AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Bellamy turned with a grin, seemingly unaware of why I had collided with him. "Noworries."
"This one should do," Marvannounced.
My eyes widened at the displays. Sleek black dresses and sparkling silver numbers were caged in the glass windows at the front of the store. As they led me inside, I felt even more out of place. A woman in simple black glided over to greetus.
"How can I help you gentlemen today?" she practically purred. "Looking for something for a girlfriendperhaps?"
"Actually," Marv said as Bellamy pushed me forward. "We're looking for something for her. It's for a party–" My eyes widened. Marv had come right out and said it. It made me wonder if Bellamy and Texas had been trying to keep it a secret at all and if, maybe, they had just been trying not to disturb me. "We were wondering if you had anything you think might suither."
"Hmmm." Tapping one long, manicured nail against her cheek, the woman – whose nametag read Lindsey – circled me. I shrunk inward on myself, feeling caged by a strange, weirdly floral smelling, animal. "We might. What kind of gown were youthinking?"
She directed her question at Marv as Bellamy and Texas wandered off to finger through the racks. "Cocktail dress. Something loose fitted maybe. She's small, but I don't want to make her uncomfortable in one of those skin-tight dresses. I also don't want it to look like she's trying toohard."
"Not used to dressing up, is she?" The woman – Lindsey –smirked.
I bristled. I was standing right in front of them! I opened my mouth to say so, but Marv interruptedme.
"She doesn't need to," he said. "She's beautiful enough without the window dressing." My heart almost stopped right then andthere.
I looked back at him and he smiled my way, letting me know that everything would be okay. No matter what Lindsey said, no matter what I wore, I would always be beautiful to him. It was something I had never been told before. I had never worried, and never cared before what someone else thought about my appearance. But here, in this moment, I wanted him to like whatever I wore because he was just the kind of person who deserved to have an elegant lady on his arm. It wasn't me, but I would do my damned hardest totry.
"Alright, follow me back, young lady," Lindsey said. "Let's see what we can find." I didn't take my eyes off of Marv even as I followed behind the woman. He grinned, letting me know with his eyes that everything would be okay, that I would beokay.
Lindsey went straight to a rack at the back of the store. She spread a few dresses apart and began pulling ones in different colors. Red. Blue. White. Her arms were filled by the time she decided she had chosen enough, and she led me back to the dressing room. I thought it was odd that she hadn't asked my size, not that I knew. It had been years since I wore a dress for anything and I hadn't had the money since to spend on anything sofrivolous.
"Try this one on first." She handed me the red dress before hanging the rest on the back of the dressing room door, and stepped out, closing me in. I stared at the gown she had chosen. I didn't particularly care for it, but I slipped out of my old clothes and into the red sheath, staring at myself in the mirror. It really was a lovely dress; bright red, and tighter than I would have liked. It hugged my thighs and butt, molding to my curves, but at the top it sagged open and I had to hold it closed. There was no way I was walking out in this. I stripped and started looking through the remaining dresses. "Are you almost done?" Her high pitched and slightly whiny voice grated on mynerves.
"Almost," Ireplied.
I selected a white and blue dress with a mesh upper bodice that crawled up my shoulders. The skirt was flared, with blue and black petals spread across the fabric. More mesh poked out from the bottom of the backside, making the dress seem longer than it really was. It was more fun than elegant, but when I looked in the mirror, I decided that this dress fit much better. I felt pretty, even confidant. I opened thedoor.
"What happened to the red dress I gave you?" she askedimmediately.
I shrugged. "It didn't fit." I didn't wait for her to say anything else. The only opinions that mattered were the guys'opinions.
I walked out into the store. Marv stood to the side beside Texas, both scrolling through their phones. Bellamy leaned up against the nearest wall, a bored expression on his face. They straightened and stared when they saw me. Bellamy's jaw hung open slightly. Texas raised his eyebrows, scanning me up and down. Marv pursed his lips, but didn't look too displeased. Lindsey came behind me, her brow furrowed and a frown firmly on her face. Before she could say anything though, Marvspoke.
"Not bad. It's actually quite lovely," he commented. "I like the skirt and the mesh. Modest, elegant, but still fun, stillher."
Lindsey sputtered. "Yes...well...uh, I do try to choose the dresses to match theclients."
I rolled my eyes but decided to remain quiet. I didn't want to bemean.
"I'd like to see more, in a few different colors, if you don't mind?" Marvsaid.
"No problem!" Lindseybeamed.
"Ah, yes, I was actually talking to Harlow. What's your opinion?" Marv's tornado eyes zeroed in on me, refusing to budge, demanding heknow.
"It's nicer than the first one I tried on. I like the color combination." I fingered the mesh and the blue flowers. "I don't dress up, though, so I'm not anexpert."
"No, it's beautiful. Would you like to try onmore?"
I hesitated. I would have been perfectly fine just buying this one if I absolutely needed a dress. I flinched at how much it would cost, but I wanted to please the guys. I tried to find the tag, peering behind me and to my side, when Marv caught my shoulder and turned me back to look athim.
"What are youdoing?"
"I want to know how much it is," I said, trying again. Texas laughed and shook hishead.
