too.
But I did have a good time. There was no one else I’d ever wanted to hold that close. I often thought about doing it again, usually late at night with a hand in my pants.
“Look, it’s nothing to do with Felicity,” I told Allie. “I always have fun with her.”
“Of course you do.” She rolled her eyes. “We all know how you feel about Felicity, Hutton. It’s been obvious for years. And despite your messy hair and your ugly mug and your terrible personality, she genuinely likes you too. I don’t get why you two aren’t a thing.”
I glanced at her. She looked like our mom, the way she was standing there with her weight on one leg, hip jutting out, hand parked on top of it, blond hair gleaming in the sun as she gleefully pushed my buttons.
So I did what any self-respecting little brother would do—I turned the hose on her and sprayed her down.
THREE
FELICITY
After prepping all my appetizers, I jumped in the shower and washed my hair. As I blew it dry, I kept hoping maybe the shampoo and conditioner might perform some miraculous trick and it wouldn’t look so haphazardly chopped, but no such luck.
I threw it in a ponytail and hunted through my closet for something to wear, but after an hour, I gave up, drove over to Winnie’s condo, and banged on her front door.
“I need a fairy godmother,” I told her when she pulled it open.
She grinned as Dex’s daughters, nine-year-old Hallie and six-year-old Luna, appeared behind her. “How about three of them?”
“Even better.”
“Dex is out running errands, so we’re having girl time,” she said, shutting the door behind me. “Come on upstairs!”
Fifteen minutes later, I came out of the bathroom in my fourth dress.
“How about this one?” I did a little twirl for my audience of three, who sat on the edge of Winnie’s bed.
“Yes,” said Hallie, her brown eyes thoughtful as she tapped her chin. “It’s definitely the best so far.”
“I like it.” Golden-headed Luna clapped her hands. “Blue is my favorite color.”
“It is a great shade for you.” Winnie got up off the bed and moved behind me, pulling the zipper all the way up to the top. “There. Now it fits a little better.”
“Thanks.” I went over to the full-length mirror on the back of her closet door and studied my reflection. The dress was cornflower blue with small white flowers all over it. The skirt was short and flared, and the neckline was deep and round. It would have looked better if I’d had more chest to fill out the top, but even with three fairy godmothers, the chances of going from a B to a D cup by seven o’clock tonight were slim. “I do like the color. You don’t think the top is too . . . baggy on me?”
“Hmm.” Winnie studied my reflection too. “Do you have a push-up bra?”
“What’s a push-up bra?” asked Luna.
“It’s a bra that pushes up your boobies and squeezes them together,” said Hallie. “So they sort of bulge out like water balloons. Mom wears them.”
I laughed. “I might have something at home.”
“Good. Okay, now the shoes.” Winnie went over to her closet and came out with three pairs of heels. “I think the nude strappy ones will be the best, but the platform sandals could also be cute. How much standing do you have to do?”
“I don’t know,” I said, sitting on the bed to slip into the platform sandals since they looked the most approachable. “But I don’t want to have trouble walking, and I’m definitely not used to heels.”
“I like those,” Winnie said with a shrug when I was buckled into the tan leather sandals with a woven platform. “But it’s not a very dressy look. How fancy is this event?”
I shrugged. “The invitation said dressy casual.”
“That’s two different things,” Hallie pointed out.
I looked over my shoulder at her. “Exactly. Why do fashionable people make things more difficult than they need to be?”
“I think this look works for casual,” Winnie said hesitantly, “but if you want to go a little dressier, maybe try the heels.”
“I want to look elegant and sophisticated,” I said.
My sister nodded. “Then go for the heels.”
I slipped my feet into the spiky things, strapped them on, and wobbled over to the mirror. “Well?”
“They look perfect,” Winnie said. “But can you get around in them okay?”