Vindicate (Recovered Innocence #1)(23)

How did she…? “You know him?”

She snorts. “My brother played baseball with him. Girl, you bagged yourself a big fish if you’re going out with Leo Nash.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean he got drafted by the Pirates right out of high school, but he took the full ride scholarship to UCLA instead. Now I hear he’s in law school, top of his class. He’s already gotten a couple of job offers and he doesn’t graduate for another year. Plus he’s hot. Seriously hot. How did you meet him? Oh, right, his dad’s agency. Wow. Okay. This”—she shoves the dress she set aside back into the closet—“isn’t going to work. We need something special, sexy. Oh! I know just the thing.”

She digs around some more and comes up with a garment bag. “I’ve been saving this for a special occasion, but I think it will be perfect for you. Oh, man, are you going to knock him on his ass when he sees you in this.”

She pulls the garment bag away and I can’t believe how beautiful the dress is. I’ve never worn anything like it. I’ve never seen anything like it. I finger the fabric. The ivory Ultrasuede is buttery soft and surprisingly light.

She shoves it at me. “Try it on.”

I pull my T-shirt off and shuck my jeans. She helps me pull the dress over my head and zips up the back.

“Look at yourself.” She pushes me toward the stand-up mirror in the corner.

I turn from one side to the other, examining my appearance. The way it nips in at the waist makes it look incredibly tiny. There’s just enough cleavage that I’m not going to have to worry about bending over.

“I was going to wear that when I lost ten pounds.” She pinches her waist. “That was five pounds ago. It’s perfect on you.”

“I can’t.” I finger the price tag hanging under my arm. “This is new.”

“Shut up. Yes, you can. Oh! I’ve got the perfect shoes.” She dives into the bottom of her closet. After a few moments she comes up with a shoebox and lifts the lid. “These.”

Cobalt-blue leather slides sit nestled in white tissue paper. “No. I couldn’t.”

“Yes. Yes.” She takes them out of the box and shoves one into each of my hands. “Put them on right now. Do it.”

I slip them on and stare at my reflection. I’ve never worn anything so fancy and nice.

She bundles my hair at the top of my head with her hand. “You have to wear your hair up. Damn. You have no idea how pretty you are, Cora. He’s going to just die when he sees you.”

“It’s the dress. And the shoes. Are you sure, Jamie? What if I spill spaghetti sauce on it or something?”

“Don’t order spaghetti.”

“I can’t.”

“Wear it and the shoes, and we’re even. But you have to tell me everything that happens on your date. Ooooo,” she squeals. “I’m so excited for you.”

She doesn’t say it, but she knows this is my first date. Ever. I wasn’t nervous before she told me all that stuff about Leo. He was just Leo then, but now he’s like this unattainable, way-out-of-my-reach guy. I can’t do this. I’m going to call and cancel. No, I’ll text him, then turn my phone off so I can’t see his response and he can’t talk me into changing my mind.

“Don’t you dare cancel on him, Cora.”

I swear it’s like she can read my mind. “This is such a bad idea.”

“He obviously doesn’t think so, and neither do I. Go. Have fun. And then call me and tell me if he’s a good kisser or not.”

Heat creeps up my neck to my face.

“Oh, my God. You’ve already kissed him. Well?” She nudges my arm with her elbow. “How was it?”

I can’t speak. I don’t have words for how very much it was to kiss Leo Nash.

“That good. Damn. Good for you. It’s about time you got out.”

Jamie and I have been friends since the third grade. She’s the only one I have left from my life before. All of my other friends dropped me one by one until I looked around one day just after Beau’s conviction and realized they were all gone. And the odd thing was I didn’t miss them. I wasn’t the same person they’d befriended. I was someone new and unrecognizable. I didn’t understand the things they talked about. My life had taken a million-mile trip to places they never could’ve imagined.

“I don’t know,” I tell her. Because I don’t. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing dressing up. I don’t know how to act on a date and I don’t know what to do with all of the new information I have on Leo.

“Go. You deserve this. And I want you to know right now that if you don’t go out on this date I will never speak to you again.” She’s not serious.

“Why did you have to tell me all that stuff about him?”

“That’s what’s freaking you out?”

“Kind of.” Yes.

“He asked you out because he likes you. That says more about him than anything I could say.” She takes me by the shoulders and turns me toward her. “Go out. Have a good time. Get your lipstick smudged by a hot guy. You deserve this more than anyone else I know. Beau would be so pissed if he knew that you’ve turned your life into a shrine to him.”