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The pair walked up to the counter, and Chris smiled as he made eye contact with her. “Hi, Eliza. Thanks for doing this for me.”
She swallowed a lump in her throat. The combination of his smile and his tone made her awareness of him rise. “No problem.” She reached across the counter and stuck out her hand to the young lady. “You must be Jojo. I’m Eliza, nice to meet you.”
“Yes. Hi.” Jojo removed her sunglasses.
Eliza’s breath caught when she saw Chris’s eyes looking back at her. To say Jojo resembled Chris would be an understatement. “Wow. You look an awful lot like your father.”
Jojo grinned. “Thanks, I think.” Shaking hands with Eliza, she asked, “Dad told me to call you Ms. Ellicott. Can I call you by your first name?”
Eliza chuckled. “I’m fine with you using my first name, but I’ll defer to your father.”
Chris shrugged. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”
“You can call me Eliza, then.” She walked around the counter and stood between Chris and Jojo. “So, what kind of dress do you have in mind, Jojo?”
Jojo’s expression showed her uncertainty. “I’m not really sure. It’s my first real dance.”
Eliza gave Chris a playful jab with her elbow. “You ready for this, Dad?”
Half smiling, he shook his head. “Don’t ask. Let’s just say I’m going along with it.”
“Well, Jojo, if you trust me, I’ve got some ideas.” She stood back, getting another look at her client. “With your height and figure, you’ll have a lot of options.
She blushed. “Really?”
Eliza nodded. “Definitely. As a matter of fact, I’ve got some new dresses that just came in from a local designer that I think would be perfect for you.”
Jojo’s eyes widened. “New designer dresses?”
“Yep.” Eliza reached out and linked arms with Jojo. “Come with me. I’ll show you.” She led her over to the right side of the store, where new merchandise was on display. “We can narrow it down if you tell me your favorite color.”
Chris followed them, observing quietly.
Jojo, her eyes still wide, perused the racks of dresses in front of her. “I really like orange. Do you have anything in that color?”
Eliza tapped her chin for a moment, mentally going through the latest shipment. Then she snapped her fingers. “Yes.” She moved over two racks from where Jojo and Chris stood and searched through the drawers holding merchandise she didn’t have room to display on the racks or mannequins. When she found the dress she was looking for, she unfolded it and held it up. “What do you think?”
Jojo gasped. “OMG. It’s gorgeous.”
“When you said you liked orange, I thought you’d like this one.” Eliza admired the sleeveless, calf-length dress. The V-neck line was subtle and adorned with crystals, as was the flounce at the hem. “It’s so new it hasn’t even been on display yet.”
“Wow.” Jojo took the dress from Eliza. Looking to Chris, she asked, “Can I try it on, Dad?”
“Sure.” Chris smiled at his daughter. “Is this the only one you want to try on?”
Jojo looked back at Eliza. “Can I look through the racks?”
“Go ahead.” Eliza watched as Jojo searched through the displays.
Jojo came back with two dresses. One was a soft shade of yellow and very low-cut in the front. The other, a coral minidress, couldn’t possibly hit longer than midthigh on someone her height.
Chris began shaking his head almost immediately. “No way, young lady.”
Jojo frowned. “Geez, Dad.” She turned to Eliza, hoping for a reprieve. “What do you think?”
Eliza tapped her chin with her forefinger. She agreed with Chris: these two dresses were far too revealing for someone Jojo’s age. Seeking to steer her in a better direction, she said, “I can see why you like them, but let’s try these instead.”
Her frown softening a bit, Jojo asked, “You have more dresses in mind for me?”
“Just a couple.” Eliza put back the dresses Jojo had chosen and noted the relief on Chris’s face. Then she moved through the store, pulling the other two dresses she thought might suit Jojo’s age and tastes, and handed them over. “Come on, I’ll set you up in a room.”
Once Jojo was inside one of the five dressing rooms on the back wall of the store, Eliza leaned against the edge of the counter, awaiting the fashion show to come.
Chris, standing next to her, said, “You’ve got a gift. I can see you’re very good at what you do here.”
