Hearts and Aces (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 7) Kaylie Hunter (books to read this summer TXT) 📖

“How do Lisa and Tech already know what we’re up to?”

“As soon as you moved the kids out of Headquarters, everyone was waiting to see what you’d do next. Lisa guessed that you wanted the rooms bugged and asked if she should have Tech get the equipment ready. After I said uh-huh, she told me I had to be the one to tell you that she’d be going in your place.”

“It’s a good plan,” I admitted, turning in my seat to grin at Bridget. “But Anne will need to go with Lisa. I’ll cover Menswear for Anne while you cover Bridalwear.”

“Why is that better?” she asked as she pulled into the parking lot of The Changing Room.

“Everyone knows you’re my devious sidekick. No way would you help put nice sheets on Grady’s bed.”

“Damn it.” She pulled into the handicapped spot in front of the store, leaving the SUV running. “I was really looking forward to being devious.”

“Sorry. But if I can’t go, you can’t go.”

“Rock, paper, scissors for Menswear,” she said, turning in her seat and holding her hands out.

We counted out to three and looked at our hands. I had paper. She had scissors.

“Two out of three,” I said, ready to go again.

“Hell no!” she laughed, climbing out of the SUV.

“Damn it. I hate bridezillas!” I yelled as I jogged toward Bridalwear.

Inside, Lisa gave me the thirty second update on the customers. I gave her the ten second update that Anne was going in Bridget’s place. Lisa ran out of the store as I greeted the bride who was standing in front of the mirrors.

“This is it. This is the dress!” she squealed.

“Really?” I asked.

Five heads swiveled almost demonically in my directions, piercing me with glares.

“Yes, I see it now,” I said, taking a step back, then another. “You look lovely.” I quickly walked around the counter and stood behind it for my own safety. Maxine, Lisa’s sales assistant, smirked as she helped the bride back to the dressing room.

“Do you have this dress in a size six?” a woman asked from the other side of the room.

“We might have something similar, but this is a resale store, so no.”

“Could you order a size six?”

I looked at her, then looked at her friends and family who were all eagerly awaiting my reply. “Uh, no.”

“The people here are so rude,” the bride said, putting the dress back on the rack and storming out.

The bride from earlier marched out of the dressing room and stopped in front of me. “What did you mean when you said really?”

Her friends and family shook their heads back and forth so fast I thought they’d injure themselves. I looked back at the bride. “I cannot lie. You look horrible in that dress. Your boobs are too small and your ass is too big for an A-frame dress. Anything but an A-frame would look good, but you picked the one design that makes you look like a white fluffy triangle.”

The bride’s mouth dropped open as she stared back at me. A moment later she ran toward the dressing room, stripping the gown off before she made it to the curtained area. In less than thirty seconds, she ran past her friends and family and out the door while still carrying her shirt and shoes.

“Who’s next?” I called out.

“That dress really did look horrible on her,” a mother of another bride whispered loud enough for everyone in the store to hear. “Oh, darling, you look beautiful!” she said as her daughter exited the dressing room.

“Really?” I asked.

“Out!” Maxine yelled, pointing toward the door. “Lisa is going to have my head. Just leave!”

“I can go?” I asked, grinning.

“OUT!”

“I’m going. I’m going.” I ran out the door, past the main store entrance, and into the Menswear department. “Ah, ha!” I said, jumping into the store.

Several men turned to look at me like I was crazy.

“Why aren’t you in Bridalwear?” Bridget asked with a fist on her hips.

Katie walked through the side entrance that connected the front of the stores.

“Maxine kicked me out!” I couldn’t contain my smile.

“Wouldn’t have anything to do with multiple brides crying in the parking lot, would it?” Katie asked.

“Maybe.”

Katie and Bridget continued to stare at me.

“It’s not my fault! She had no boobs, a big ass, and picked an A-frame dress!”

“Oh, that’s different,” Bridget said as she took the clothes away from one guy and replaced them with the ones she was holding. “Good call on stopping that mistake.”

“And the other bride?” Katie asked.

I took the purple shirt the guy next to me was holding and handed it to the guy behind me. Then I took his silver shirt and handed it to the first guy. “She asked if we carried the dress she liked in a size six. If you’re a size six, you should shop the rack that’s clearly marked size six. You can even go to the higher sizes and have alterations. What you don’t do, is shop the rack that says size four.”  At the tie rack, I selected ties for each of the men, handing them over. “Am I right, guys?”

“Makes sense to me,” the one guy said.

“I don’t get it,” the other guy said.

I pointed out the window to the size six bridal group. “You must be related to them.”

He looked out the window and smiled. “Yes. My daughter’s the bride. How’d you know?”

“That’s wonderful,” Katie said as she steered the man out of the room. “We have a special today for fathers-of-the-bride only. Yay, for you!”

“I kind of get why you were kicked out of the Bridalwear,” one of the men said, grinning. “Will they fire you?”

“Nope. I own the place,” I said as I picked out two