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.
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