“I appreciate that.” Eliza smiled his way. His compliment flattered her, probably more than it should have. Of course, it had always been that way. He’d been skilled at sweet-talking her back in the day, and he hadn’t lost his touch.
“I’m amazed at how fast you built a rapport with California’s most fickle teenage girl. Beyond that, you only chose dresses for her that were age appropriate, and she actually seemed to like them.” Chris shook his head, his expression conveying his amazement. “When I try to pick out things for her, I just get the pouty face.”
Eliza laughed. “Like I said, I remember what it was like to be her age. It’s an awkward time, when all a girl wants is to be cool and fit in.” It wasn’t until Eliza was in her midtwenties that she truly understood the value of individualism, and embraced it.
Chris walked closer to her, entering her personal bubble the same way he had at Prescott George. “Well, you have my undying respect and gratitude.”
“Still a smooth talker, I see.” She turned toward him, her back against the edge of the counter.
“It’s the truth.” He took a step closer to her. “These aren’t empty words to gas you up. I really feel that way.”
Their gazes met and held, and Eliza found herself unable to turn away. How could he still have such a hold on her, after all this time? It seemed she’d done the right thing by avoiding him over the last several years.
They stood there that way, searching each other’s eyes, for several long moments.
Jojo’s voice broke into Eliza’s thoughts.
“How do I look?”
Eliza, grateful for the distraction, drew a breath.
“We’ll talk more later.” Chris said the words for her ears only.
Chapter 3 (#u84027630-8416-5f05-bba3-0ca9fc2863e8)
Chris’s eyes lingered on Eliza’s face a moment longer, then he directed his attention to his daughter.
Chris swung his gaze toward Jojo, who’d emerged from the dressing room in a soft orange A-line dress with a taffeta skirt.
“It’s gorgeous.” Eliza smiled in her direction. “Turn around so we can see it all.”
The dress Jojo wore now wasn’t the first one Eliza had handed her, but she did look beautiful in it. “I love it, sweetie. Very nice.”
Eliza chimed in again. “What do you think of it, Jojo?”
Regarding her reflection in the mirrors in the corner, Jojo shrugged. “It’s really pretty, but I don’t know if it’s the one I want.”
Walking over to her, Eliza patted her on the shoulder. “That’s fine. Go try on the others, then you can make your choice.”
Jojo nodded, then disappeared back into the dressing room.
Anticipating this might take a while, Chris sat down on one of the three upholstered ottomans near the dressing room doors. He let his gaze sweep over the interior of Eliza’s boutique. From the front door, he’d seen a lot of it, but from his current vantage point, he could see it all. The soft gray walls and carpet seemed to disappear behind her colorful assortment of clothing, jewelry and accessories. The layout of the store left plenty of space for customers to walk between the mannequins, racks and displays, and there was even a small conversation area with a sofa, two chairs and a coffee table, situated on the opposite side of the counter from the dressing rooms. Though he didn’t know much about women’s fashion, he could appreciate the work Eliza must have put into the design and setup of her store. She’d taken a space that, from an architectural perspective, was pretty basic, and transformed it into something welcoming and aesthetically pleasing.
He saw her talking to one of her staff members, and he could feel the smile tilting his lips. She probably thought the long, silent moment they’d spent before Jojo had come out to model the dress could be forgotten or tossed aside. He knew better. Though no words had been exchanged, the unspoken desire flowing between them had been obvious. He wouldn’t press her about it now, because he’d come here for his daughter. Eventually, though, they were going to discuss what was happening between them.
Jojo came out then in the bedazzled orange dress Eliza had first chosen for her. Chris couldn’t help smiling when he saw his daughter in the dress. It was tasteful, pretty and perfectly suited to her.
Grinning, Jojo came to stand by the mirrors. “Wow. This is it.”
“I agree.” Chris watched her do a slow turn, amazed at how grown-up his little girl suddenly looked.
Eliza came over then and began applauding as soon as she saw Jojo. “Oh, honey. You should get this one. It’s perfect on you.”
Jojo’s eyes sparkled as she looked at her reflection from various angles. “Okay, Dad. This is the one I want.”
