Free Loving the Lion: BBW Shifter Mail Order Bride Paranormal Romance (Mail-Order Mates Book 1) by Lola Kidd

One
    “It’s not going to fit.” The salesgirl wrung her hands. “I’m so sorry. We do have the black dress in a larger size.”
    Erin Numm pulled at the zipper uselessly. She knew this was a bad idea. Her Skinny Minnie size zero sister was trying to be nice. That was the only reason Erin had agreed to the day of shopping. Erica was two years younger and about twenty-two sizes smaller than Erin. They shared the same mousey brown hair and crooked smile but that was where the similarities ended. Erin and her sister were still best friends despite how different they were on the outside and in personality. The only thing Erin ever refused to do with Erica was shopping.
    “We can try Maritza’s,” Erica suggested as she tried to force the zipper down. “You have to have something new for this wedding.”
    “I have something to wear.” Erin shooed her sister away. She twisted awkwardly as she tried to pull the stubborn zipper down. Of course she had already come out of the dressing room to show the salesgirl that the dress in fact did not fit. Now she was standing on display in front of the statuesque blonde who couldn’t stop staring. The woman was making Erica sweat.
    The salesgirl knelt down and pushed Erin’s hands away from the zipper. She started separating fabric from the metal teeth. “I told my boss that we needed to get more sizes. You aren’t the first person today to come in and not find anything. We’re losing customers because of her stupid ordering.”
    “We’ll find something,” Erica said confidently. Her blue eyes had a steely determination that told Erin she would be pounding the pavement until she had a new dress in hand.
    “You shouldn’t have to go anywhere else.” The salesgirl ripped the zipper down viciously. “You found a dress you liked. You should be able to buy it.”
    “She’ll find something better,” Erica declared.
    Erin knew she wouldn’t. She hated to go back in the dressing room and put on her skinny jeans and sweater. The dress didn’t even fit her and it looked great. The moment she’d seen the peacock blue summer dress, she knew it was the one. It was perfect for a causal wedding or a first date. It was made of the lightest material and it felt like a dream. Erin knew she would be disappointed if she bought anything else. Too bad they didn’t have it in her size.
    “I can order it for you!” The salesgirl was beating on the dressing room door. “I just checked and they have it in two bigger sizes. I bet the next one up will fit you. Free shipping straight to your house if you want.”
    Erin came out of the dressing room. “You don’t have to do that for me. I can find something else.”
    “She’ll take it,” Erica said. “At least you’ll have something to wear for the next wedding.”
    Which won’t be mine , Erin thought glumly. Over the summer, she had gone to countless weddings and baby showers. All the girls she’d gone to college with were getting married or having babies. Erica had been her date to every one of them. It was too depressing for words. She just had no luck in the dating department. It was bad date after bad date after bad date. She hadn’t even gone on a proper date in over a year and a half. After five terrible dates in a row, Erin had sworn off dating.
    Unless her friends had someone great, she wasn’t wasting anymore time on bad dates with awful men. She cringed when she thought of the look on the last man’s face when she had walked in. He clearly hadn’t been expecting a curvy girl and he wasn’t pleased. He’d rushed through dinner and at the end he’d shaken her hand. No thank you! She didn’t need anymore of that.
    “Give me a minute and I’ll have it all set up for you.” The salesgirl started punching things into the computer. The entire time she was ordering the dress, the blonde woman from the dressing room continued to watch Erin. It was starting to make her skin crawl.
    Shopping finished, Erica had to have