Chapter 14 - Blair
“What types of dresses do the women wear at these events?” I ask, squinting into a boutique of ball gowns that look over-the-top extravagant.
“Those types!” Talia says, nodding. She grabs my arm and pulls me into the store.
The dresses are exquisite. I trace my fingers gently over the hand-beaded crystals stitched into the bodice of a pale blue dress.
“Can I help you, young ladies?” An older woman with large, round eyeglasses smiles as she walks toward us.
“My friend and I are attending an event tonight, and she needs to look amazing,” Talia says boldly.
“Oh, well, I can certainly make sure she looks amazing,” the woman grins. “Let’s see what color tone we should be looking at. Come on and stand over here under the light, darling.”
She holds panels in various colors, hovering them beneath my chin to see how they brighten or dull my skin tone.
“I’m loving the emerald and the midnight red,” Talia says, standing close to scrutinize each option.
“I love that green,” I say, pointing to the panel. “I mean emerald.”
With the color decided, the woman leads us toward a rack of dresses all in various shades of green. Ranging from light to dark and looking like wedding dresses just in the wrong color.
I feel so out of my depth. I’m grateful to have Talia here to help me out.
The thing is, I was devastated when I found out that Simon doesn’t want me by his side. It kind of broke my heart. It makes me think he’s done with me now that he got to sleep with me. Isn’t that such a cliche? The guy gets what he wants and loses interest.
But I decided that he doesn’t get to just toss me aside like that. And if I want to go to a gala, I can go with or without him. In a way, I want to prove to him that I can stand on my own in his world. I want to show him that it doesn’t scare me. I don’t need to hold his hand or drag him down at these events. And on top of that, I am determined to make a clear statement that I refuse to be someone who has to wait for his permission to do something. I was invited to that gala by Marlen, which means I will be the one who decides whether to go.
And I am going.
Which is why Talia and I are out shopping for dresses today.
Originally, I called her to ask if I could borrow one of her dresses. But she wasn’t having any of that. She said it’s my first gala and I need to get the full experience, which includes wearing something chosen just for me.
It’s kind of exciting.
And instead of going as Simon’s guest, I am going as a guest of the family. Talia and I will arrive together.
“What about this?” the shop assistant asks, lifting a dress with a corset top and a skirt that has about a thousand layers of fabric on it.
“No, that’s a ball gown. I won’t even be able to move in it. I’ll be tripping over all of the layers. And how do you even sit down in that?”
Talia laughs. “Ok, then we don’t want poofy skirts, we want something super sleek and sexy,” she tells the woman.
“Oh, my goodness! I love that one!” Talia exclaims with excitement, pointing at a dark emerald dress as the woman browses through the options. The shop assistant holds it up for me to see.
“Oh wow. That’s a very high slit,” I say nervously.
“You have to try it on. Come on. Just give it a chance,” Talia insists.
In the dressing room, she helps me slip into it, and as I stand up to look at myself in the mirror, I gasp.
Immediately, I fell in love with it.
The dress is made from heavy silk that falls like liquid over my body. It hugs tight in all the right places and flares slightly over my hips. The slit is high, but it’s elegant. It sits right up at my hip and still manages not to show off too much.
Thin straps sit over my shoulders and dip into a low V-shaped neckline. There are no crystals, gems, or sequins. It’s just pure silky, and it looks too beautiful for words.
“Oh, my goodness, the back,” Talia squeals in excitement. I turn to see the back.
