Keiroz's Boutique - 1. Chapter 1

Prompt Event 2024- Keiroz's Boutique

PT #41a

Pick an introductory sentence from a favorite book on your shelf at home or a story on GA, and use it to start a short story or vignette.

Book chosen: Poison Study By Maria V. Snyder

Introductory sentence: Locked in darkness that surrounded me like a coffin, I had nothing to distract me from my memories.

::::

"I'll have the last brookie, glazed donut, and croissant." I completed my order just as a disappointed groan came from the guy in line behind me.

"You're really going to take the last one of everything? One pastry, I'd understand, but all three?"

My feathers were ruffled hearing that familiar, irritating voice. Leo just never let up. Did he think I was just buying it all for myself? I had a friend who was obsessed with this shop's brookies, and she preferred to bring something back to her fiance to stave off her guilt for cheating on her diet, which was where the donut came in. The croissant was the only item I bought for myself.

"I don't have to justify my purchase to you," I retorted as I paid and grabbed the bag the female cashier handed me. "First come, first serve, after all."

When I turned around to face him, I had to crane my neck to glare into his hazel eyes. The amused expression on his face and the few stray hairs that framed his forehead were all the more aggravating. A part of me was envious of how healthy that straight brown hair was. But why was he always such a damn tease?

"Glare at me all you want. I can't get enough of those baby blues," Leo responded, motioning toward my face. "Especially when they have that spark in them."

"Next in line!" The cashier called out. Leo was the one who glared at that time.

"You heard her," I taunted as I kept my head high, my layered black curls bouncing against my face and neck as I walked out of the shop, ignoring the cat-calling whistle he tossed my way.

If I hadn't already been with someone, and if Leo had been more respectful towards me, I might have given him the time of day, especially if I had been inebriated. But my Gavin was a much better catch. The blond man had a higher level of maturity. Things weren't all that serious yet in our relationship, but for the first time in a long while, I saw a possible future with him.

The four-block walk to my shop was nothing to me. The only people out and about that early in the morning were busybodies like Leo and me. I stopped at the storefront to admire the bright blue lettering 'Keiroz's Boutique.' The old color underneath was a pale blue that had faded to white. I loved the new eye-catching shade a lot more. Wasting no time to open the shop, I unlocked the front door and turned on the lights. Placing the bag of pastries on the checkout counter, I walked over to the mannequin I'd dressed with my friend's unique dress design.

I first met Lilah about two years ago at a craft store, where we geeked out over dye colors and patterns. We then traded pictures of personal projects until I told her about my boutique. I didn't talk about my family much, but I knew she had struggled as a teen mom, and her parents helped raise her son. When she became engaged to be married six months ago, she asked me to be her dress designer, and I gave it my all.

"This is my masterpiece," I said to myself as I inspected the piece.

Inspired by another designer, I'd chosen to use the golden ratio to balance each of the skirt's elegant swirls. The top featured more leaf-like sections, while the skirt emulated petals. The result was akin to a beautiful white centifolia rose in full bloom.

"It sure is!"

I felt my ego grow as I turned to smile at Lilah. She outright ran from the front door right to the gown she'd wear for the ceremony, her brown eyes alight. My ego grew even bigger until I was puffing my chest like a pigeon, the pet name my partner had also given me.

"Ready for the final fitting?" I prompted.

"Yes, yes, yes," she affirmed as she bounced on her heels and clapped her hands. Lilah took great care of her skin, so she looked like she was barely in her mid-to-late twenties instead of the forty-five she actually was. I kept forgetting she was twelve years my senior.

Fifteen minutes later, the dress was secured and tested. Lilah turned around slowly to look at herself at all angles the three mirrors could reflect. "Oh, Kei-Kei, this really is your greatest design to date."

Not even her silly nickname for me dampened my triumphant smugness while I checked the bottom hem and the fasteners one more time. Between us both, we'd ensured that the fabric could adjust and accommodate her body shape even while bloated, should the worst happen. She was right; it was my best work.

Damn, I was good.

That was when my phone went off. We turned towards my phone's notification sound, the whistling from the song Whistle. My smile widened as I checked the incoming messages.

