Chapter 254: Center of Attention
** Eli **
There was no point in delaying the plan. Eli made a call the first chance he got to block off half of the weekend at the tailor shop, and he couldn’t wait to see the look on Harper’s face when she got to discover all the splendid options awaiting her choosing.
He wasn’t disappointed when they arrived at the salon first thing Saturday morning. The shop owner, Sean, was already waiting for them personally at the guest lounge when they entered. No time was wasted as soon as everyone exchanged friendly business greetings, and Sean led them into the private section of the salon where his latest personal designs were displayed.
"Eli has stressed repeatedly that he needs my best of the best for this dress, Miss McKenzie," the shrewd designer smiled at Harper while they were on their way. "Rest assured, I will guarantee that whatever you receive as my final creation for you will become the center of attention the entire evening. Let’s start with getting to know your taste and preferences first — all the evening dresses here are my proudest collections from recent years, please feel free to try any of them on and see what you like. We can then figure out what style suits you best and go from there."
Harper nodded. Then she darted a questioning look at Eli. "Well, I haven’t really worn a floor-length dress before though, which I would expect to be the standard for this type of event? I suppose I might have to rely on your expert opinion on that."
Eli cocked his head. "No floor-length dresses? What did you pick for prom?"
Harper chewed her lips and, slowing down slightly to put some distance between them and Sean, whispered in Eli’s ear, "I skipped prom. You weren’t there, so I wasn’t interested."
That was ... not the response Eli had expected to hear at all, and it sent his heart straight into a full somersault inside his chest.
"You might notice that some of these are bridal designs, but obviously, the same idea will work as a formal evening dress with a few personal touches." Sean’s voice pulled Eli back from his daze, and he realized belatedly that they were already standing in the middle of the showroom, surrounded by three walls of dresses and a floor-to-ceiling mirror in the middle of the space. "You can take your time browsing, or if you need any suggestions, I’ll be more than happy to make a few as well."