The lack of pressure to be anything other than herself was exhilarating. Maybe a little enlightening as well. She’d considered herself organized but found there were some definite kinks in her scheduling capabilities. She wanted to do it all so she sometimes overbooked. She’d started making lists, like Wes, because she learned she was a horrible shopper. She wasted time and money not having a plan. One step at a time. Small steps toward the big picture she wanted.
Fiona’s name buzzed on her phone as Hailey stood in her bra and undies. She swiped her finger over the screen, stepping away so the only view Fiona got was the ceiling.
“Um … nice fan?” Fiona’s voice came through.
Hailey laughed, pulled the black dress off the hanger. “I’m not decent. Give me a sec and you can tell me if this dress works for a business dinner.”
“I thought this dinner was supposed to be a couple weeks ago,” Fiona said.
Hailey worked hard not to make any unpleasant sounds as she worked the dress up over her hips, got her boobs situated, and did a couple gymnast moves with her arms to get the zipper up.
“It kept getting moved. Seriously, getting this dress on should count as cardio. It’s comfortable but not one of those ones you could slip into easily.”
“It’s about time for you to start slipping out of your clothes. I think you should start dating again,” Fiona said.
Hailey grabbed her phone, looked at the screen. Fiona had the camera up close to her forehead. “What are you doing?”
“I think I’m going gray. My grandmother went gray at twenty-one.” Fiona moved the phone back. “Your makeup looks hot. Let’s see the dress.”
Hailey pressed the button on her phone to turn the camera and stood in front of her full-length mirror.
Fiona whistled. “You look so pretty. I don’t think I’ve seen you in a dress.”
The quiz-writing journalist had become as much a part of her routine as Wes. They went for brunch most Sunday mornings at a little bistro a couple miles from the square. Every now and again, Wes joined them. Piper frequently joined. Megan and Rachel had shown up once. It was nice to feel like she was really making a life for herself.
“Thank you. I wouldn’t exactly wear this to work.”
“No. But you could wear it on a date. Or say, a bunch of them?”
Hailey turned the camera. “Spill it. What are you getting at?” The night the girls had warned Hailey that Fiona sometimes had some strange requests came back to her. “Should I be scared?”
“No. Absolutely not. Remember the article I wanted to do on finding love in five minutes?”
“Yeah.”
“My editor thinks the article would be stronger if I was speaking from experience rather than research. She found an event at a restaurant close by.”
Hailey groaned, closed her eyes, then opened them again. “I was just thinking how great it is not to have the pressure of dating. How wonderful it is to have made a small group of friends I could count on and hang out with. It’s a shame I have to eliminate you from the list.”
Fiona’s laughter suggested she knew Hailey well enough to know she was joking. Mostly.
“You don’t have to go out with anyone. I swear. I’m not going to. I don’t want to go alone. Please.”
“Fine. When?”
She hid her sigh because as much as she didn’t want to go, she didn’t want to make her friend feel bad either.
“Next Saturday.”
That’s grocery night. Ugh. Not good, Hails. Routine is fine but don’t get in a rut. “Sure. That sounds good.” Wes would absolutely understand. He might even be happy since she often distracted him from his own list or added fun things to it. Just because she was showing growth personally didn’t mean she couldn’t have some fun with him.
“You’re the best. Text me when you get home, okay?”
“Yeah. Shouldn’t be late.”
Hanging up, she went in search of a pair of low heels that wouldn’t kill her feet. Dressing up wasn’t something she did often. It was nice sometimes. She liked doing her hair. She’d pulled it into a low bun at the base of her neck and left tendrils framing her face.
It was her first San Verde fancy dinner experience and she didn’t even have to pay. Maybe I should wear a dress that lets me eat more. She rubbed her hand over her stomach. The dress actually felt really good despite the awkwardness of getting it on.
When her phone buzzed again, she knew it was Wes.
She smiled when she saw his name.