"Ooooh, I recognize that look. Is that the guy you've been seeing?"

"Invited me to a hockey game, dinner, and back to my place in that order," I relayed. "I can't remember the last person I dated anyone for more than a month, let alone two."

"Ah, the early stage of excitement," she mused as she turned around again to look at the reflection of the back of her dress. "Enjoy it while you can. My fiance's dragging his feet a bit, but the honeymoon should fix that."

"That dress should fix that, Lilah."

"So true. Your designs are magical. That reminds me." Lilah stated before walking over to her purse on the chair next to the mirrors. She reached in for an embossed envelope before handing it to me.

After reading the invite, I asked, "A plus one, as well? "I'm not sure if I should be taking the places of two family members like this."

"Nonsense," she insisted. "We've become a lot closer over the last six months, and friends like you are more than welcome at my wedding. Please come."

The warmth that filled me caught me by surprise. I tended to avoid making friends, especially male ones because I always ended up ruining everything by sleeping with them. So, it was touching that the bond Lilah and I formed over the last two years didn't seem to be one-sided. I could hardly wait to bring Gavin with me so we could wear matching suits.

"I promise our suits won't outshine you that day."

"Kei-Kei, I doubt anyone could outshine me in this dress that day. I'd like to see any of his exes even try."

"Does he have that many exes? Should I double as a bodyguard for you?"

"As much as that's appreciated, none of them are invited," Lilah responded. "At least as far as I know."

Lilah then began to change back to her everyday clothing. I helped her put her dress in a protective bag and placed it on the counter. What I didn't expect were her emotions rising to the surface.

"It's really happening, isn't it?" She whispered as she wiped a fallen tear away. "Thanks for agreeing to be there."

I sent her a half-smile. "It's hardly a chore to attend a ceremony where the star of the show wears my best design, and it's even less of a chore to witness my friend getting married."

She hugged me then, as tightly as a family member would. I felt tears welling in my own eyes, and I refused to get swept any further by the moment because, hell, when was the last time anyone who didn't want to sleep with me held me like this? So, I blinked a few times to try to dissimulate my reaction and waited until she was ready to let go.

A moment later, she pulled back and looked up at me. I could have sworn her reddish-brown eyes were smiling when she hefted the dress bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you next Saturday, then."

"Be careful with the makeup when you put it on!" I reminded her as she left. The excitement of finally completing that wedding dress would linger well until the start of another new design.

Though I tried to focus on checking my stock and organizing the racks at the shop, I found myself sketching new possible designs until lunchtime. If I hadn't set an alarm for lunch on my phone, I would have missed eating entirely. Tucking away my sketches into a binder, I opened my maps app and chose which restaurant's food I was in the mood for.

Since I was eating a late dinner with Gavin, I chose a heftier lunch to hold me over. Two blocks to the left of my shop, a Thai restaurant featured nearly all of its meals with a serving of white rice and some of their homemade chili oil. My mouth was already salivating as I walked up to the restaurant's door, only to be beaten to the handle by a person who dampened my mood.

"Keiroz?" Leo greeted as he made a show of opening the door and bowing. "Pretty eyes first."

I rolled those eyes as I walked past him and stood in line. That wasn't the first time I ended up crossing paths with Leo during lunchtime. I could have avoided him entirely if I changed my schedule to an hour earlier or later. But my body was already accustomed to eating lunch at this time. Besides, why did I need to be the one to change my schedule? Hell, why did we have similar tastes in food, anyway? He couldn't be a fan of fast food, instead?

I gave my order quickly so that I could step out of the line, ever conscious of the brunet standing behind me. I was given a table number and found an empty table that wasn't too flooded in sunlight to sit at. Leo had the nerve to sit down across from me. My indignant self even gazed around at all the other tables to make sure that there were other vacant ones he could have chosen from.

"I'm sorry, this is the most shaded spot," Leo stated, and I hated that we both were evading the sun together.

The very idea was so damn reasonable I couldn't argue against it, which only riled me up even more. "A little sunshine wouldn't kill you as much as it would kill me," I pointed out. Leo's skin was a shade between tanned and russet, while mine was on the paler spectrum.

