The Bet

Chapter 99

James's POV

West, Eldon, Riley and I sat on the plush red couches as we watched Michelle and Stephanie try on countless number of dresses.

"What do you think of this one?" Stephanie asks, spinning around I front of us.

"No." We all mutter. She mutters something under her breath and goes back into the dressing room.

"Are you sure you don't want to try something on?" I whisper in Riley's ear. She shakes her head.

"No." She whispers back.

"Okay." I sigh.

I would love to watch her try on dresses. Tell her how beautiful she looked. Stare in aw at her. But I don't want to force her either.

"Okay, what do you think?" Michelle asks, bursting through the dressing too doors in probably the most hideous dress yet. I think we all cringed.

"Um, how about you try a different one on sweetheart?" Eldon says in a nervous, shaky voice. We all muffled a laugh. He may not admit it, but he's scared of his girlfriend.

"But I like." Michelle says, crossing her arms.

"But you might like another one even more." Eldon suggests.

"But what if I already know I like this one best." Michelle replies.

"Yeah, but you don't know." Eldon tells her.

"You don't like it, do you?" Michelle hisses.

"What? No, no! You look beautiful! But maybe you'll look even more beautiful in another one!" Eldon tells her.

"Fine!" She snaps and stomps back into the dressing room. Eldon let's out a sigh of relief.

"A little scared there Eldon?" West teases.

"You try dating her man!" He replies. I chuckle lightly at the two. Than Stephanie comes out in another dress.

"That ones nice Steph." West says. She looks at herself in the mirror, hands on hips, and frowns.

"I don't like it." She states.

"Why, what's wrong with it?" West asks.

"It's not expensive enough!" She whines and goes back into the dressing room, roughly shutting the curtains.

I hear Riley sigh beside me, and than climbs onto my lap, wrapping her arms around neck.

"What's wrong baby?" I whisper, rocking her slightly back and forth.

"Nothing." She sighs, closing her eyes.

"Is it about what Stephanie said about that dress?" I ask. She nods.

"I wish I could be able to say that about a dress. Complaining that it's too cheap." She admits.

"It's okay baby, it's okay." I whisper. She rarely talks about her financial situations with me.

Than Stephanie and Michelle come out at the same time in new dresses.

"What do you think?" They ask at the same time. Their boyfriends smile.

"Beautiful." West says.

"Gorgeous." Eldon comments. They both stand in front of the mirror and smile.

"I think this is the dress." Michelle says.

"I think so too." Stephanie also says, smoothing out the dress.

"Alright, go get changed." The boys say and thy go back into the dressing rooms. But Michelle comes out again, holding a dress.

"Hey Riley, I never tried this one on, and I think it would look really nice on you." She tells Riley with a smile. Riley looks up and shakes her head.

"No thanks. I said I wasn't going to prom, so what's the point of trying a dress on?" Riley questions. Michelle shrugs.

"Just do it for the fun of it." She replies.

"Go ahead Ri." I urge.

"No." She whines.

"Please. For me." I say, giving her the guilting puppy dog face.

"Fine." She mutters.

•••••••••

"Are you coming out yet Ri?" I call out to Riley as we wait.

"Yeah, just give me a second." She replies.

"This should be good." West smirks.

Riley emerges a moment later looking...Just beautiful.

"Wow." I hear Eldon say, earning him a elbow in the ribs from Michelle. Riley blushes.

"Um, what do you think James?" Riley ask self consciously, crossing her arms.

"You look just...Amazing. Gorgeous Just...Wow." I comment, my eyes widening as I try to take in every inch of her.

"You look beautiful Riley." Stephanie compliments as well.

"You do." Michelle adds.

Riley smiles and looks at herself in the mirror. A salesgirl comes over and stands behind Riley, and than picks at the dress.

"A perfect fit. You wouldn't even need to have it altered." She tells Riley with a smile.

Riley's smile grows even bigger as she takes herself in. Until I notice her look at the price tag out if the corner if my eye. Her smile fades.

"I don't like it." She says quickly and runs back into the dressing room. We all exchange looks before I dart into her dressing room where she was in the process of taking it off.

"James!" She shrieks, covering her chest and pulling the dress back up.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"What do you mean?" She asks.

"What don't you like about the dress?" I question. "You looked like you loved it until you stood in front of the mirror." She shrugs.

"The colour." She replies quickly.

"You can get it in another colour than." I respond.

"Well I don't think it fits me right." She tells me.

"Yes it does Ri. The girl even told you that you won't even have to have it altered." I tell her. She hangs her head.

"It's the price, isn't it?" I ask. She doesn't make a sound, only nods.

"I'll pay for it." I announced. Her head snaps up.

"No James. We already had this argument. You are not paying for this dress, for any dress for that matter!" She argues.

"Riley-"

"No James. Now, can you please let me get changed?" She sighs. We stare at each before I nod.

"Alright." I sigh and walk out of the dressing room.