Kianna Alexander - A San Diego Romance

Jojo grinned. “Thanks, I think.” Shaking hands with Eliza, she asked, “Dad told me to call you Ms. Ellicott. Can I call you by your first name?”

Eliza chuckled. “I’m fine with you using my first name, but I’ll defer to your father.”

Chris shrugged. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”

“You can call me Eliza, then.” She walked around the counter and stood between Chris and Jojo. “So, what kind of dress do you have in mind, Jojo?”

Jojo’s expression showed her uncertainty. “I’m not really sure. It’s my first real dance.”

Eliza gave Chris a playful jab with her elbow. “You ready for this, Dad?”

Half smiling, he shook his head. “Don’t ask. Let’s just say I’m going along with it.”

“Well, Jojo, if you trust me, I’ve got some ideas.” She stood back, getting another look at her client. “With your height and figure, you’ll have a lot of options.

She blushed. “Really?”

Eliza nodded. “Definitely. As a matter of fact, I’ve got some new dresses that just came in from a local designer that I think would be perfect for you.”

Jojo’s eyes widened. “New designer dresses?”

“Yep.” Eliza reached out and linked arms with Jojo. “Come with me. I’ll show you.” She led her over to the right side of the store, where new merchandise was on display. “We can narrow it down if you tell me your favorite color.”

Chris followed them, observing quietly.

Jojo, her eyes still wide, perused the racks of dresses in front of her. “I really like orange. Do you have anything in that color?”

Eliza tapped her chin for a moment, mentally going through the latest shipment. Then she snapped her fingers. “Yes.” She moved over two racks from where Jojo and Chris stood and searched through the drawers holding merchandise she didn’t have room to display on the racks or mannequins. When she found the dress she was looking for, she unfolded it and held it up. “What do you think?”

Jojo gasped. “OMG. It’s gorgeous.”

“When you said you liked orange, I thought you’d like this one.” Eliza admired the sleeveless, calf-length dress. The V-neck line was subtle and adorned with crystals, as was the flounce at the hem. “It’s so new it hasn’t even been on display yet.”

“Wow.” Jojo took the dress from Eliza. Looking to Chris, she asked, “Can I try it on, Dad?”

“Sure.” Chris smiled at his daughter. “Is this the only one you want to try on?”

Jojo looked back at Eliza. “Can I look through the racks?”

“Go ahead.” Eliza watched as Jojo searched through the displays.

Jojo came back with two dresses. One was a soft shade of yellow and very low-cut in the front. The other, a coral minidress, couldn’t possibly hit longer than midthigh on someone her height.

Chris began shaking his head almost immediately. “No way, young lady.”

Jojo frowned. “Geez, Dad.” She turned to Eliza, hoping for a reprieve. “What do you think?”

Eliza tapped her chin with her forefinger. She agreed with Chris: these two dresses were far too revealing for someone Jojo’s age. Seeking to steer her in a better direction, she said, “I can see why you like them, but let’s try these instead.”

Her frown softening a bit, Jojo asked, “You have more dresses in mind for me?”

“Just a couple.” Eliza put back the dresses Jojo had chosen and noted the relief on Chris’s face. Then she moved through the store, pulling the other two dresses she thought might suit Jojo’s age and tastes, and handed them over. “Come on, I’ll set you up in a room.”

Once Jojo was inside one of the five dressing rooms on the back wall of the store, Eliza leaned against the edge of the counter, awaiting the fashion show to come.

Chris, standing next to her, said, “You’ve got a gift. I can see you’re very good at what you do here.”

“I appreciate that.” Eliza smiled his way. His compliment flattered her, probably more than it should have. Of course, it had always been that way. He’d been skilled at sweet-talking her back in the day, and he hadn’t lost his touch.

“I’m amazed at how fast you built a rapport with California’s most fickle teenage girl. Beyond that, you only chose dresses for her that were age appropriate, and she actually seemed to like them.” Chris shook his head, his expression conveying his amazement. “When I try to pick out things for her, I just get the pouty face.”

Eliza laughed. “Like I said, I remember what it was like to be her age. It’s an awkward time, when all a girl wants is to be cool and fit in.” It wasn’t until Eliza was in her midtwenties that she truly understood the value of individualism, and embraced it.

Chris walked closer to her, entering her personal bubble the same way he had at Prescott George. “Well, you have my undying respect and gratitude.”

“Still a smooth talker, I see.” She turned toward him, her back against the edge of the counter.

“It’s the truth.” He took a step closer to her. “These aren’t empty words to gas you up. I really feel that way.”

Their gazes met and held, and Eliza found herself unable to turn away. How could he still have such a hold on her, after all this time? It seemed she’d done the right thing by avoiding him over the last several years.

They stood there that way, searching each other’s eyes, for several long moments.

Jojo’s voice broke into Eliza’s thoughts.

“How do I look?”

Eliza, grateful for the distraction, drew a breath.

“We’ll talk more later.” Chris said the words for her ears only.

Chapter 3

Chris’s eyes lingered on Eliza’s face a moment longer, then he directed his attention to his daughter.

Chris swung his gaze toward Jojo, who’d emerged from the dressing room in a soft orange A-line dress with a taffeta skirt.

“It’s gorgeous.” Eliza smiled in her direction. “Turn around so we can see it all.”

The dress Jojo wore now wasn’t the first one Eliza had handed her, but she did look beautiful in it. “I love it, sweetie. Very nice.”

Eliza chimed in again. “What do you think of it, Jojo?”

Regarding her reflection in the mirrors in the corner, Jojo shrugged. “It’s really pretty, but I don’t know if it’s the one I want.”

Walking over to her, Eliza patted her on the shoulder. “That’s fine. Go try on the others, then you can make your choice.”

Jojo nodded, then disappeared back into the dressing room.

Anticipating this might take a while, Chris sat down on one of the three upholstered ottomans near the dressing room doors. He let his gaze sweep over the interior of Eliza’s boutique. From the front door, he’d seen a lot of it, but from his current vantage point, he could see it all. The soft gray walls and carpet seemed to disappear behind her colorful assortment of clothing, jewelry and accessories. The layout of the store left plenty of space for customers to walk between the mannequins, racks and displays, and there was even a small conversation area with a sofa, two chairs and a coffee table, situated on the opposite side of the counter from the dressing rooms. Though he didn’t know much about women’s fashion, he could appreciate the work Eliza must have put into the design and setup of her store. She’d taken a space that, from an architectural perspective, was pretty basic, and transformed it into something welcoming and aesthetically pleasing.

He saw her talking to one of her staff members, and he could feel the smile tilting his lips. She probably thought the long, silent moment they’d spent before Jojo had come out to model the dress could be forgotten or tossed aside. He knew better. Though no words had been exchanged, the unspoken desire flowing between them had been obvious. He wouldn’t press her about it now, because he’d come here for his daughter. Eventually, though, they were going to discuss what was happening between them.