"Unprotected skin is vulnerable in the sun regardless of the melanin count," Leo countered.
Before I could reply, a staff member placed a bowl and a drink before me. All the irritation I felt regarding the man seated across from me vanished as I took a few careful bites of my meal. The sauces and seasoning were so complex that the plain rice balanced it all out. When I peeked over at Leo, he was focusing on his food, as well. However, he glanced at his phone for any incoming messages now and then.

The silence wasn't stifling. On the contrary, the further we ate from our plates, the more relaxed the space between us felt. I started to believe those commercials about hunger making people more prone to aggravation.

When I was halfway through, I mixed and began to drink my cold tea. He may have started eating after I did, but Leo still finished before me. I saw him pat his mouth with a napkin, and then his hazel eyes were on me. Just like that, I grew nervous again.

"Keiroz," Leo began. "In all seriousness, am I really not your type so badly that you can't give me a chance?"

I flushed with pure embarrassment. During all of our prior interactions, I could have sworn that I told him about Gavin. But, clearly, I hadn't. Crap. Did that mean that the reason Leo had been so persistent was because he thought I was single? What kind of idiot became irritated at someone hitting on him without ever having mentioned he was already taken?

"Leo, listen," I began. "It's really not you, it's me. I thought I told you I was already seeing someone. That's all there is."

Leo's hazel eyes widened, and then he was the one who looked away in embarrassment. "I see. All this time, you've just been trying to be a faithful partner. How admirable."

"Y-yeah," I stammered before saying the words I'd immediately regret. "If it weren't for that, I would have already gone out with you."

Leo hid his lower face with one of his hands, and for a moment, I thought I had added insult to injury. But, when he lowered his hand again, the upturn to his lips seemed to be a little too pleased. Wait, why would he be pleased?

"I'm no homewrecker," he admitted as he stood up to leave. "But, you'll find that I can be very, very patient."

Stunned, my gaze followed him until he walked all the way out of the restaurant. What did he mean by that? Patient about what?

Shaking my head at the ludicrousness of it all, I finished off the rest of my meal and headed back to my shop. I closed up early to have enough time to get home and change for my hockey date. The sport hadn't been a favorite of mine before I started dating Gavin, but it was growing on me.

I was ready to go by the time I heard the doorbell ring. A big grin was already on my face before I even opened the door. "Gavin!"

A big smile was on Gavin's face, as well, making his dimples show. His blond hair was slicked back, and he was wearing a jersey with his favorite team's colors displayed. We were close in height, so kissing was an effortless thing. The kiss he gave me was a bit too lurid for a light greeting, but I knew he couldn't have done it intentionally. Gavin had been looking forward to the game all day.

"Come on," I insisted as I took hold of his hand and led him toward his parked car. "The longer we wait, the longer the line to the parking lot is."

We'd gone to a few games before, so we didn't even need to follow any signs to get to the rink or our spots on the bleachers. Gavin's team did well until the start of the third period. When they lost, it soured both our moods.

I usually gave Gavin some space to recover after a loss, so I was surprised that he followed me back inside that night instead of driving off with a pout on his face. I felt a sense of urgency in his kisses, and he wasted no time in getting us undressed. Though I tried to match his energy, I was confused.

"Whoa, what's the rush?" I asked when I felt his lubed fingers already working me open.

Though Gavin let out a heavy sigh, his fingers continued their movements. "I'm going on an extended business trip over the next three weeks."

I frowned. "The next three weeks? Crap. There was an important event I wanted to invite you to next week," I complained. "I already pictured us wearing custom matching suits and every…thing." I gasped when he began stroking my prostate.

"I'm so sorry, pigeon," Gavin responded. He sounded sincere even though he was already sinking into me by then. "How about we make plans for a weekend together when I get back?” He said just before he began to thrust. “Just the two of us."

"A whole weekend?" I asked, unable to keep the shock I felt from bleeding into my words. That was precisely what I had asked him about for nearly a month. Gavin rarely had two consecutive days off, and because of that, neither of us ever slept over. "I-I'm game."

