Hooked

paying for—“
    “But you’re not paying for this dress! I paid for it with my money…money I earned at The Unlimited.”
    “It doesn’t matter who pays for it if it’s inappropriate. You will not go to prom in a dress that could get you arrested for indecent exposure.” He was doing his best to keep his voice level, but was slowly losing that battle.
    “Just because it’s not made of canvas or Gore-Tex doesn’t mean it’s slutty. You haven’t even see it,” she charged. “You never give me the benefit of the doubt. Mom calls you freaking out and you jump all over me.” The silence crackled with anger. “Come over and see for yourself.”
    “I’m in Atlanta, and I won’t be home until a week from tomorrow. Just take the dress back and you can get something else when I get home. You still have time before—”
    “You already said I can’t stay at the hotel with my friends,” she cried. “Now you won’t let me wear a dress I bought with my own money? This is crap! It’s obscene, you running every part of my life like I’m twelve years old. I’m eighteen. In four months I’ll be in college and on my own…”
    * * *
    Steph stood just behind him, listening. She couldn’t help hearing the conversation, as Katie was yelling and Finn was holding the phone inches from his ear. His shoulders were curled defensively and his fingers threaded through his hair as if he were ready to pull it out. The prom dress was only part of what was going on here, Steph realized. What was at stake was nothing less than his love for his daughters and his very real fear that he was losing them. When she tapped him on the shoulder, he snapped upright in surprise. His eyes glittered with barely contained frustration.
    “Let me talk to her,” she said, telling herself this was a big gamble and likely an even bigger mistake. She had no business butting in to his parenting, but she remembered that Katie had been all about “fashion” even as a young girl, and Steph had an idea that might help.
    “She won’t listen to a thing I say,” he said tightly.
    “I can hear that. Let me talk to her.” After a moment, he handed over his phone and took a couple of steps back.
    “Katie?” Steph took a deep breath. “Are you still there?” The sound of mother-daughter arguing stopped abruptly.
    “Who’s this?” There was an angry sniff on the other end.
    “Stephanie Steele, Katie. Do you remember me?” Steph held her breath.
    “Yeah, I do. You’re the Stephanie who owns Silk and Steele?” She sniffed again. “What are you doing there with my dad?”
    “Well, I live in Atlanta now and we were visiting when he got this call. I think I may be able to help. We don’t really carry prom dresses—most of our things are aimed at a little older audience. But I just got back from a sales conference with a whole batch of great new designs. Cute stuff. Suzi Chin, Aidan Mattox, Shelli Segal for Laundry, Max and Cleo, BCBG. Some knock-your-eyes-out fabrics. That’s the really big thing right now, killer fabrics incorporated into traditional designs. Know what I mean?”
    “Like metallics and that new holographic chiffon? I saw those in W last month.”
    “Exactly like those. One of the hottest trends for spring and summer is off-one-shoulder designs. Shorter skirts but nothing excessive. Classy.” Steph laughed softly. “Got to preserve some of the mystery, you know.”
    “Yeah.” Katie might not be convinced, but she wasn’t about to say so.
    “Your dad says you’re headed to Vanderbilt in September.”
    “I got accepted. We just need to work out the money.”
    “Well, I know some people at Vandy and it’s kind of a traditional place. The dresses I have in mind would be sophisticated enough for college functions as well as funky enough to show you off for the prom. How about if I send you a couple to try?”
    “Really? You would do that?” Surprise and excitement melted the last of her anger.
    “Size what, eight or ten?”
    “Eight! Yes. Sure. I mean, really, you don’t have to—”
    “If I remember correctly, we went school shopping together once. You had a pretty keen fashion eye, even then. I’ll include my email address and you can let me know what you think of the styles and fabrics, okay? We’ll call it consumer research.”
    “That would be great.” Katie was firmly with the program now.
    “Okay, I’ll hand you back to your dad. Have a great time at the prom, Katie. I know you’ll look