“April!”
I kissed his nose and stood up. “I have to go. I’ll put some food out in a few minutes, so don’t wander off.”
When he trotted off, I couldn’t help but notice that my wolf walked away without a limp.
***
“Tell me the truth, April. You have good taste, so I’ll believe whatever you say. I would have brought my neighbor to help me shop, but Naya would love nothing better than to dress me in something that would end up on the Internet later on.”
Lexi emerged from the dressing room in a pair of cutoff shorts with all the frayed pieces hanging down. She did a little hip swivel to give me all the angles.
“Put your hair up in a ponytail and it works,” I said. “That knocks five years off your age, but otherwise they’re too hoochie with all the jewels on the back pockets.”
Her shoulders sagged. “I want something fun for the party that I don’t normally wear, but I sure as hell don’t want to slut it up,” she grumbled. “I have long skirts, jeans, and shorts—Austin has seen it all.” She disappeared behind the mauve curtain.
“Try the cutoff jeans,” I suggested.
“Something with more leg!”
Oh.
Ever since Lexi had been living with Austin, she had discovered her sex appeal. She usually dressed casual, but with a hot guy at her side, I could see she wanted to spice things up and make sure he only had eyes for her at the party. Although I personally think he didn’t care what she wore, because whatever it was, he’d probably just want to tear it off with his teeth.
“Uh, definite no,” I said as soon as she ripped the curtain open and I got a glimpse of her pink shorts with rhinestones on the pockets. “Try the loose skirt with the slit. That’s sexy. Goes to the knee, tight, shows leg along the side.”
“I want you to buy something,” she yelled out. “It’s on me.”
“That’s okay. I have something at home I can wear.”
The last thing I wanted to do was take her money. I hadn’t figured out what to do about Sanchez and my nerves were shot. Lexi had invited me to go shopping while the other two girls we worked with ran the store. They were scheduled to open tomorrow; that way we could have as much fun as we wanted tonight.
“You’re going to buy something and that’s that,” Lexi declared.
“Why? So you can hook me up with someone?”
“No,” she said, pulling the curtain away. “That’s what my friend Naya likes to do. But you don’t think Denver is spoon worthy?”
My eyes floated up. “Denver?” He was handsome, but hardly a man I could imagine spooning me from behind after a night of blissful…
“Come on, April. You need to break out of that shell a little. I’m not saying you have to marry anyone. I used to be cynical about love, but Austin changed that. Sometimes it’s like those Cracker Jacks—you have to go through a bunch of nuts to find the prize.”
“Nice analogy.”
She shrugged and spun around in a powder-blue skirt with a black top.
“That’s pretty on you, with your complexion and long hair,” I said, admiring the outfit.
Lexi grinned and stared down at her tan legs. “I don’t wear short skirts that often, except at work. I think Austin’s tongue will roll out when he sees me in this. It’s thin, stretchy, and more formfitting.”
“I’m sure he’ll be panting.” I chuckled and noticed she bit her lip, averting her eyes in a way she sometimes did, as if she were holding in a secret.
“You ever wonder if things like Vampires and Shifters are real?” she blurted out, tossing me a dress to try on.
I switched places with her and closed the curtain, slipping out of my jeans. “Where did that come from? I don’t know. Why?”
“Just curious. I was watching this show the other night and they talked about all the mysteries in the universe and how there are things beyond explanation that exist.”
“Like hot firemen?”
She snorted. “You got that right. But seriously, it made me think about how maybe those kinds of things might be real, and maybe they’re just regular people. People who are born different are treated different. What do you think about it?”
“I’ve never given it much thought. Except, from what I know of Vampires, they’re not born different. They’re bitten and turned. Same with werewolves, right? Why wouldn’t they come out?”
“Maybe they’re afraid the humans will kill them.”
“Uh, yeah. If someone tried to suck on my neck, I’d stake ’em.”
“Thus explains your dating situation, April,” she said with a laugh in her voice.
I stepped into the dress and zipped up the back. The lavender color wasn’t a shade I wore very often. The length fell just below the knee and was higher in the front, giving it a little swish when I walked. The straps on my shoulders were about an inch wide and it wasn’t too low around the neckline, which I liked.