like a glove, flaunted my assets like a victory flag, and made no apologies for it. She’d bought it on a whim years before, then closed it up in a garment bag to be forgotten. It was ruched satin and was the most luscious shade of rich chartreuse that contrasted with the ink on my shoulders and arms beautifully. The top was halter style, with a deep enough “v” between the breasts to show cleavage without being gratuitous, and the satin was gathered slightly at my hip where an ornate rhinestone pin was sewn. It flowed to the floor, flaring out from the hips, with a slit up one leg, exposing a flash of the seamed nylons I was wearing with my 1940s baby doll stilettos.
My head of platinum-blond curls had been painstakingly teased, backcombed, and manipulated into a style that resembled Bridget Bardot’s. The top half was smoothed into submission, and the bottom half had been heated into three wide sausage curls that shone like glossed corn silk. She’d left a thick tendril free to curl down the side of my face, claiming that Gabe wouldn’t be able to resist brushing it away from my eyes.
Nearly every single eye in the venue shifted to look at me, some people even going so far as to whisper and point, when I walked into the five-star restaurant on Lake Union. I would have enjoyed my Cinderella-at-the-Ball moment if I hadn’t wanted to throw up from nerves the whole time. I scanned the crowd for Gabe, searching black-and-white tux after black-and-white tux for his tawny skin and light eyes.
Finally, I found him. My pulse raced. He stood at the back of the dim room, surrounded by a sea of tuxedo and sequin-clad coworkers. One of his hands was tucked in his pocket, holding his jacket open casually, while a man holding a tumbler dangerously close to spilling told him a story. He wasn’t paying attention to the man, though. His eyes locked on mine and widened.
Bite the bullet. Just go get your Prince Charming…er, Gabe. I pressed a hand to my middle as I started down the staircase into the thick crowd. Gabe excused himself from his conversation and walked toward me, but the crowd quickly swallowed him, and I lost my visual.
The sound of the jazz band playing at the head of the room spurred some of the couples around me to start dancing. I recognized some of the men who were at Gabe’s bachelor party and waved when they held up their drinks in greeting.
I jumped as an arm snaked around my waist. Gabe.
“You take my breath away,” he said quietly.
Holy mother of God. My knees melted into jelly, and I wobbled.
I turned around and faced him. “Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.”
Nobody in the world filled out a suit like Gabriel Parker, and I sensed that every woman in the room knew it, too.
“Thanks.” He took a deep breath and then released it slowly, letting his hand slide off my waist. “How did you know I was here?”
“You dropped the invitation at my house.” I paused, light-headed. “And your mom told me.”
“You called my mom?”
“I was looking for you.”
Gabe’s eyes widened. “You were?”
“I got your e-mail.” I bit my lip.
The corner of his full lips tugged upward, making my knees clunk together under my skirt. “I’m really glad.”
I nodded. “Is it okay that I came? Everyone is staring at me.”
Gabe took a step closer to me, closing the inches between us. “There isn’t a woman in this room who holds a candle to you tonight, Vi. You’re absolutely gorgeous. You should be dancing in a dress like that.”
“All right,” I said.
Gabe peeled his suit jacket off and threw it on the back of a random chair, revealing a starched white shirt that was taut across his chest and black suspenders. He loosened his tie just a bit, then put a hand on my elbow, his knuckles brushing the side of my ribcage as he led me onto the crowded dance floor to the sound of “The Way You Look Tonight.” He put one hand around my waist, securing me against his chest tightly, then raised my free arm by sliding his fingertips up the underside until he got to my hand, where he placed his palm against mine.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered as we started to move.
My heart skittered, and I stopped dancing. “Listen…”
He tilted his head. The couples swirled around us while we stood unmoving in the middle