Page 20 of Santa Daddies

I answered anyway. “I’m no dress shopping expert like you, but I saw something vintage in the window of a boutique consignment shop that looked as if it was designed for you.”

Giddy with the prospect of finding her something show-stopping to wear to her father and stepmother’s anniversary party, we called an Uber and headed to the boutique.

Thankfully it was a store that wasn’t overrun with Christmas shoppers so the owner had no problem pulling the gorgeous dress out of the display so Kayla could try it on.

When she walked out of the dressing room, my eyes widened and I gasped. “It’s stunning.”

“It is,” she agreed. But she wasn’t looking at herself. She was looking at a rack behind me. “Look!” She pointed and I spun to see the most gorgeous emerald-green sparkling evening gown.

“Ohhh,” was all I could manage as I grabbed it from the rack. “It’s wow.”

“You have to try this on! It’ll be perfect for New Years Eve.”

I ran my hand along the dress’s hip-length slit. “Of course, but this is too sexy for me. And too long.”

“Nope. It’s not.” She grabbed it from my hand and headed toward the single changing room. “Come on, what else were you going to wear for New Years Eve?”

“The same black sequin dress I wore last year.”

Her brows rose. “And the year before?”

I stuck my tongue out at her. “Yeah, so what? We can’t all be models like you.”

“I’m not a model.” She narrowed her eyes on me. “I’m blessed, yes, but so are you. You have an adorable figure and a gorgeous rack. And besides it’s bad luck to wear the same dressevery New Year’s Eve. And you need to bring that dress with you on the trip just in case, and you’re wearing it to ring in the new year when you get back! Maybe you’ll meet someone.”

“At my brother’s wedding?”

“There, or at the New Years Party.”

“I know everyone who’s going to be at the wedding, except Kristoffer, my brother’s elusive billionaire best friend. And the few plus ones. And it’s in poor taste to steal someone’s plus one. And who goes to a resort over the holidays when they’re single?”

“Meh, you’re going to a beautiful resort. You’ll meet lots of people. And the ones you do will likely have money since it’s a five-star resort. And there are plenty of people that go places to avoid family obligations during the holidays.”

I pulled a face. “But do I want to be with someone who avoids their family? That means they’re either the black sheep or have a horrible family.”

“Or maybe they don’t have one at all. Or they’re overseas and can’t travel there for whatever reason. This guy I know has family in the States, but he can’t cross the border because he has a criminal record.”

“Oh great. I’m so desperate I should keep my options open for criminals?”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. It was an assault charge because someone got handsy with his girlfriend and he broke the guy’s nose. Totally deserved.”

I groaned. “Let’s go back to talking about the men at the resort, please.”

“Yes, hot, rich men at the resort who wouldn’t take half your condo because they have their own condos…and yachts, lake houses, and Italian villas…”

“Stop. I don’t want someone for what they have. I want them for who they are.”

“Either way, you’d definitely have your choice of men in that dress. Odds are at least one of them would be a good guy.”

I pressed my lips, considering this. “Fine, I’ll try it on.”

She clapped her hands. “Here,” she said shoving a pair of sparkly matching shoes under the door of the dressing room. “These will be perfect.”

When I walked out, I wasn’t surprised when her jaw dropped. The dress fit like a glove, showcasing my ample boobs and curvy bottom, all the while, thanks to the hip-high slit, making my legs look longer than they actually were. And she was right; it wasn’t too long at all. It was almost as if the dress was made for me. And that never happened.

“Holyfuckingshit,Emily, you look like a curvy goddess with legs for miles.” She shook her head in appreciation. The shopkeeper walked over and whistled.

“I second that.”