“Most of the time?” Vivian echoed. “Oh no, hon, there is no truth whatsoever in what that man said to you. You’re a gorgeous, intelligent, desirable woman. The fact that Luke is panting after you proves that.”
Ellie had to admit Viv’s words were an echo of her own thoughts. Last night, in Luke’s passionate embrace, she’d felt more like a woman than ever. The way his strong hands had cupped her breasts, the way his erection had pushed against her sex. Luke had made her feel something she hadn’t in a long time. Wanted.
It would be so easy to fall into bed with him. If she pushed him hard enough, he’d give in sooner or later. He’d probably be an amazing lover too. But she also knew if she slept with him, she’d be risking her heart. She’d been half in love with him all her life. She didn’t think she could handle being just another notch on his belt.
“It does feel nice knowing Luke is attracted to me.” She slugged back the rest of her water and pushed the glass away. “But it would be nicer if he was here because he wanted to be and not because Josh forced him to—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Vivian broke out in a fit of coughs. She reached for her iced-coffee and took a long sip, then flashed an apologetic glance. “My throat. It got dry all of a sudden.”
The explanation was as flimsy as they came, but for the life of her, Ellie couldn’t figure out what she’d said to make Viv look this nervous. She didn’t get the chance to question her, either, as Vivian cleared her throat and said, “So, ready to get out of here?”
Ellie nodded, and the two women dropped a few bills on the table to pay for their drinks then left the little patio. They had driven to town in Vivian’s bright yellow Jeep, parked it on the outskirts of the downtown core and opted to stroll the strip. Neither woman said much as they walked down the sidewalk, dodging passersby and firmly shaking their heads at the merchants who tried to pull them over.
They were halfway to the car when Ellie stopped in her tracks. “Oh my God! It’s perfect.”
She stared at the display window of San Valdez’s only decent clothing store, mesmerized. Vivian came up beside her, took one look at the mannequin and chuckled. “Luke will faint if you ever wear that around him.”
“That’s the plan.” Without another word, Ellie strode into the boutique and made a beeline for the cash counter. The plump, dark-haired saleswoman standing there barely had time to say hello as Ellie pointed to the dress and said, “I want that one.”
The woman followed Ellie’s finger and smiled knowingly. “Oh yes. Wonderful selection.” She had a heavy Spanish accent. “You are size five, six, yes?”
“Six.”
“I will get you dress in this size.” The woman scurried past a curtain that led into a back room. She returned seconds later with the dress and handed it to Ellie.
With a small grin, Ellie ran her fingers over the red satin then held the garment over the T-shirt and denim shorts she wore. The silky material just barely reached her lower thighs and the neckline plunged so low she knew Luke’s eyes would pop out when he saw her in the dress. Which is why she had to have it.
“How much is it?” she asked the saleslady.
“One hundred and twenty.”
The price was steep, but worth it. Grin widening, Ellie reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet. “I’ll take it.”
Moments later, her bank card was being swiped through the outdated machine and Ellie was punching in her PIN. She looked over at Vivian as she waited for a receipt, unable to contain her glee. “So here’s the plan,” she said. “I’ll ask Luke out tonight, wear this dress and—”
“There is problem with card.” The sales lady cut her off, smiling apologetically.
“What kind of problem?” Ellie asked in surprise.
The woman handed her a slip that said “Transaction Declined. Exceeded daily limit”. She furrowed her brows as she read the cryptic words. “Limit? I don’t have a limit.”
“Maybe it’s the machine,” Vivian suggested. “There’s an ATM around the corner. You could try withdrawing cash.”
Ellie told the woman to hold the dress for her, then left the store. Her sandals clicked against the cracked pavement as she headed for the machine, with Vivian struggling to keep up. “I don’t get it,” she muttered to herself.
She went through the motions of sliding her card into the ATM, punching in her PIN and the amount she wanted to withdraw, and waited.
“What the hell!” She cursed as the machine spat out a slip of paper that again told her she’d exceeded her limit. Confusion muddled her brain as she stared at it. “This makes no sense,” she finally said, turning to Viv. “The only time I’ve had a limit on my withdrawals was in college. Josh set up the account for me but when I graduated we changed it to…” She suddenly growled. “That little—”