Denevieve mused quietly as she adjusted the emerald dress over her hips. The silky fabric hugged her figure perfectly, and with a final tug, she smoothed the material down her body. Slowly, she turned around and lifted the tight gown to slip it past her waist, revealing the daring bar-back design. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the dressing room, feeling the cool air brush her bare skin.

For the past two hours, Gen had been holed up in the boutique, tossing dress after dress into the room for Jada to evaluate. As Gen emerged, Jada sat upright, finishing off her glass of champagne with a bright smile and clapping her hands in delight.

“Look at you, all excited,” Gen warned with a teasing grin. “But this dress is just…”

“Slutty,” Jada finished bluntly, rolling her eyes.

Jada approached and motioned for Gen to do a twirl. “Girl, you look absolutely stunning. I don’t know what you’re complaining about,” she said, hands confidently placed on her hips.

Gen laughed nervously. “But look at all this skin,” she said, gesturing down her body for emphasis. “It feels like too much for a first date.”

Jada groaned dramatically. “Come on, you have to leave him wanting more. If he only manages a kiss on the cheek tonight, he’ll be dreaming of you all night long. Trust me,” she continued, adopting the tone of a seasoned dating guru. “You’ll be the first thing on his mind when he wakes up. You’ll get a good morning text, no doubt.”

Gen pursed her lips thoughtfully. She pulled the price tag from the dress and swallowed hard at the steep $1,000 price. “I don’t know… it feels like too much,” she admitted, heading back toward the rack.

“Come on! I told you I’d treat you!” Jada insisted.

“I just don’t feel right about it,” Gen argued softly.

Jada’s eyes lit up as she spotted a gorgeous black dress near the front of the store. “I’ll go grab this one…” she said.

“No! I saw that one already,” Gen snapped, spinning around and nearly tackling Jada to the floor. “No more! I only have one more dress to try on, then we’re done. If I don’t like it, I’m going with the navy one.”

“But the navy one is so… conservative,” Jada whined.

Gen closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, feeling the pressure. “The deal was I’d try on the dresses, and then you’d ask me about the guy, right? Don’t you want to hear all about him?” she asked, hoping to distract Jada.

Jada’s eyes widened, and she nodded eagerly, like a bobblehead doll that had just been flicked. “Yes! Please, tell me everything!”

Gen smiled and turned back toward the dressing room, only to find Jada waiting expectantly outside. “Ugh, fine,” she sighed.

“Dude, I was just trying to help. I’ve seen you naked before,” Jada teased with a smirk.

After a few minutes of struggling to get the dress off Gen’s reddened skin, Jada finally sat back on the bench and waited patiently.

Gen pulled the burgundy silk dress from its hanger and laughed softly. “Okay, what do you want to know?” she asked.

Jada tapped her finger thoughtfully against her chin, then held out her hand, ticking off each question as she spoke. “Where did you meet him? What’s his name? What does he do for a living? Details on his looks? Details on his…?” She raised her eyebrows suggestively. “And where’s he taking you?”

“Is that all?” Gen teased, slipping into the dress.

Jada looked up at the ceiling before nodding decisively. “For now.”

“Alright,” Gen said, pulling the silky fabric up her frame with ease. “Um, we met at a bar…”

“Another bar?” Jada asked, clearly impressed.

“Yeah, and, um, he works with—”

“Like finance?” Jada interrupted.

Gen hesitated for a moment, knowing how her sister would react when she learned the guy was Matteo. She needed to be careful. “Yeah, you could say that. His company was having some trouble with a former accountant, so he came to our firm for help with the diagnosis, and then decided to hire us.”

“That’s great! Is this the same company where you had your big meeting?”

“Yeah, that’s the one,” Gen confirmed as Jada stood up to help with the zipper.

“What’s his name?” Jada asked again.

“Matteo,” Gen answered without thinking.

“Matteo? Italian?” Jada inquired.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Looks like you’re developing a type, Gen,” Jada chuckled. “And he’s taking you to…?”

“Carmela’s,” Gen replied.

“Carmela’s? And he’s Italian?” Jada’s shock was evident.

Both women fell silent as Gen turned to face the mirror. The burgundy silk dress fell just above her knees, featuring a cool neckline and delicate spaghetti straps. The slit ran halfway up her thigh, revealing just enough to be tantalizing. She smoothed her hands down the fabric, imagining Matteo’s rough kisses tracing the same path. A shiver ran down her spine, and she silently hoped Jada hadn’t noticed.

“Damn, girl. This is the one,” Jada said with raised eyebrows and a proud nod.

“Yeah,” Gen agreed, pulling the price tag from under her arm and sighing. “I can’t. It’s too much.”

Jada glanced at the tag. “It’s only $2,200, Gen. I can definitely swing that.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s just one night. I’ll go with the navy one. It’s…” Gen looked back at the mirror, picturing Matteo’s gaze burning into her. “The navy is fine.”

“Ugh, you’re being ridiculous!” Jada grumbled.

Ignoring her sister’s complaints, Genevieve walked to the register, the navy dress draped over her arm. As she approached the counter, Jada confidently declared to the flustered saleswoman, “She’ll take this one,” while gently placing the burgundy dress down.

“No, she won’t,” Gen said quietly.

“It’s okay, the dress is already paid for,” the associate announced softly.

“What?” both women exclaimed in unison.

The saleswoman smiled and held up a card. “This was dropped off when you came in. It’s already been charged. Let me just wrap this up for you.”

Gen stared at the card on the counter. He had bought her a dress? A warm flush spread up her neck. No one had ever spoiled her like this before. How had he known she was shopping? Did Leo tell him? Images of their upcoming date danced through her mind—him arriving with flowers, kissing her hand from across the table, insisting she try dessert even when she said no, and finally, kissing her goodnight.

“He bought you a dress for your first date? Who is this guy? Let me—” Before Gen could stop her, Jada leapt onto the counter and snatched the card.

“Jada, stop!” Gen pleaded, trying and failing to wrestle the card back.

“What’s your deal? It’s Jake Gyllenhaal, isn’t it? Why else would you lie to me? Let me just see who…” Jada finally managed to look at the name on the card. Her entire body froze. “M.C. Accardi.” She whipped her head toward Gen.

“Jada, please, I was going to explain…” Gen began.

“You’re fucking Accardi?” Jada screeched.

All the women in the small boutique turned toward the commotion.

“It’s not like that,” Gen whispered.

“Then what is it? Because it looks like he’s treating you like you’re his white after I’ve asked you over and over to stay away from him!” Jada shouted, throwing the card on the floor and storming toward the exit.

Gen’s face burned as she bent to retrieve the card. The saleswoman held out the wrapped box. Both women glanced toward the door as it slammed shut behind Jada. The associate offered a hesitant smile.

“It’s okay. I’ll have it dropped off at the address on the account,” she said, nodding toward the exit.

“Thanks,” Gen murmured, scrambling after her sister without even thinking to give her the correct address.