"So it's an outdoorsy date?"I angled.
"Maybe.You'll see!"She picked up her order, blew me a kiss, and twirled out of the coffee house with a grin that stretched from ear to ear.
I never knew one person could be so radiant or that falling in love could feel this light and like I might float away.
SIX
I stoodin front of my full-sized mirror with a blue dress held against my body, trying to figure out if this was right for my upcoming date.I wanted to look nice but a lot of the clothes I brought back from the capital didn't feel right anymore.They didn't feel likeme.
With a sigh, I put the dress back on my bed and held another dress in front of me, one with black and white stripes.I'd worn it many times before but it just looked so odd against me now.The person in the mirror was trying to prove she was classy and refined and fit in with her in-law lawyers.It was a chapter of my life that was now closed.
I jumped when a loud chime echoed through the room, my heartbeat speeding up before it calmed down when I realised it was my new doorbell.The doorbell outside my window for Balthazar.The windowbell.
I put the dress aside so I could open the window, amused by the grumpy-looking cat on the other side of it.A bit of fluff was sticking up from his head, making him look like a scruffy animated cartoon cat.
"Hello, you're back early," I said, curious why he was already back.
Balthazar squeezed himself through the window crack instead of waiting for me to open it further and jumped onto my desk, sitting right next to the box with his new bowtie.The one he hadn't touched ever since I'd given it to him.
"Are you moving out?"he asked, glaring at the dresses on the bed.
I could see how he thought that, given that more than half my wardrobe was spread throughout the room.
"I'm trying to pick an outfit for my date with Faye," I said, holding up a green dress that I'd only worn once before."How's that?"
Balthazar looked me up and down."It's a dress."
"Yes, but does it look nice on me?"
"It's not on you.You're holding it."
"Just imagine that I'm in it."
He flicked his ears."It's not orange."
I lowered the dress with a sigh."I don't have any orange dresses."
"Disappointing."He curled his tail neatly around his paws."No, I don't like it."
At least that was a concise answer, even if it was a little hurtful.
"What about this one?"I asked, grabbing a blue ensemble.The skirt was a bit short but I could wear some leggings under it."How about this?For a date?"
Balthazar only glanced at it once."We're not going to do this for all your clothes, are we?"
"We are until I find a nice outfit."It wasn't often that I put my foot down but I was not about to set off on my date with Faye in unflattering clothes and he better help me with that.
He sighed and lowered his head."I help retrieve sacred items.Why am I being punished?"
"Don't be so dramatic.Just tell me if you like it or not," I said, holding up the blue ensemble again.One look in the mirror negated Balthazar's opinion because it looked so stiff and formal.It was something to wear to a meeting, not to go out on a fun date."Nevermind."
I tried on a few more outfits before settling on blue jeans and my nicest knitted sweater with yellow details.It wasn't exactly an outfit for the books but at least I felt like myself in it.If I added some makeup and got out my good earrings, maybe it wouldn't be too bad.
"Why does it matter what clothes you put on?"Balthazar asked with his grumpy face."You always look like you."
"Thank you," I said, deciding to take his comment as a compliment even if it wasn't."And the point is that Ifeelgood."
He huffed.
