Sweet As Sin

8

I grew frantic. Twenty minutes wasn’t nearly enough time to do my makeup and hair, and squeeze myself into a dress two sizes too small. This was a disaster!

“Don’t panic, honey, it’s bad for your skin. What about this one?” Kenji held up another dress, a froth of tulle and satin with a fat cluster of pink fabric flowers at the waist.

I snorted in contempt.

“You’re right. Too Trailer Trash Barbie. You need something a little more . . . ” He pursed his lips, surveying the remaining dresses, then his eyes lit up. “Ethereal!”

From the rack he pulled the most gorgeous gown I’d ever seen.

It was in two pieces. The underlay was a long, simple cream silk sheath with a plunging neckline and a scoop back that dipped below the waist. Atop the sheath floated a delicate, sheer lace overlay in palest blush, shimmering with seed pearls and tiny crystals. Together the two pieces had the look of extremely expensive lingerie.

Awed, I reached out and slid my fingers over the lace, gossamer fine. “It’s amazing, Kenji. But my ass will look the size of Texas in this dress.”

“Tch! What is it with you girls and the size of your asses? Your rear end is beautiful, Kat, and totally proportionate to your body. Don’t you know men love a nice juicy booty on a woman?”There was something vaguely unappetizing about the term “juicy booty,” but I decided to be gracious and say thanks when he left me speechless.

“And judging by the way Nico went all jacked-up junkyard hound dog when he saw you, I’d say he’s definitely one of those men. Can’t say you’re his usual type, but I’ve never seen him so wound up.” He whistled. “The man was en fuego!”

On fire? Wound up? I recovered after a moment only to launch into a stuttering denial, face flaming with heat. “I . . . he . . . that’s silly . . . he didn’t . . . he wouldn’t—”

Kenji sighed extravagantly, rolling his eyes. “Please don’t tell me you’re one of those girls who eats self-loathing for every meal, and has so little confidence she can’t even admit when a man finds her attractive.” He waited, brows raised in disapproval.

I felt defensive because I probably was one of those girls. But there was no way I was going to admit it. I wasn’t that lame. I went with humor instead. “I’ll have you know I only eat self-loathing for breakfast! Lunch and dinner I usually have margaritas.”

He giggled. “Oh, honey. Is it too soon in our relationship to tell you that I think I love you?”

I regarded him seriously. “You actually said aloud that you thought I was a size four, so it should be me saying I love you.”

“Well, don’t thank me yet, lovey. I’ve still got to get you into this thing, which is going to take a miracle. Even Avery would’ve had to suck it in, and she’s a size zero long.”

“Zero long?” I was astonished. “That’s not a size, that’s an oxymoron! Please tell me she has to puke three times a day to keep herself that thin.”

With a tsk, Kenji sent me a pointed look. “Green isn’t your color, honey. And you didn’t hear it from me but . . . well, let’s just say girlfriend has to do a lot of things to keep her figure.”

I felt a twinge of regret at being petty. Avery obviously had a substance abuse problem. Who knew what other horrors of self-abuse she underwent to keep looking perfect. Today excepted, of course.

“Well, I wish I knew her trick for getting booze to dampen the appetite. After two margaritas, I eat everything in sight.”

Kenji looked startled. “Booze? What makes you think she was drunk?”

It was my turn to be startled. I’d had enough hangovers in my life to know what a really bad one looked—and smelled—like. “It was kind of obvious, Kenji.”

He shook his head sadly. “No, honey. What Avery’s into isn’t obvious.” He turned away, muttering under his breath. “Unless you know where to look.”

It wasn’t my business. Only it sort of was, because I was going to stand in for her, possibly making a colossal ass of myself in public in the process. I just had to ask. “What do you mean?”

He turned back to me, reluctant to answer. After a moment of lip-chewing, he sighed. “She’s a good girl, but she’s f****d up, and she’s got good reason to be. So I don’t judge. I just keep my fingers crossed that Nico can figure out how to help her before it’s too late. It’s not for lack of trying, that’s for sure. That man has put his heart and soul into . . . ”

His expression clouded. He seemed lost in a memory. Then he shook his head and waved an imperious hand, a gesture I was beginning to recognize as his trademark. “Anyway! Loose lips sink ships, lovey, so please don’t repeat a word I’ve said.”

He hadn’t said much of anything, not exactly. But one thing stood out in screaming neon like a Vegas marquee: “His heart and soul.”

Avery was Nico’s heart and soul.