Chapter 7
“Don’t you have somewhere to be, Zoe?” Dawn started to gather up her things.
“I’m not going anywhere.” I looked into her eyes. “It’s time that you put a little zip in your doo-dah.”
“Zip in my what?” She stared at me with a hint of horror in her eyes.
“Listen, it’s not as simple as just feeling good about your body. Sensuality is about a lot more than that. You can feel good in your skin and still need something to add to the mood. Feeling pretty, feeling sexy—know what I mean? Don’t you have that one outfit or even a pair of stockings that just causes you to exude sex appeal?” I gazed into her eyes, determined to draw her out of her shell.
“Uh, no.” She laughed. “I have clothes for work, and pajama pants and old t-shirts for every other time of the day.” She glanced down at her old faded jeans and baggy worn-out shirt. “These are my going-out clothes.”
“Going out? Those should be your crumpled-up-in-the-back-of-the-closet clothes. See, that’s part of the problem. You’ve never given your sensuality room to breathe.”
I realized this was going to take drastic measures. I whipped out the scissors I kept in my purse for quick clothing modifications and cut through the collar of her shirt. I hoped the shock would help her realize that she could wear whatever she wanted. She didn’t have to be invisible.
“Here—and here.” I snipped the sleeves into tiny shreds. “Oh—and definitely here.” I lopped off the hem of her shirt until it showed off a bit of her skin.
“Zoe! You’ve lost your mind! This might be the kind of thing that you can get away with wearing, but I’m a lot heavier than you. People don’t want to see my flab flopping around.”
“Stop it!” I tried to hold back my frustration at how blind she was to her beauty. “You’re beautiful, sweetheart—from your lovely brown hair to your sensual hips—you are beautiful. If you finally see it for yourself, then everyone else around you will see it too. That’s all it takes.” She brushed the hair back from my eyes. “Don’t hide yourself. Get used to feeling a little air on your skin. Get used to people looking at parts of your body that you usually keep tucked away under way too much fabric. Dawn, you’ve got to open yourself up to the world.”
“But I don’t want to open myself to the world—just to Garrett.” She frowned.
“In order to be open to Garrett, you have to be willing to be seen. Right now, I see the way you hide away—like a little mouse. Even here, in this busy coffee shop, you find ways to be invisible. I notice. But that’s because you’re my friend and I love you. Otherwise, I’d probably look right past you. You keep your voice soft, your shoulders hunched—you never say more than you have to. You people watch, but never make eye contact with anyone you don’t know. I see all of the tricks that you use, and I’m here to tell you, it’s time to let go of them. You don’t need to hide anymore.” I squeezed her hand. “And to help you with that, I think a good first step is to make a big change. When is the next time you’ll see Garrett?”
“This afternoon. We’re having a meeting about the bakery—on our only day off.” She laughed. “Why?”
“Here’s what you should do. Go to this store.” I scribbled the name on a napkin and slid it over to her. “They have the most amazing items and a wide variety of sizes. I’m sure you’ll find something you like there. Pick out something that grabs you by the gut and screams sexy—and buy it.” I noticed the blush in her cheeks and wished I could make her feel more at ease. But stepping out of her comfort zone wouldn’t be easy—it wasn’t for anyone.
“So, do I just hang it in my closet until I feel comfortable wearing it?”
“No, you go home and change and you show up at the bakery in it to meet with Garrett. Just wear a big coat or something until you get into the bakery. It’s closed today. It’ll just be you and Garrett. Sometimes it helps if you’re not in a bedroom setting. You’ll feel less awkward and wearing the outfit will make you feel so sensual that you’ll be ready for anything. Trust me.” I grinned. “You’re going to be calling me and thanking me later.”
“Uh, I don’t know. I don’t think I can do that, Zoe. I appreciate all your help and support—I really do—but that’s just not me.”
“Are you sure? When you close your eyes and really think about it, are you sure that’s not you? Or is that just who you’ve been told you can’t be?” I stood up to leave, but couldn’t just yet. “You’re going to do what’s best for you, Dawn—and no, I’m not always right. But ask yourself, are you going to miss out on an amazing relationship because of fear, or are you going to let who you really are—your true sensuality—push through the negative thoughts that hold you back?” I gave her shoulder a quick pat. “Your choice, love, but do let me know what happens.”
I winked at her as I headed out the door. When I reached my car I realized I hadn’t shown my friends the website. I pulled it up on my phone to take a look and was horrified to discover that the site didn’t load. As I stared at the blank page, my phone began to ring.
Trent’s face danced across the screen.
“Hello?”
“Zoe, what did you do?”