(Chapter 20) Something Worth Living For

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Chapter 20

“What do you think about this one?” Allison held a shimmering green dress against her body and turned to face Jen. It was Friday afternoon and as of yet, Allison still didn’t know what she wanted to wear tonight for her date with Jared, so she’d called for reinforcements. “It’s not too short and doesn’t shout I’m desperate.”

“Hun, it shouts I’m not desperate enough.” Jen retorted as she lay on the flat of her stomach on Allison’s bed. “It might not be short, but if you want Jared to take notice of you tonight, I think you should go with something that’s above the knee.”

“You think so?” Allison analysed the dress and decided that Jen was right. She wanted to get Jared’s attention and a dress that hid her long slender legs wasn’t going to work. If she was putting the effort in to shave her legs, the least she could do was show them off.

Allison turned back to her closet and hooked the dress back on the rail, fishing through her other dresses for the perfect one. Tonight would be perfect and she needed the perfect dress to go with it. Maybe she should have gone shopping yesterday for a new dress, she mused as she rummaged through all the unsuccessful candidates.

“How about this one?” she pulled out a yellow cocktail dress and with a hopeful smile on her face she turned to Jen.

Her friend’s eyebrows rose as she scrutinised the dress. “Seriously? Trust me yellow isn’t a colour you want to go with when seducing a man.”

Allison took a long look at the dress. “Hmm… maybe you are right. Yellow doesn’t exactly scream take me now.”

Jen laughed, shaking her head at her friends failed attempt to be flirty.

“Maybe I should have gone to buy a new dress. After all, this is a pretty big night.”

“I don’t think we need to resort to that. You’ve got lots of great dress you haven’t really worn that are dying to come out of your closet. Why don’t you wear that plum dress? You know the strapless one.” Jen offered from the bed.

Allison walked out and offered Jen a deadpan look. “You know I wore that to our first date, Jen. You helped me pick out that dress as I recall.”

Jen shrugged nonchalantly. “I forget. That was a while back after all.”

Allison narrowed her eyes at Jen’s reply and crossed her arms over her chest. “You never forget details like that before. As I recall you still remember the dress I wore on my first date with Eric.”

Jen just offered her another shrug in response.

Okay, something was up with Jen. Allison had been best friends with her since they’d been in college, so she was able to read her like a book. The way Jen was acting, not really giving her input; it was almost as if she didn’t want to help Allison. But that made no sense at all. Jen was always eager to give Allison advice about anything when it came to her dating someone. In fact, she recalled the days when Jen had practically begged her to give her love life a chance and even making suggestions that she flirt with Jared.

Maybe she didn’t want her being with Jared. But that was crazy, Allison reasoned. Jen was crazy about Jared and could barely contain her joy when Allison had told her they were dating. What could have changed her mind since then?

And that’s when it rushed back. The tingling sensation on her lips, the warmth that filled her very core and the maddening desire for more. Eric’s hazy grey eyes, after they’d kissed, appeared in Allison’s mind’s eye and it was like she was back in the stadium all over again. She traced the memory of the kiss with her tongue and recalled the immense attraction that sparked between her and Eric.

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