Page 14 of Don’t Look Down

Huh. I mean, he is busy, so surely he has a million other things pulling his attention right now. I should just be happy he took the time to call to apologize for bailing on our appearance.

And ask me out.

Did he just ask me out on a date? Is it finally happening?

But he didn’t use the word date. He asked me to accompany him. Right? Am I remembering that correctly? All the anxious, excited nerves that clouded my head moments ago have fogged up all memory of our conversation.

I’d almost wonder if I imagined the whole thing as I turn around to walk back inside if it wasn’t for the evidence in the call log on my phone.

Holy hell. Lockwood Caulfield just called me.

It’s one thing to have the idea of me and Lock in my head, but it’s another to actually have a date set with him.

I’m moving in a trance as I open the door back into the shop.

“Is everything alright? You look flushed,” Aria asks the moment I step back inside.

My hands are shaking, and I hope she doesn’t notice. I could tell her who just called me. It’s her cousin after all. But there’s a little voice in the back of my head telling me not here, not now. Not when I can barely process the invitation at the end of the call.

I look down at the dress, thinking now that the next time I’ll be wearing it, I’ll be accompanying Lock to his father’s birthday ball. Will he like it? Maybe I should have Mrs. Kleine make matching gloves, or a clutch.

“Briar?”

I whip my head up. I was so lost in my racing thoughts that I forgot to answer Aria. My voice is strained when I answer, “Yes, sorry. Everything’s great. Just… yes, all is well. I should probably change and get going.” Before she can ask anymore questions, I turn my back toward Mrs. Kleine. “Do you mind loosening this?”

She watches me curiously, those deep-set eyes narrowing, but she lets the corset loose and shoos me off in the changing stall.

I carefully hang the dress back up before getting re-dressed. Aria’s right. I am flushed. My entire chest has a pink hue to it that matches my cheeks. Maybe it’s because my heart is still racing, thinking about Lock.

He took time out of his schedule to call, however brief. Hope surges in my chest, shutting out all previous disappointment.

I re-emerge, and I hadn’t even noticed Aria had changed into her gown while I was outside. “That’s beautiful.” A wave of my hand. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about where I’m concerned. That color matches your eyes perfectly.”

She sweeps her hands down the sides of her hips. “You’re too kind.”

“You can stop by next week anytime after Wednesday to pick up the gown,” Mrs. Kleine says. “I’ll have it bagged up and ready for you.”

“Thank you. Should we take care of payment then, or would you like to now?”

She brushes me off. “Please, your father already got it taken care of.”

My teeth clench, but I paste on a demure smile. It’s not like I could afford a gown like this on my own with no job and very little money to call mine, but I don’t love the reminder that I’m not taking care of things on my own.

My flat, my living expenses, these dresses.

My quiet, empty flat. The idea of returning to it right now, while this new buzzing under my skin makes me anxious, I can hardly stand it.

So I look back to Aria and ask, “Do you want to grab a bite to eat after this?” Aria and I aren’t really close friends who go out to dinner or spend time at one another’s homes, but we’ve seen a lot of each other over the years at school and always get along well when my family’s been invited to Crown affairs. If I could talk to anyone about my invitation from Lock, it’s her over my university friends.

She pouts and brushes back a stray dark brown curl. “Can’t. I have a meeting with a client across the city in an hour.” Disappointment hits, but a moment later she asks, “Are you free next week?”

I resist the urge to say, I’m free pretty much every night, but instead say on a relieved exhale, “Yes, just shoot me what works for you. Your schedule is busier than mine so I’ll work around yours.”

“You’re too much. Thank you. I’ll text you later, then?”

“Perfect.” We say our goodbyes, I wave to Mrs. Kleine, whose attention is already turned to Aria’s gown, and head back home to replay my conversation with Lock over and over again until I fall into a restless sleep.

Six