Page 40 of From West, With Regret

“Wow,” Julianna whispers.

“You deserve someone better than that tool bag.”

I stifle my laugh at Charleigh’s comment. It sounds more like something Julianna would say than her.

“It’s okay to want to move on,” Charleigh adds. “You know, Holt was looking at you, too.”

I’m surprised by her comment. I never thought much of Holt. He’s usually quiet around me, and whenever Selene is around him, she doesn’t have much to say.

“Ugh.” Julianna rolls her eyes. “We’re all adults, and I obviously can’t tell you who to date, but there are better men than my brother.”

“Why do you say that?” I ask.

She shrugs, pausing at looking at a dress. “He’s just consumed with his magazine, and there’s this matter of him trying to get close to the Montgomerys all of a sudden.”

“Are you saying you don’t trust your brother?” Charleigh asks.

“No.” Julianna inhales a breath. “It isn’t that. I just don’t know what his angle is. He’s just being secretive.” She pauses. “More so than usual.”

“Huh.” Charleigh looks at me, raising her brows with a shrug of her shoulders.

I shrug back.

“Anyway…” Julianna blinks her thoughts away. “I have enough going on in my dating life, or lack thereof, to pay attention to what my brother is doing.”

I see the war in Charleigh’s eyes, wanting to ask Julianna to elaborate on her dating life, but she clamps her mouth shut. I’ve been around them enough to know Julianna is constantly finding the worst men, and this rivalry with Rome Montgomery is curious.

“Selene asked me to set this one aside for her.” Julianna twists her mouth in thought, moving the dark blue dress to the end of the rack. It’s stunning, with a slit driven straight up the thigh and a deep v-cut neckline.

I check my messages for one from Selene but find none. Instead, I find myself wandering to her Instagram account. There’s a new post of her open laptop at a coffee shop. Her caption reads:The work never stops. News coming soon.

I’m closing out my screen when Julianna gasps.

“Yes!” She rips one of the hangers off the rack and crosses the room to meet me. Stopping in front of me, she holds the dress out, staring at the back of it.

“With your dark hair and those golden rings you always wear, this will be perfect for our girls’ night at the club.” Julianna giggles.

I’m wondering why Julianna picked a club for our first girls’ night. All four of us are in at least our late twenties to early thirties. Never being a club goer myself, even when I was in my early twenties, I’m nervous. Mostly because of other people and tight spaces.

But this isNew York City. Ever since my newfound freedom from my controlling mistake of a marriage, I’m telling myself to break out of the box I’ve placed myself in, despite the anxiety I might get from it.

I reach out and slide my hand along the black sequins. The bottom portion of the dress is covered in them. From the waistup it is all thin, black lace. Although the dress has long sleeves, it’s incredibly revealing. And short. At least shorter and more revealing than I would typically gravitate toward.

The neckline is similar to the dress set aside for Selene.

“It is beautiful,” I say quietly.

“Try it on.” She holds it out for me, but I know I need to get going. I promised West I would meet him at The Veiled Door.

“I actually need to head out.” I sit up from Julianna’s bed. “I finished my first piece for the bar and need to show it to West.”

“Oh.” She frowns, then spins on her heel. “Take the dress home and try it on. See if you like it.”

“No, no, no.” I hold my hand up. “I can’t do that, Julianna.”

“Yes, you can.” She slips the short dress into an equally short, protective bag. Like it was made specifically for it. She crosses the room and hands it to me, draping it over my arm. “I need to get these other dresses back to Massimo tonight, so if it doesn’t work then just let me know.”

“I don’t know.” I’m still hesitant. I don’t have time to drop the dress off at Selene’s apartment before heading to The Veiled Door. They’re in opposite directions. And I don’t want to be late meeting West. He always sticks to his word when it comes to meeting me. I want to return the favor.