and you were drinking, right? Maybe you just thought you did…did he notice?”
“No. I don’t think so anyway. He was, you know…”
“Coming?”
“Jesus, what is it with you?” She just laughed at me.
“Whose name did you call? It wasn’t mine, was it? I mean, I love you, Ink, but I was kind of saving that experience for a complete stranger in Vegas with my future husband.”
“I’m not sure I wanted to know that but no, it wasn’t you. It was him.”
“Him who?”
“He who shall not be named, that’s who.” I gave her a look that I hoped would communicate exactly who.
I watched her process the information while she reversed into a parking space. She shut the car off and turned to me, “Well, ain’t that a pickle?”
“How am I supposed to respond to that?” Aimes was my cornerstone, my go-to girl, my sounding board…
“You’re not. It could’ve been the alcohol and weed combo, who knows. Are you sure everything’s okay with you guys?”
“Yeah, we’re just putting the attack thing behind us and moving on…and I apologized for going off like that. I also apologized for not telling him everything too and I explained why.” She looked straight ahead into the shop window.
“I already did some scouting and I’m pretty sure this is the dress. You are going to look fan-fucking-tastic. Let’s go.” She promptly got out of the car which ended our conversation.
It was weird that she didn’t say anything else. Was she disappointed in me? I mean, the poor girl had dried many a tear I shed over Evan and if I let myself be swayed by a handsome stranger…well, I wouldn’t like me very much either.
I followed her into the store and looked around. She pulled me into an area that had a round dais surrounded by full length mirrors and sat on a small dressing chair off to the side. Aimes completely took charge of the shop. The saleswoman came out with one gown and displayed it for my approval.
“Okay, Ink. So, you said don’t worry about the price but I did keep it under a thousand.” I gasped, turning the head of the sales woman. Aimes swept her hand in her best game show hostess move, “This is the one. Elegant, grey blue, matches your painting, imitation raw silk…”
“Oh, that is…” I was speechless. The dress was beautiful and I hoped, no... I prayed, that it would fit me and wasn’t over a thousand bucks. I still needed shoes. The sales woman, probably feeling like she needed to do her job, decided to interject.
“If you’ll follow me, we have undergarments and footwear so you can get an idea of how the entire ensemble will look. Just give me a little shout when you’re ready for me to zip you up.” Her smile was the result of what I assumed was recent tooth whitening and when the lights hit her bronzed face, she had the appearance of an actual mannequin. She looked great, don’t get me wrong, but she also looked faux.
“Thanks. I’ll be right out.” I’d never been in a shop like this in all my life. It was so pretty. It reminded me of a fancy hotel in Paris. Not that I’d ever been there. The furniture was overstuffed brocade and velvet in golden hues. Drapes hung with giant tie-back ropes and when you entered, the scent of fresh flowers was like a wonderful cloud that whirled around you. I wanted to live here. The dress that Aimes chose was gorgeous. There was no other word for it. The color was so odd and she described it perfectly as a grey/blue or slate with black velvet accents.
The dressing room had a pair of black stay-up stockings draped over a chair, black patent leather low heels and a strapless black bra.
“Aimes?” I called out.
“Yes? You okay in there?”
“Everything in here is my size…is that a coincidence?”
“No, I gave them your sizes so you could try it all on together. I told you I scouted everything out first.”
“Wow, no stone unturned, huh?” She laughed.
“Do you need any help?”
“Nope, I think I’ve got it.” It
“No. I don’t think so anyway. He was, you know…”
“Coming?”
“Jesus, what is it with you?” She just laughed at me.
“Whose name did you call? It wasn’t mine, was it? I mean, I love you, Ink, but I was kind of saving that experience for a complete stranger in Vegas with my future husband.”
“I’m not sure I wanted to know that but no, it wasn’t you. It was him.”
“Him who?”
“He who shall not be named, that’s who.” I gave her a look that I hoped would communicate exactly who.
I watched her process the information while she reversed into a parking space. She shut the car off and turned to me, “Well, ain’t that a pickle?”
“How am I supposed to respond to that?” Aimes was my cornerstone, my go-to girl, my sounding board…
“You’re not. It could’ve been the alcohol and weed combo, who knows. Are you sure everything’s okay with you guys?”
“Yeah, we’re just putting the attack thing behind us and moving on…and I apologized for going off like that. I also apologized for not telling him everything too and I explained why.” She looked straight ahead into the shop window.
“I already did some scouting and I’m pretty sure this is the dress. You are going to look fan-fucking-tastic. Let’s go.” She promptly got out of the car which ended our conversation.
It was weird that she didn’t say anything else. Was she disappointed in me? I mean, the poor girl had dried many a tear I shed over Evan and if I let myself be swayed by a handsome stranger…well, I wouldn’t like me very much either.
I followed her into the store and looked around. She pulled me into an area that had a round dais surrounded by full length mirrors and sat on a small dressing chair off to the side. Aimes completely took charge of the shop. The saleswoman came out with one gown and displayed it for my approval.
“Okay, Ink. So, you said don’t worry about the price but I did keep it under a thousand.” I gasped, turning the head of the sales woman. Aimes swept her hand in her best game show hostess move, “This is the one. Elegant, grey blue, matches your painting, imitation raw silk…”
“Oh, that is…” I was speechless. The dress was beautiful and I hoped, no... I prayed, that it would fit me and wasn’t over a thousand bucks. I still needed shoes. The sales woman, probably feeling like she needed to do her job, decided to interject.
“If you’ll follow me, we have undergarments and footwear so you can get an idea of how the entire ensemble will look. Just give me a little shout when you’re ready for me to zip you up.” Her smile was the result of what I assumed was recent tooth whitening and when the lights hit her bronzed face, she had the appearance of an actual mannequin. She looked great, don’t get me wrong, but she also looked faux.
“Thanks. I’ll be right out.” I’d never been in a shop like this in all my life. It was so pretty. It reminded me of a fancy hotel in Paris. Not that I’d ever been there. The furniture was overstuffed brocade and velvet in golden hues. Drapes hung with giant tie-back ropes and when you entered, the scent of fresh flowers was like a wonderful cloud that whirled around you. I wanted to live here. The dress that Aimes chose was gorgeous. There was no other word for it. The color was so odd and she described it perfectly as a grey/blue or slate with black velvet accents.
The dressing room had a pair of black stay-up stockings draped over a chair, black patent leather low heels and a strapless black bra.
“Aimes?” I called out.
“Yes? You okay in there?”
“Everything in here is my size…is that a coincidence?”
“No, I gave them your sizes so you could try it all on together. I told you I scouted everything out first.”
“Wow, no stone unturned, huh?” She laughed.
“Do you need any help?”
“Nope, I think I’ve got it.” It
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