The General's Replacement Doctor Wife

Chapter Thirty-Five

When Olivia arrived at the duplex, her friends, whom she had started living with after she left her husband, were already seated around the long dining table.

Czara was scrolling through something on her phone, absently picking at the food on her plate with her fork. Beside her, Bella was reaching for the bowl of salad in the middle of the table to refill her plate.

Sloane was there too. She was the only one who didn't actually live in the duplex, but with her husband away on a business trip, she had temporarily moved in until he returned. Sloane had never liked being alone in the house, especially at night, so she had decided that staying with the others was better than spending the evenings by herself.

"You're finally here," Czara said the moment she spotted Olivia.

Olivia managed a small smile as she pulled out the empty chair and lowered herself into it. Before she could reach for anything, Bella slid a plate in front of her.

"Here's your special. Chicken Pastrami."

Olivia muttered her thanks. She glanced down at the food, then picked up her fork. She had barely taken two bites when Bella spoke again.

"By the way, if you haven't found something to wear for the charity event, I have a few dresses in my room. You can pick later."

Olivia had asked her friends yesterday if they had a cocktail dress she could borrow, preferably one that would fit her. It wasn't that she didn't own any dresses. She did. There were plenty of elegant gowns and cocktail dresses hanging untouched in her wardrobe at the Hilton mansion. But going back there meant facing Mr. and Mrs. Hilton, and Olivia wasn't ready for that.

Luckily, Bella had some exquisite collections of dresses. And judging by their similar builds, Olivia was almost certain something in Bella's wardrobe would fit her.

"I certainly will." She replied.

The conversation soon drifted away from the charity event and into the kind of harmless gossip that only came up when the four of them were together.

Czara brought up a celebrity who had made headlines that week after showing up at an awards ceremony in an outrageously expensive dress that looked more ridiculous than glamorous. Bella had plenty to say about it, while Sloane, who had apparently seen the photos, added her own opinions.

Before long, they were laughing over celebrity fashion disasters and sharing their own pet peeves about people they worked with. By the time dinner was over, the plates were nearly empty and the conversation had stretched far beyond what any of them had intended. They cleared the table together, carried the dishes into the kitchen, and washed everything before heading upstairs.

Just as they had agreed, Olivia followed Bella into her room to look through the dresses. The moment Bella opened the wardrobe, Czara and Sloane exchanged a glance. It was quick, but Bella caught it.

The corners of their mouths lifted, their eyes bright with the kind of mischief that meant trouble. Bella immediately pointed a warning finger at them. "Don't you dare."

Too late.

Czara reached into the wardrobe and pulled out a dress buried beneath layers of ruffles. Sloane, unwilling to be outdone, grabbed another one that looked as though it had been borrowed straight from the costume department of a historical drama.

A few minutes later, they stood side by side in front of the full-length mirror in Bella's bedroom. Czara stared at her reflection, then pinched one of the ruffles between two fingers and lifted it away from her body. "I look like a curtain."

Bella glanced at her from head to toe, fighting back a smile. "An expensive curtain," she said.

Czara burst out laughing. Soon, they were all laughing so hard that Olivia had to lean against the edge of the bed. Her friends had apparently decided that choosing a dress was secondary to finding the most outrageous things in Bella's wardrobe and parading around in them.