“Great. Let’s box it up.” Chris stood. He loved spending time with his daughter, and with Eliza, but he didn’t really want to spend his entire Friday night hanging out in a ladies’ clothing store.
“Wait.” Jojo walked away from the mirrors and grabbed Eliza’s arms. “Now I need accessories. Can you help me find shoes, jewelry and maybe a bag?”
“Sure thing.” Eliza glanced at Chris. “Give us a few minutes more, okay?”
Sitting back down, Chris nodded. “I’ll be here.”
He watched the pair search through the accessories displays on the front left side of the store and the shoe section next to them. He could hear some of their conversation about what was currently “in” right now, and their chatter about shoes, necklaces and handbags threatened to put him to sleep. Still, he could see the rapport growing between Eliza and Jojo, and from where he sat, his daughter even seemed impressed with his former sweetheart. Moody and unpredictable as Jojo could be, impressing her was no small feat.
When Jojo finally piled her things up on the counter for Eliza to ring up, Chris marveled at the size of the pile. “Do you really need all of this, Jojo?”
“Well, Dad, I got the dress for the dance, plus an extra one, just in case.” Jojo picked up the items one by one as she explained. “Then I needed shoes, earrings, a necklace, a bracelet, this cute little bag...”
Chris put his hand up. “Okay, okay.” He reached for his wallet as a smiling Eliza started tallying the bill.
Ten minutes and a few hundred dollars later, Eliza handed a metallic silver bag over the counter to Jojo. “Here you go, honey. Have fun at the dance.”
Chris turned to leave, but Jojo hesitated.
“Can I have a minute, Dad?”
“Sure. I’ll wait by the door.” He walked away, taking up a post by the exit. From where he stood, he could hear them talking.
“I’d really like to be able to call you, if you don’t mind.” Jojo leaned over the counter. “That way I can find out when new stuff comes in, and get tips from you on fashion and stuff.”
“I don’t mind at all.” A smiling Eliza took one of the store’s business cards off the stack by the register and jotted something on the back. Passing it to Jojo, she winked. “Here’s my number.”
“Thanks. See you later.” Jojo tucked the card into her hip pocket and walked toward where Chris stood waiting at the door.
As they stepped out into the cool evening air, Chris commented, “You really like Eliza, huh?”
“She seems cool.” Jojo’s tone was nonchalant. She waited for Chris to open the passenger-side door of his midsize sedan, then climbed in.
He shut his daughter in, then climbed into the driver’s seat. While buckling up he asked, “Are you actually going to call her?”
Jojo chuckled. “I am. I wanna get the new stuff before everybody else does.” She squirmed a bit and reached into her pocket. Handing him the card, she said, “So, be sure to return this to me after you call her.”
Chris felt his eyes widen. “What?”
Jojo shook her head. “Come on, Dad. You’re crushing on her. Anybody can see that.”
“You’re very perceptive.”
“I know. That’s why I knew you’d need my help.”
Chris shook his head. Starting his car, he marveled at his daughter. “You’re amazing. Thanks, Jojo.”
“No problem, Dad. You can pay me back in new clothes.”
A laughing Chris backed out of the parking spot and pulled out into the road.
* * *
Later that night, Chris pulled the Ellicott’s business card out and punched the number into his phone.
“Hello?” Eliza’s voice filled his ear as she answered the call.
“Hi, Eliza. It’s me, Chris.”
“Chris?” The surprise in her voice was soon replaced with acceptance. “Got my number from Jojo, right?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, she helped me out.”
Eliza cleared her throat. “What can I do for you, Chris?”
He had many answers for that question, but he went with the most appropriate one. “I’m just calling to thank you for helping me out with Jojo today.”
“It’s no problem. She’s a sweet kid, and I was happy to help.”
“She’s pretty hard to please these days, but bringing her to Ellicott’s got me some major brownie points with her. I really appreciate it.”
Eliza laughed, the sound soft and musical. “Like I said, no problem. Actually, you already thanked me, by spending all that money in my store. I’d say we’re even.”
“Still, I’d like to do something for you. Why don’t you let me take you to dinner tomorrow night?”
She hesitated for a long moment. “I don’t know, Chris.”