"Mmm," Gavin practically purred before he began to really ram into me. "I love that for us."

Due to the fast pace he'd initiated, I thought that he'd end up leaving afterward. Usually, he would at least make sure I also got off before he left. So, for a moment, I was upset when it seemed that he was going to leave. However, he'd only moved to find the lube again.

By the time he really did leave, it was close to two in the morning, and I couldn't remember feeling more sated. He kissed me before he left, a tender one that time. The gentle touch warmed me to my core.

"See you in three weeks, pidge." He whispered.

I nodded in response and tried to ignore the sadness in my chest when he was gone. Three weeks wasn't all that long, I kept telling myself. That whole weekend together would be worth it when he came back. I continued to try to pacify myself this way until sleep claimed me.

The rest of the week flew by. Since Gavin wasn't going to accompany me to Lilah's wedding, I decided to design a new suit from scratch to wear that day. I wanted it to be simple but chic. Nothing that would draw much attention at first glance. Maybe just one panel as a statement piece? Gavin was totally going to miss out on looking fly. I decided to take a break from my project and decided to go to ths small restaurant across the street. When I first walked in, there wasn’t even a line.

"This passionfruit papaya green tea is everything," I told the cashier after she handed me a large container of it.

When I turned around to leave, a line had formed behind me. I caught sight of Leo in line as I headed out and gave him a friendly wave that he didn't hesitate to return. Ever since I'd made it clear that I wasn't single, he'd stopped flirting with me in public. But that didn't stop him from giving me appreciative looks whenever we crossed paths, and I was still trying to get used to this new acquaintance-ship of ours.

Before I knew it, it was Lilah's wedding day. Though Gavin wasn't able to be my plus one, I wasn't going to miss out on seeing the final result of all my hard work. I planned to boast to anyone willing to listen about just how long it took me to assemble that dress and how the design fit Lilah's frame perfectly.

As promised, the suit I wore would not outshine the bride. My black suit pants were belted, and they played well with a black turtleneck shirt and dark grey leather shoes. The statement piece was a dark grey suit jacket that fell a quarter above my knee. A gradation of black argyle diamonds lined in silver accented the front right panel. With how fresh and clean I looked, I could give a K-pop idol a run for his money.

The drive to the site was long, but it was worth it for the breathtaking view. After passing a farm or two, the trees and plants created an arch overhead, shielding drivers from the sun. When I found the path that led to the house, I was surprised that the parking section was ample enough to fit the cars of two hundred guests.

I knew little about property sizes, but it looked like more than six acres to me. An entire section was also roped off for the ceremony. The front door was propped open, and I stood at the end of a small line that had formed to sign the guest book. Three of Lilah's family members handed them seating arrangements. They collected the cell phones from the guests in three large baskets. At the time, I didn't even mind handing my phone over. Seeing an event or ceremony live was living in the moment.

"Where are the bride and groom?" I asked a member of the wedding party who was standing next to a window.

"The bride's still getting ready in one of the rooms upstairs," he responded as he tugged back the curtain. "The groom's right behind ya, gabbing with the priest."

When Lilah told me early on that the best man was in charge of the groom's suit, I only let it slide because she was my friend. I had to viscerally push aside the thought that I didn't need to design the suit for the groom. Instead, I redoubled my efforts on the dress's design. After all, a wedding dress was usually pricier than a groom's three-piece.

However, that also meant that I hadn't had the chance to meet her fiance in person. The curiosity I felt as I turned around to hunt for the groom immediately turned into confusion. Then, the confusion became sheer horror at the gorgeous face I recognized.

"T-tell me something," I asked the man beside me with what little breath I had, my face palid. I felt as if I’d had been punched in the gut so hard that my stomach was propelled right out of my body out into the next country. "Wh-what's the groom's name again?"

"Calvin."

I began feeling even more sick. Hell, I’d have thrown up all over my clothes if my mind wasn’t already panicking at the mere thought of ruining all my hard work. The material I’d used wasn’t easy to find.

