to my babies.”
“ Well, I have to say, this does look
fabulous on me,” Ivy said, gazing at herself in the mirror. We all
laughed. We felt like movie stars.
I hung my new mink near my dress and went into my
bathroom to finish getting ready.
“Bobbie!” I heard my name being called. Ivy poked her
head around the corner. “Why don’t you come get ready with us in
our bathroom?”
She disappeared as quickly as she had come. I looked
at myself in my little mirror and smiled, knowing I was truly part
of the group.
I gathered up all my hair stuff and my makeup bag and
carried it into their bathroom, gingerly making room on the already
overcrowded countertop.
“ Ooh,” said Ivy. “Can I try this eye
shadow? Mind sharing?”
I shook my head. “I don’t mind.”
“ Here,” she said. “This red lipstick
will go great with your dress.”
“ Do you think I could borrow that
big curling iron?” Ella asked me. “I’ve been meaning to get one
like it. . .”
That was the moment I felt pure female acceptance. I
wanted to savor it like a fine wine. Ella taught me how to make my
eyelashes look like hers, and I fixed her hair into full, cascading
curls. I borrowed Ivy’s bold red lipstick, and Ivy browsed my
perfume collection.
“ My God,” she said. “I’m in awe of
the sheer number of bottles you have. But you always wear Coco
Chanel!”
“ I just love all the different
bottles,” I said happy to share my obsession. “I think they’re so
beautiful. Every girl has her favorite accessory. Perfume’s
mine.”
I was the last one finished. I’d sprayed the last
curl, perfected my mascara, slipped on my heels and jewelry,
spritzed my Coco Chanel, and walked into the dining room for
approval. Ivy waited in her gorgeous navy gown with a bottle of
something in her hand.
“ Shots?” I laughed.
Ella rolled her eyes. “Are you surprised?”
“ What? You expect me to go sober to
this thing? Awkward!” Ivy rolled her eyes, handing me a
glass.
“ What is it?”
“ Goldschlager.”
“ Good God. Someone’s going big
tonight!” Ella said.
There was no denying it--Ivy liked to party.
“ Well, I got it for free!” she said
with a wink. “Along with two other bottles. The perks of working in
PR! They’re a sponsor at the event tonight. And with the sponsor
line-up for this evening, ladies, you can expect gold toilets and
the bathroom attendant to wipe your ass for you!”
“ Ivy!” Ella shouted, attempting to
tame her as usual.
“ Cheers!” I raised my
glass.
“ --to looking hot!” Ella
shouted.
“ And pooping in a golden pot!” Ivy
swigged.
“ Don’t—don’t make me laugh so hard,”
I managed to say between fits of giggles. “I don’t want to have to
start over with the make-up.” But the laughter was uncontrollable.
Watching Ivy dance like a demented leprechaun was more than I could
take. Our merriment was threatening to ruin our glamorous
appearances, but we were having too much fun to care. It suddenly
occurred to me that for the first time since I moved in, I had
allowed myself to completely let go and be myself with my girls.
For a while, I forgot what it was like to be an
outsider.
Chapter 13
I felt the cold air sting my bare legs as we climbed
out of the cab. As we walked in, I spotted Meryl standing at the
top of the stairs. I felt the posh carpet underneath my feet as my
eyes took in the brass railing that wound up the gently curving
staircase. The lobby was wide, tall, and spacious with high windows
and soft lighting. The ultra-modern décor was exquisite and ornate,
richly imbued with white and gold.
After checking our coats in the lobby, the four of us
made our grand entrance. The music bumped like “Planet Lounge
Radio” on my Pandora list. I could feel my hips wanting to move
with the beat.
Three women smelling of gin and tonic stared at the
four of us as we strode into the ballroom. “Is that—what’s her
name?” one of them asked in a
“ Well, I have to say, this does look
fabulous on me,” Ivy said, gazing at herself in the mirror. We all
laughed. We felt like movie stars.
I hung my new mink near my dress and went into my
bathroom to finish getting ready.
“Bobbie!” I heard my name being called. Ivy poked her
head around the corner. “Why don’t you come get ready with us in
our bathroom?”
She disappeared as quickly as she had come. I looked
at myself in my little mirror and smiled, knowing I was truly part
of the group.
I gathered up all my hair stuff and my makeup bag and
carried it into their bathroom, gingerly making room on the already
overcrowded countertop.
“ Ooh,” said Ivy. “Can I try this eye
shadow? Mind sharing?”
I shook my head. “I don’t mind.”
“ Here,” she said. “This red lipstick
will go great with your dress.”
“ Do you think I could borrow that
big curling iron?” Ella asked me. “I’ve been meaning to get one
like it. . .”
That was the moment I felt pure female acceptance. I
wanted to savor it like a fine wine. Ella taught me how to make my
eyelashes look like hers, and I fixed her hair into full, cascading
curls. I borrowed Ivy’s bold red lipstick, and Ivy browsed my
perfume collection.
“ My God,” she said. “I’m in awe of
the sheer number of bottles you have. But you always wear Coco
Chanel!”
“ I just love all the different
bottles,” I said happy to share my obsession. “I think they’re so
beautiful. Every girl has her favorite accessory. Perfume’s
mine.”
I was the last one finished. I’d sprayed the last
curl, perfected my mascara, slipped on my heels and jewelry,
spritzed my Coco Chanel, and walked into the dining room for
approval. Ivy waited in her gorgeous navy gown with a bottle of
something in her hand.
“ Shots?” I laughed.
Ella rolled her eyes. “Are you surprised?”
“ What? You expect me to go sober to
this thing? Awkward!” Ivy rolled her eyes, handing me a
glass.
“ What is it?”
“ Goldschlager.”
“ Good God. Someone’s going big
tonight!” Ella said.
There was no denying it--Ivy liked to party.
“ Well, I got it for free!” she said
with a wink. “Along with two other bottles. The perks of working in
PR! They’re a sponsor at the event tonight. And with the sponsor
line-up for this evening, ladies, you can expect gold toilets and
the bathroom attendant to wipe your ass for you!”
“ Ivy!” Ella shouted, attempting to
tame her as usual.
“ Cheers!” I raised my
glass.
“ --to looking hot!” Ella
shouted.
“ And pooping in a golden pot!” Ivy
swigged.
“ Don’t—don’t make me laugh so hard,”
I managed to say between fits of giggles. “I don’t want to have to
start over with the make-up.” But the laughter was uncontrollable.
Watching Ivy dance like a demented leprechaun was more than I could
take. Our merriment was threatening to ruin our glamorous
appearances, but we were having too much fun to care. It suddenly
occurred to me that for the first time since I moved in, I had
allowed myself to completely let go and be myself with my girls.
For a while, I forgot what it was like to be an
outsider.
Chapter 13
I felt the cold air sting my bare legs as we climbed
out of the cab. As we walked in, I spotted Meryl standing at the
top of the stairs. I felt the posh carpet underneath my feet as my
eyes took in the brass railing that wound up the gently curving
staircase. The lobby was wide, tall, and spacious with high windows
and soft lighting. The ultra-modern décor was exquisite and ornate,
richly imbued with white and gold.
After checking our coats in the lobby, the four of us
made our grand entrance. The music bumped like “Planet Lounge
Radio” on my Pandora list. I could feel my hips wanting to move
with the beat.
Three women smelling of gin and tonic stared at the
four of us as we strode into the ballroom. “Is that—what’s her
name?” one of them asked in a
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