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them. When the girls decided that they d sufficiently  done
Rodeo, they made a point of proudly marching past the
Burberry window, swinging their shiny shopping bags,
Pretty Woman-style.
 I can t believe I bought those jeans, Holly groaned as she
and Alexa waited in the afternoon heat for their car.  I m
supposed to be saving money for sheets and a Supercool
Fridge for my dorm room.
 And we re just warming up, Alexa declared as the Hybrid
pulled up.  With God as my witness, she added
dramatically, lifting one hand and channeling Scarlett
O Hara,  I will not go back to Malibu today until I ve found
my dream dress.
 But if you had no luck on Rodeo, Holly reasoned as Alexa
tipped the attendant,  where do you imagine you ll find this
one perfect dress?
 Kitson, of course, Alexa replied, and the adorable, super-
trendy boutique on South Robertson was the next stop on
the girls treasure hunt. Rut all Alexa came out of there with
was a beaded silver Isabella Fiore clutch. And Holly, who
had planned to repeat her beige prom sandals for the
wedding, found an on-sale pair of strappy black stilettos
that were surprisingly comfortable. Still, Holly felt another
huge wave of shopping guilt as she and Alexa, like true Los
131
Angelenos, deposited their bags in their trunk and headed
toward Melrose Avenue their third and final destination.
Fred Segal, its name written in quirky blue-and-red lettering
across the ivy-covered entrance, was, to Holly s surprise,
not one big store, but a maze of interconnected small
boutiques. She and Alexa dawdled in the jewel-like little
shoe shop, where Alexa purchased a pair of peep-toe,
pencil-heeled silver Jimmy Choos, and then found their way
to a cozy room with butter-colored walls and a disco ball
spinning on the ceiling. There, they came upon a wealth of
sublime, summery dresses: strapless lavenders, creamy-
pink halters, sky-blue empire waists& .
 Jackpot, Alexa sighed, picking out a daringly short,
spaghetti-strap Jill Stuart that was a vivid aquamarine
color. It reminded her of the ocean outside their windows in
Malibu. Holly was pawing through the racks   just to see
what s out there, she insisted so Alexa took her choice
over to the fitting rooms.
As she posed in front of the full-length mirrors, she admired
how the dress made her eyes even bluer and showed off
her long, starting-to-get-tan legs. With the right smoky
eyeliner and her new metallic peep-toes & then Alexa
frowned, studying her hair. As always, it rippled over her
shoulders. But seeing herself anew in this dress, she
wondered if the same
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hairstyle she d had all her life made her look a little &
young. Alexa in Wonderland. She was thoughtfully twisting
her hair up off her neck when there was a tap on her door.
 It s me, Holly said, her voice unmistakably excited, with a
tremor of hesitation.  I want to show you something.
Alexa opened her door to see Holly standing barefoot, her
cheeks flushed, and wearing an exquisite, papaya-colored
strapless dress with a delicately ruffled hem. The bright
color made her golden-freckled skin luminous; it was
impossible to tell that she d done impromptu lifeguarding
just that morning. And there was something else about
Holly, too, Alexa mused, her eyes flicking over her friend s
face. It was like Holly had left her slightly uptight East Coast
self behind to become freer, more relaxed  as if the short
time she d spent in LA had already transformed her
somehow.
 It s not really my style, right? Holly asked nervously,
smoothing down the lightly embroidered bodice that
hugged her curves.  I mean, it s so girly, and it s not green
& and I didn t even want to get a dress today.
 But you look incredible, Alexa told her friend truthfully,
grinning at her.
Holly chewed on her bottom lip, fingering the
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cool, rich fabric. She knew Alexa was telling the truth. The
dress made her feel almost regal queenly. Wearing it, she
realized that in her prom dress, she d always feel like the
old Holly. This deep orange-pink Catherine Malandrino
dress seemed to bring alive a new Holly  one who was
adventurous enough to buy the dress in the first place. But
besides the general  green issue there was yet another
one: moolah. It was bad enough that Holly had blown most
of her graduation money on airplane tickets, jeans, and new
shoes. The dress was almost more expensive than all of
those put together. But at the same time she wanted it so
much her heart twisted a little, a sensation she didn t
recognize when it came to something as basic as clothes.
 Are you going to take it? Alexa prodded, leaning against
the doorjamb with her arms crossed over her chest.  Need I
remind you that E! will be filming the wedding?
Holly sucked in a deep breath. Maybe it was the high of that
morning s rescue still racing through her veins, or maybe it
was the chill, go-for-it vibe of Los Angeles, but suddenly
Holly made up her mind. Even though she d told surfer boy
Zach that she hadn t needed any sort of thanks, there was a
part of her that did want a reward for her heroics  a
karmic reward, in any case. Why not treat herself for once?
134
 Okay, she told Alexa, her cheeks growing warm and her
stomach jumping. Am I crazy?  I don t care. Who needs
sheets in college anyway? Holly barely recognized this
new recklessness in her, but she also & liked it. A lot.
Alexa s face lit up and she clapped her hands together
excitedly.  Smart decision, babe. And won t you just be
sleeping on Tyler s sheets anyway?
 Oh, yeah. Holly laughed, trying to cast off any lingering
doubts. Then she surveyed Alexa; Holly had been so caught
up in her own dress drama that she hadn t noticed how
model-esque her friend looked.  Speaking of hot&  she
said.  Jonah s going to die when he sees you in that.
Right  Jonah! Alexa shook her head. What with the Zuma
Beach 911, and the subsequent shopping bliss, all thoughts
of the actor had sort of& slipped her mind. Get with it, Lex.
They had a date that night.
 So what are you going to wear on your date? Holly asked
Alexa half an hour later, after they d paid for their dream
dresses and were lunching on the outdoor patio of Urth
Caffé, a hippie-chic place on Melrose. Holly was doing a
surprisingly good job of not thinking about how much her
dress had cost  sliding that credit card through the
machine had been at once painful and liberating.
Alexa s faux snakeskin Vita bangles knocked
135
together as she stabbed at her salad.  I have no idea, she
admitted, her heart leaping as she imagined the night
ahead. Now that Jonah was back in her thoughts, she was
remembering every detail of their kisses from last night, the
way his warm lips had tasted, the way his voice had
sounded in a whisper& . Heat made her skin flush.  You ll
have to help me decide when we get back to El Sueño,
she added, taking a sip of Pom to cool herself off.
 Okay, but then I m going for my run, Holly said, popping a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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