Though my eyes told me I was looking at a sharply dressed Gavin, half of my very being wanted to deny it. The best man had good taste, as the three-piece chosen worked well with the blond’s grey eyes and complexion. Some of those details had to be hand-sewn, but the designer wasn’t someone I recognized. With a frown, I shoved those thoughts aside. Forget the suit, Gavin was the fucking groom!

"He, uh," I continued to stammer. "He wouldn't happen to be one of a set of twins, triplets…or, hell, any other siblings?"

"Only child. You from the bride's side or sumthin'?"

Before I had a chance to respond, the man I knew as "Gavin" locked eyes with me. But, by that point, I finally realized that Calvin must be "Gavin's" legal name, and "Gavin" was really a no-good, filthy, dangling deke that had managed to pass his puck between both mine and Lilah's legs.

"Son of a bitch!" I hissed as he approached me. I tried to duck further into the house to sneak out the back. My first instinct was to get the hell out of there.

But, Gavin- crap, that's not his real name; Calvin took hold of my elbow and gripped it way too hard.

"Pidge, hold on," he pleaded.

I took a steadying breath. Maybe I was making things up in my head. He could just be a part of the wedding party, and some other man had been talking to the priest before he approached him. That still didn't explain all the lying about being on some business trip. My mind continued to race as it tried to give “Gavin” the benefit of the doubt. But, my entire thought process shattered at the same time as my heart with the words he said next.

"No one has to know," the blond suggested. "I was hoping to break it to you both gradually before proposing a trio-"

"A trio?" I huffed in response, my despair switching into rage so quickly that it even took me aback. "You've been trying to lure Lilah and me into a trio without our consent this whole time? I've told you plenty of times what I think about more than two people being in a relationship!"

"You only said that the time you tried to make a trio, it didn't work out."

My stomach twisted as the faces of my two ex-best friends from high school rose to the front of my mind. How Gav-Calvin came to that conclusion after what I'd told him was astonishing to me. Otherwise, he'd have known this whole time that I felt two people made a relationship more than challenging enough.

"Then, you weren't listening to me at all," I responded, feeling bile rising up the back of my throat, my clothes be damned. "I want no part in this. What does Lilah think about all this?" I had my answer when his expression became guarded.

"Lilah doesn't need to know anything," he said with finality before flinging a door open behind me and shoving me into it too quickly for me to react.

When he closed and locked the door, everything was pitch black. "Gav-crap! Calvin! Get me out of here!" I called out, knocking hard on the door. Where the hell was I? Some kind of storage closet?

"You're staying in there until after the ceremony."

Hearing that, I redoubled my efforts. I pounded on the door and cried out again and again. Someone had to hear me eventually, right?

I smacked the door until my palms stung, yelling so hard I was afraid I’d get hoarse. But, no one came. Had they all gone outside already?

When I was tired of attacking the door, I let out a growl and sank to the ground, tugging at my curly hair with both fists. Sitting in that dark closet, I was assaulted by recollections of my past mistakes. I was once a reckless and horny teenager who slept with every guy I came across. But it all backfired on me when I ended up sleeping with two of my best friends, one after the other. Not only did I lose both their friendships, but I had also irreparably fractured the friendship they had with each other.

I let out a hysterical laugh. Here I thought I'd long moved past fucking up friendships. Yet, somehow, I ended up sleeping with Lilah's fiance without even realizing it. I was so stupid. This happened because I never bothered to get to know a guy well enough before jumping into bed with him. Women knew better; they never hesitated to do a Google search or a reverse-image search on the person they dated just in case anything frightening popped up.

If I had thought to search for "Gavin" with one of his pictures, surely all results for a "Calvin" would have come up!

But I didn't do that. I took everything at face value and dug no further. And now, the friendship I had cultivated with Lilah for two years was about to be dissolved in less than an hour-

My head shot up when I heard the sound of muffled music from outside. Crap! Was the ceremony about to start?

I hauled myself back onto my feet and began pounding on the door like a lunatic. Lilah still didn't know! Calvin had been cheating on her with me for the last two months, and Lilah was just about to marry that asshole!

"Please!" I cried out, redoubling my efforts to escape. "Someone get me out of here before it's too late!"

