AllFreeNovel
Share Us
ChapterFive
BERNIE
Tonight isMorgan and Dex’s rehearsal dinner, and I’ve got to be at the planetarium in a little more than an hour. Even though the bachelorette party was two weeks ago, it feels like it was yesterday. The weeks went by extremely fast. Must have been all the excitement in the air. Standing in my bathroom, I grab my blow dryer and point it toward the mirror, blasting the fogginess away. I took way too long of a shower, and now I’m running the risk of becoming late. While it normally doesn’t take me long to get ready, makeup and hair curling is necessary.
I lotion up first, then walk into my bedroom for undies and a bra. The cool air of the apartment gives me the chills, but I know I’ll risk overheating when I’m drying my almost-too-long locks. My dress tonight is buttery yellow and form-fitting, with a bow that ties around in front. It hits halfway to my knees and is sleeveless. I pair it with a set of red ballet flats because I’m just not a high-heel girl. I love pretty dresses, but they aren’t my go-to, so I don’t wear them often.
I start on my makeup first, keeping it simple and classy. I’ll go all out for special occasions. I actually had to make a trip to Sephora last week to buy some new makeup since most of the stuff I bought years ago had gone bad. The trip would have been overwhelming for a no-makeup girl such as myself had Ruby not gone with.
I get halfway through drying my hair when my phone rings with an incoming call. I don’t know the number, but it’s local, so I decide to pick up.
“Hello.”
“Hi, is this Bernadette?” a young, slightly familiar female voice fills the speaker.
“It is,” I reply. Why do I know this voice?
“Great! This is Liz from Pink Leather Fitness. You came for a private pole dancing lesson a couple weekends ago.”Ah, yes. Liz and the pole dancing.
“Oh, hi, Liz.” I leave the bathroom, walk back into my room, and sit on the edge of my bed.
“I looked up your number on the sign-in card you filled out before your class. I hope you don’t mind me reaching out. I wanted to see if you were interested in taking some private lessons.” Liz gives me a second to process her question before adding, “The lessons would be with me, of course.”
“Yeah. I mean, maybe?” I stutter.
“I think you’d be a natural and that you’d really enjoy it. It may even help boost your confidence a little.” She has my attention now and I’m contemplating the lessons.
“I’m a little shy at times, as you can probably tell. I did look up the classes online, and I almost signed up for one, but I’m not really athletic. I also don’t flaunt my body a lot, so I’m not exactly comfortable working out or being sexy in front of others.” I don’t tell her that the thought of pole dancing in front of anyone of the opposite sex makes me want to break out in hives.
Liz’s laugh is light. “I get it. I really do. I’m opening up some private lessons, I haven’t personally offered them in a while. Also, we’re offering a buy three, get one free deal on lessons with all our instructors. We can work together to find a time that works for you?”
She’s got one hell of a sales pitch, but I appreciate how bad she wants me to say yes. “I don’t understand why you want me to join.”
“I saw something in you that reminded me of myself at your age.”
My eyebrows squish together. “You can’t be much older than me.”
“You’re in your mid-twenties, yeah?” she asks with laughter in her voice.
“Twenty-five.”
“I’ve got nearly fifteen years on you.”
My mouth drops. “No way. You don’t look a day over thirty.”
“You’re a sweetie, but I just take care of myself. I’ve always looked younger than my age. It hasn’t always been easy.” She laughs again.
My phone dings with an incoming notification, and I pull my phone away briefly to see that it’s an Instagram message. I don’t pay attention to the sender, only that my time is running out.
“Hey, I’ve gotta run. I would like to take lessons, though. Can I give you my email, and we can coordinate later?” I walk back into the bathroom.
“I’ve already got your email. It was on the info sheet. I’ll email you in the morning,” Liz tells me.
We say our goodbyes, and I finish drying my hair. I have about twenty minutes before I need to leave. I add soft spiral curls to my hair before twisting it into a faux French braid look. I loosely wrap a hair tie around the hair so it falls in curls over my right shoulder. It’s simple but looks fancy, and I’m kinda loving it.
Happy with my face and hair, it’s time to get dressed. Several minutes later, I’ve wrangled myself into a pair of tights and slipped on my dress. I shoot a thank-you to the man in the sky that the dress is zipperless. Living alone isn’t without its hassles.
I look at myself in the full-length mirror behind my bedroom door.
