I finished reading Katie's text as I tucked a curl behind my ear as I stepped off the curb and made my way around to the passenger side of James's car. When I glanced up, I saw him blocking Red's front door. He was staring at me like I was a ghost or a celebrity or something that needed to be stared at.

"Can you unlock the door? Katie's at Thredz? She wants us to meet her there ASAP." I pressed myself against the car as another one came driving past me.

"Right. Sorry. I just..." he shook his head as he jogged to the car. He opened his door and crawled inside to unlock mine.

I got in and shut it and then looked at him. "What?" I pulled the mirror down and looked at myself. "Do I look ridiculous?" As I stared at the woman in the mirror, it was hard to recognize her as me. This woman had style and confidence. And personality.

I'd never lacked personality I just reserved it for people that I had gotten to know.

"Nothing." He shook his head again and put the keys into the ignition. We didn't go far down the road before he parked the car again. "Let's go. Katie will turn me into a eunuch if we're late."

"James," my voice echoed back as he shut the door on my words. I sighed and got out of the car. Quickly I walked to catch up to him at the door of some store called "Thredz."

He held the door open for me, which I thought was nice.

"Go find Katie," he said, his tone entirely changed now. Gone was the James who looked like he might have been with someone he found attractive. James the jerk was in his place.

I shook my head, pushing away the hurt, and moved around the shop, glancing at the clothes that seemed to pop out from every direction. My eyes weren't sure where to look so I focused on a rack near the back of the store that was marked "Reduced." And that's when I spotted Katie.

I tapped her lightly on the shoulder and she turned her head twice before she recognized me. "Ainsley! Oh my god! I'm so jealous! Look at it!" She delicately touched my new 'do and couldn't contain her infectious smile.

"Do you love it?"

"Doesn't matter what I think! Do you love it?"

I grinned and nodded earnestly. "I do! What are you looking for?" I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and put on my serious face as I stared at the rack.

Katie shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know. I'm hoping something will pop out at me."

I was flipping for a few minutes with crunched eyebrows. This store was a mishmash of every conceivable style. There were things ranging from strippers clothes to Halloween costumes to designer dresses and everything in between.

I gasped in surprise as a hand went around my waist and pulled me backwards. I turned in the grasp and stared at James. "No, no. No garbage. Here." He thrust a dress at my chest and then pushed me towards the changing room.

Katie and I examined it quickly. "James, this isn't going to fit me."

"It will. Go on."

"But..."

"Try it on." Katie backed him up as he pushed me into the well-lit dressing room and then shut the door.

I put the plain looking black dress on the hook by the mirror and quickly stripped out of my jeans and t-shirt. I shook my head at the dress as I slid it from the hanger.

I chewed on the inside of my lip as I unzipped it and slid it up over my wide hips. I turned away from the mirror as I slipped my arms into the three-quarter length sleeves. I reached behind me and tried my best to zip it up but I only got it to the small of my back.

"Katie. It won't fit!"

The door opened and James twirled his finger in the air.

"Where is Katie?" I stepped back so that my back was against the mirror. I didn't need to give him any unsightly views.

"She had to use the little girls' room."

"That's fine, I'll just wait."

"You're being as silly as a school girl. Turn around."

Reluctantly I obliged and turned around so my back was facing him. I moved my hair aside and sucked in hard as his fingers pinched the bottom of the zipper. I felt his warm knuckles gliding smoothly against my exposed skin as the zipper came up like butter.

I closed my eyes for a moment as time seemed to stand still. James was still behind me, his fingertips still securely on the zipper.

I imagined what I'd look like in a killer black dress. I was afraid of what I'd see when I opened my eyes.

"Yep. This is the one," he said from behind me, his breath tickling the exposed skin on the back of my neck.

I opened my eyes and blinked a few times at the vision of the woman standing in the mirror. The dress hugged my curves, hid my upper arms, and stopped at the knee. It was classy and sexy and ... James was right. This was the one.

He stepped back and I let my hands run over the simple fabric.

"I feel like Cinderella."

"You look like Cinderella's rockabilly twin," he said.

I glanced at James, unsure if it was a compliment or an insult, and felt reassured when I saw his admiring glistening eyes raking over my curves.

"You got your dress, now let's get the hell out of here," he said, more gruffly than usual. He unzipped the dress before departing and shut the tiny door roughly behind him.

I frowned as I pulled the dress from my body and hung it back on the hanger. What the hell was his problem? After I was dressed, I left the dressing room, dress slung over my arm and approached James.

"Ready to go?" he asked, looking annoyed.

"No."

He rolled his eyes and pulled out his cellphone. "I can't do this all damn night, Ainsley. I've gotta go."

"I know. I'm going to look around a bit more. But you should go home."

"But..." Whatever he was going to say died on his lips. "Cool. Later, Ainsley." He sauntered out of the store, pushing the door aggressively as he left.

I watched as he whipped his car door open and climbed inside. Whatever his problem was I doubted it concerned me.

"Did you find something?" Katie asked as she came up behind me. When I glanced at her her eyes were on James's car pulling out into traffic. "Where is he going?"

"He didn't want to shop anymore. But this dress he found is perfect." I said, turning to her with a smile. "I want to get some more. I'm going to need a lot more than just one dress." The new Ainsley, the inner Ainsley was coming out.