I could have sworn I heard the sound of someone running. Then, there was some shuffling before the sound of the lock being turned had me outright crying. The door then opened to the person I least expected to see.

"What the hell? Leo?" The brunet looked as stunned as I felt.

"Keiroz!"

"Crap! I’m sorry, I don't have time!" I cried out as I sprinted out the back door of the house.

I didn't stop to take in the details of the ceremony. My entire body was focused on only one target: Lilah and her magnificent dress. I couldn't have been more glad that the bride walked down the aisle last because half of the bridesmaids were left before it was Lilah's turn to walk.

"Don't do it!" I yelled as I neared her. "Calvin's not the man you think he is! He's been sleeping with me for the last two months. God, Lilah, I didn't know he was your fiance. I'm so sorry!"

The shock on her face turned into a scowl. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"

Oh, hell, she didn't believe me. "I’m not joking! I wouldn't do that to you." I glanced around desperately until I found the blond at the altar. Calvin saw me and began walking our way. Crap!

"Calvin told me his name was Gavin. We really were lovers!” I told her desperately. Then, I reached over to whisper into her ear. "I know that he has five tiny moles on his inner left thigh that look like they're pointing at his circumsized dick!"

Lilah's brown eyes widened even further. When Calvin finally reached us both, she immediately shoved the wedding bouquet into his face with one hand. She then punched him in the gonads with the other. Calvin went down faster than his favorite team tossed down their twigs after losing the game.

"Wedding's off!" She declared as she motioned to the wedding party while waving her arms. "THE WEDDING IS OFF!"

I thought back to when Lilah handed me the invite, had a happy cry in my shop, and hugged me tightly. My hands curled up into fists as I glared down at Calvin, who had curled into a fetal position in agony. I knelt so he could hear me. "If you don’t pay off Lilah’s cancellation fees, I will drag your ass to court so spectacularly that you'll wish she had castrated you instead," I growled.

When I looked around for Lilah again, I saw the rest of the wedding party escorting the guests to the reception area. Feeding them before they left ensured the catered food wouldn’t go to waste. The maid of honor came over to keep an eye on Calvin, so I left that area to find were my friend had gone. I don’t know why I thought head to the back of the house again, but I’m glad I did. The back door was still open and I saw her weeping in Leo’s arms just inside the house.

Though I hadn't noticed it before, his suit looked similar to the one Calvin had on. Had he been the best man? I immediately walked over to them.

"Christ! I can’t even look at your face," Lilah said as I approached.

The words sliced through me more quickly than a sharpened knife cut a banana into slices. I was sure we both wanted to cut Calvin's banana into slices. My train of thought continued to jump sporadically as my anxiety rose. I realized then and there that I didn't want to lose Lilah as a friend. If she couldn’t bare to look at me, that meant that our friendship was broken. The months I’d spent on the beautiful dress she was still wearing were a waste, but just like that gown, was I no longer necessary?

"I'm so embarrassed," she continued. "This is all my fault."

Wait, embarrassed?

"What do you mean?" I questioned. "The only one at fault here is Calvin for tricking us both!"

"Yes, you're right," she responded. "But I also had a gut feeling he was cheating, and I chose to ignore it instead of looking into it. You said he introduced himself as Gavin instead of Calvin? We could have caught him sooner!"

I nodded as my body began to tremble. The adrenaline spike I had earlier must be wearing off. "Lilah, I would have never willingly done that to you. Please believe me!” I insisted. “Though, if you don't want us to be friends anymore, I understand."

She held up a hand to stop me.

"Oh, Kei-Kei. We're still friends!" she sniffled and began to cry again. Only this time, she launched herself at me and buried her face in my chest.

For the briefest moment, I thought of her makeup ruining the rare material of my shirt. But I kicked that intrusive thought to the furthest back of my mind, as it wasn’t important right then. As I wrapped my hands around Lilah, my gaze shifted toward Leo, who stood there in confusion.

"Hey, was Leo the best man or something?" I asked aloud. I felt Lilah's laughter against my chest before she pulled back.

"Oh, hell no," she replied. "How do you two know each other? Leo is my son. The one I had when I was seventeen."

