“That is totally you. It’s perfect.” Crystal stepped into a dressing room, pushing away the reality that the last time she’d bought something this feminine was when she was in college. She hung the dress on a hook and looked at herself in the mirror, feeling nervous and oddly proud of herself for even considering trying on the dress.
She’d had black hair for so long, she couldn’t remember what she looked like with dirty-blond hair. How would Bear react if she ever went back to blond? Her heart squeezed with the memory of his silence when he’d seen her blond pubic hair, and she knew it wouldn’t matter what color hair she had. Bear’s affection was bone deep.
She changed into the minidress, instantly feeling prettier and even a little freer, though she was nervous about how feminine it was. The cutout beneath the choker, and the bare shoulders, made it super sexy. If she added one of her jeweled arm cuffs, she could take this dress from ultra feminine to edgy and hot. And Bear liked hot.
“Crys?” Gemma called out.
“In here.” She ran her hands nervously over the dress, preparing for Gemma’s reaction.
Gemma’s head peeked through the curtains and she gasped. “Oh my gosh. You’re gorgeous! Dixie, come see!”
Dixie’s head appeared above Gemma’s. “Holy smokes.” She held up her phone and took a picture.
“Do not send that to Bear!” Crystal reached for Dixie’s phone, but she held it up over her head. “Please don’t, Dixie. I want to surprise him.”
Gemma grabbed Dixie’s hand. “You can’t ruin this surprise for her.”
Dixie rolled her eyes. “Fine. But look how pretty you are. And he has to wait weeks to see you in it? Bear is going to lose his shit when he sees you.”
“You really think so?” Crystal hoped she was right. “You guys look amazing, too. Gemma, you were made for that dress, other than the excessive amount of boob space that needs to be taken in.”
They all laughed.
“I’ve got that covered,” Tegan said, waving a pincushion.
“And, Dixie?” Crystal shook her head. “I’ve never seen you in anything but jeans. Talk about stunning. You should wear dresses more often.”
“Yeah?” Dixie looked down at her dress. “For what? It’s not like I need easy access for anything. If only I could find a guy who isn’t afraid of my brothers.” She’d told them that she’d hooked up with a few guys over the years, but finding a man who was alpha enough, sweet enough, and who flew under her brothers’ radar was nearly impossible.
“Oh please,” Jewel said. “There has to be some guy in town who isn’t afraid of big biker guys.”
“You are now on my Find-a-Man-For list,” Crystal said.
“You have a Find-a-Man-For list?” Gemma asked.
Excited at the prospect of helping Dixie find a man, she said, “Well, I didn’t. But now I do.”
“I’ll help,” Gemma said. “Project Find a Man for Dixie. I like it.”
Dixie rolled her eyes. “Might as well start the interviews with, ‘Are you afraid of gnarly dudes on motorcycles?’”
“Yup,” Gemma agreed. “That’ll come right after, ‘How fast can you run?’”
“Okay, ladies. Let’s nip and tuck.” Tegan waved to the three-way mirror. “Step right up here on this platform, Gemma, and I’ll get you squared away. I’ve got to be out of here by nine. I’m making a clown costume for my niece, and she needs it by Friday.”
Gemma and Crystal exchanged a curious glance.
“You make costumes?” Gemma asked.
“Just for Melody. She loves to dress up,” Tegan said as she tucked and pinned the bust of Gemma’s dress. “I’ve made my own clothes for years.”
“Do you do seamstress work for other shops?” Gemma asked.
“No. I work here whenever Jewel needs me, and I do photo editing for my sister, Cici. She’s a photographer. One day I’ll figure out what I want to be when I grow up.”
Gemma and Crystal told her about the costumes they were making for the boutique.
“I would love to get in on the ground floor of something like that,” Tegan said. “When you’re ready to hire, let me know.”
They talked as she finished pinning Gemma’s dress, and afterward, they exchanged phone numbers. Crystal picked out taupe open-toed slingbacks to go with her dress, and Dixie chose a pair of ankle boots, while Gemma went with jeweled white pumps.
“Crystal.” Dixie held up a piece of copper and blue jewelry. “Have you ever worn an anklet bangle? It’s totally you. They have a whole basket of them.”
“I have ankle cuffs and bracelets.” She took the pretty ankle jewelry and slipped it on. A thin rope of copper wound around her lower leg like a snake. Intricate swirls sprouted from the main branch of copper, and a hummingbird rested just above her ankle.
“Is there one with a bear?” Crystal asked.
The girls dug through the basket, and Crystal almost squealed when she found one with a bear standing on its hind legs. “Could this be more perfect?”
“He does like to show his dominance,” Dixie said.
Crystal knew that was true, but he was also careful with her, and handed over control when he knew she needed it.
They paid for their purchases and piled back into Gemma’s car, stopping at the bakery on their way home because Dixie needed a sugar fix. They peered into the glass displays, salivating at scrumptious éclairs, doughnuts, cakes, and cookies, while Cassie, the bakery owner, and her assistant, Anna, helped other customers.
“I liked Tegan,” Crystal said. “I think she’d fit in well with us.”
“Me too,” Gemma agreed. “Let’s see how the two costumes I’ve finished go over. We can put them on our website and wear them in the shop, letting people know we’re taking orders.”
“You should take orders for the ones you haven’t made yet, too. Just put together sketches,” Dixie suggested. “People want what’s in limited supply.”
“She’s got a point,” Crystal said.
Dixie tapped the glass with her fingernail. “Which of these is the best substitute for sex?”
Thinking about her night on the porch with Bear, she said, “Anything cream filled.”
“She has a point,” Gemma said. “It’s all about the cream.”
Cassie flashed a smile and planted her hands on her hips. Her light brown hair was piled on the top of her head in a messy bun, and she had streaks of white powder on her shorts. “Are we ready for the tasting this weekend?”
“Absolutely!” Gemma said. “I’m so excited to see what you’ve come up with.”
“It’ll be delish.” Cassie crooked her finger. “Come with me. I made something for a bachelorette party, and I know you’ll love them. I have extras.”
“Sounds enticing,” Crystal said as they followed her to the kitchen.
Cassie grabbed a tray from a counter and carried it over. “Penis pops!”
“Ohmygosh,” Gemma said.
“That is exactly what I need,” Dixie said.
“Hard up, huh, Dix?” Cassie frowned.
“You could say that,” Dixie said. “I think I need to take a ride into another town or something.”
“That would go over real well,” Gemma said. “Date a biker from another club and you’ll get him killed and end up like Rapunzel locked in a castle.”