“Do you ever look less than gorgeous?” Parker asked.“Based on the first time she came over here, I’m going to say yes,” Travis said from behind me.”

“If you asked me to marry you all over again today I'd say yes, said Valentine.And if I had only met you for the first time today, I'd ask.”

“Rose? Is that you?" I peered behind him. Lissa. "What are you doing here?""What are you doing here?" She asked"Ladies, ladies" he said teasingly. "No need to fight over me."I glared. "We're not.”

“She said, “I’m going to have you fired.” I had two people say that to me today, “I’m going to have you fired.” Go ahead, be my guest. I’m wearing a green velvet costume; it doesn’t get any worse than this. Who do these people think they are? I’m going to have you fired!” and I wanted to lean over and say, “I’m going to have you killed.”

“The suspense is killin’ me, Pigeon!” Travis called.I walked out, fidgeting with my dress while Travis stood in front of me, blank-faced.America elbowed him and he blinked. “Holy shit.”“Are you ready to be freaked out?” America asked.“I’m not freaked out, she looks amazing,” Travis said.I smiled and then slowly turned around to show him the steep dip of the fabric in the back of the dress.“Okay, now I’m freakin’ out,” he said, walking over to me “Okay, now I’m freakin’ out,” he said, walking over to me and turning me around.“You don’t like it?” I asked.“You need a jacket.” He jogged to the rack and then hastily draped my coat over my shoulders.“She can’t wear that all night, Trav,” America chuckled.“You look beautiful, Abby,” Shepley said as an apology for Travis’ behavior.Travis’ expression was pained as he spoke. “You do. You look incredible…but you can’t wear that. Your skirt is…wow, your legs are…your skirt is too short and it’s only half a dress! It doesn’t even have a back on it!”I couldn’t help but smile. “That’s the way it’s made, Travis.”“Do you two live to torture each other?” Shepley frowned.“Do you have a longer dress?” Travis asked.I looked down. “It’s actually pretty modest in the front. It’s just the back that shows off a lot of skin.”“Pigeon,” he winced with his next words, “I don’t want you to be mad, but I can’t take you to my frat house looking like that. I’ll get in a fight the first five minutes we’re there, Baby.”

“Well," he said, "f’r example, if they ask where you’ve come from, you could say ‘Behind me,’and if they asked where you’re going, you’d say ‘In front of me.”