My jaw dropped. I looked him in the eye, and he pointedly stared at the ceiling, placing his hands on his hips. How dare he try to ignore that explosive little detail?

"Wh-what?" I asked again in a small voice that cracked.

"My father passed away a few years ago," Lilah explained as she reached out to hold Leo’s hand. "And I asked him if he could walk me down the aisle in his stead."

"You don't share much of a resemblance," I babbled aloud before I could stop myself.

"Of course not,” She added. “He's the spitting image of my father when he was twenty-eight."

"Oh," I squeaked.

A silence fell over us, and I suddenly felt drained. I didn’t have it in me to stay with the rest of the wedding party and eat the catered food when I was part of the reason the wedding had been called off in the first place. I took Lilah’s other hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I think it’s time for me to go," I said. "Again, I'm really sorry about all this."

"We were both played, Kei." Lilah insisted, giving my hand a squeeze in return. "Join me in therapy, and I'll eventually put it all behind me."

"Deal," I agreed, and she gave me a tight hug. As I returned it, I clung to the hope that the two of us could move past it together and still remain friends on the other side. I wanted that more than anything. I placed a hand on Leo’s upper arm on my way out. "Take good care of her for me, Leo.”

I felt so numb during the drive back home that it was as if the car had somehow driven itself, and I was merely a passenger, not the one behind the wheel. When I took off my clothes to take a shower, I realized that none of Lilah's makeup had rubbed off on the shirt. Heh. So, she really listened when I suggested she use the waterproof kind.

When I stepped into the shower, I wept. I mourned the idea of what I thought a stable relationship was. I lamented the fact that all of my hard work on Lilah's amazing dress had been in vain, that the one day she’d been looking forward to for so long had been utterly ruined. Then, I cried in relief because out of all the terrible things that happened, I still somehow kept Lilah.

I had taken our friendship for granted until Calvin’s antics placed it at risk.

Damned if I'd take it for granted ever again.

That night, I slept with the conviction that I'd do everything in my power to be the best friend I could be to Lilah from that moment onward.

::::

In the three years that followed, Lilah went from being a mere friend to my one and only bestie. My friendship with her son, Leo, was still there, too, even if I continued to behave awkwardly around him. In my head, being Lilah's best friend meant that I shouldn't date her son under any circumstances.

So, why was he standing across from me on the other side of the register counter in my shop?

"Is there anything I can help you with?" I asked tentatively.

"I came to pick up my mom's dress," Leo replied.

Right. The red dress. After years of therapy and some sessions I also joined, Lilah was taking a chance on a new guy she'd been dating, Jabari. I knew more about Jabari than I'd like to. Still, after the Calvin fiasco, I understood why Lilah was insistent on my meeting any of her new guys. Things were becoming more serious with Jabari because she had commissioned me specifically for a mindblowing, sultry red dress.

"She usually picks her dresses up herself," I commented as I went to the back to retrieve the dress.

"I offered to do it," Leo said. "Becausue I wanted to talk to you."

I laid the bagged dress on the counter. "About what?"

"Us."

"You and Lilah?"

"No, us, as in you and me."

"Do you not want us to be friends anymore?" I asked as I felt my anxiety rising again. I tried to focus on controlling my breathing to divert my attention from my mind before it began to race. That I didn’t want my friendship with Leo to be broken took me by surprise.

"Exactly,” he stated.

"What!?" I cried out defiantly. What the hell had I done to warrant this? Despite my awkwardness, I thought we got along fine.

"I want us to be more than friends."

"What!?" I squeaked, my voice rising an octave.

"Would you be willing to go out with me, Kei?" Leo asked as he extended a hand for me to take.

"B-But your mom-"

"She already knows I've liked you for over three years."

"Yes, but as my bestie-"

"She couldn’t be happier to think of her son dating a man she's trusted for five years."

"...are you sure?"

"About which part? My feelings or her consent?"

"Both?"

Leo broke out into laughter then, and a swarm of butterflies began to flutter in my stomach. Crap. I guess I already knew what answer I'd give him. With another deep breath, I placed my hand in his.

END