Chapter 10
We end up getting really busy during lunch time so I don’t go down to Julie’s friend’s shop until I get off work. Luckily, the shop is open until nine at night so there’s plenty of time to get there.
Not that I’m looking for excuses not to go . . .
But maybe I am.
I mean, I want to try something new and get new clothes and see if Julie’s advice really works. But I also like the status quo of just wearing my boring clothes and not worrying about it. The worst thing I can imagine is having to wake up and spend hours looking for the perfect clothing to wear to try and impress people I don’t even care about.
But . . . I want a boyfriend. I want a happy life. I want confidence, even if I think it’s a lost cause to even try. But Julie says I’ll look good in those stupid Doxy leggings, so I at least owe it to myself to try, no matter how stupid I feel. Right?
I sling my purse over my shoulder, tell Julie goodbye, and walk nervously down the strip. When I see Flora’s, I almost turn around and walk as fast as I can back to my car. But instead of running like a coward, I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I stop in front of the shop, and stare at myself in the reflection of the super clean glass windows. I could use a makeover, that’s for sure.
Dawn is the owner of Flora’s and she knows who I am the second I walk through the door. I guess Julie called and warned her that I’d be coming.
“You must be Bess!” she says, clapping her hands together in front of her chest like she’s just thrilled to meet a new client she can style into perfection.
“That’s me,” I say with a smile that I hope seems genuine. I’m actually scared out of my mind to be here right now, if I’m being honest. But I suck it up because sometimes things that are good for you are really hard to do. It’s like when parents give their kids shots or take them to the dentist. It’s for their own good.
So maybe stepping far out of my comfort zone and getting some bright new clothes to look better will be for my best interest, no matter how much it hurts while it’s happening.
“Julie told me about leggings?” I say, sounding like some kind of absolute cavewoman. What is wrong with me? I get so nervous sometimes that only nonsense comes out of my mouth in ways I can’t help. No,How are you? I’d like to look at your clothing, orCould you please show me your leggings?
Nope. Just stupid drivel.
“You okay, hun?” Dawn says, walking around a rack of foam flip flops that are all covered in hundreds of rhinestones sparkling under the bright lights. We have those same shoes at Aiden Jane, but she has a bigger variety here.
She’s a plump woman, kind of a mixture between me and Grandma. She’s bigger than I am, but smaller than Grandma, and she wears her weight well because she doesn’t look awful. She actually looks cute.
I bite on the inside of my lip. I wonder if it’s because of her clothing. She’s wearing a pair of the Doxy leggings in teal with gold chevron stripes, and a black shirt that’s flowy and has little rhinestone decoration along the neckline.
“I’m fine,” I say, forcing another smile. Then a little voice in my mind tells me to get over myself and be honest. That’s the only way to actually make a difference in your life, after all. “Actually,” I say, scratching my neck. “I’m a little nervous.”
Dawn’s eyes widen and she grabs my hand, pulling it into both of hers. “Oh, honey. No need to be nervous. Julie told me you’re having a little confidence issue, but we’re going to get you all fixed up, okay?” She releases her grip on my hand and runs her fingers along my cheek. It’s kind of weird for a stranger to touch me like this, but the way she does it sets me at ease.
“You’re a beautiful girl, Bess. You just need a little makeover in the clothing department.”
I nod, and I don’t know why this happens, but warm tears flood to the corners of my eyes.Stupid, Bess.Stop being so emotional!
Dawn stands tall and gives me this serious look. “Now, before we start, I need you to promise me you’ll trust my styling judgement. Okay?”
I take a deep breath. “Okay. I trust you.”
***
Two hours later, I’m swiping my debit card for a purchase of five hundred and sixty dollars. It’s not Dawn’s fault though, because not only did she give me a forty percent discount, which saved me a ton of money, she repeatedly told me I didn’t need to buy so much if I didn’t want to. But I shook my head and demanded to get nearly one of everything she had me try on.
The woman is a genius.
“Us curvy women need to dress for our shape,” she’d said as she tossed me a pair of leggings and an off-the-shoulder top over the door of the fitting room. “That’s how you look like your sexiest self.”
Boy, was she right.
I’ve never before felt the way I did as I looked at myself in the tall mirrors of the fitting room. I wasn’t a super model or anything, but I looked . . . nice. These leggings really are a miracle.
They come in all kinds of colors and patterns, some long and some capri length. There are some for working out and others that are a little dressy which you can pair with heels and a long shirt that’s pretty much a dress. They’re all so beautiful and many of them have glitter or sparkles, which until now, I had no idea I loved.
I also got a few pairs of ballet flats and flip flops. My usual baggy T-shirt and baggy jeans with sneakers fad is officially over. I’ve never felt more feminine or happy about myself in my whole life.
