“A little?” It’s all I can do to hold my tongue on this one. This is the first completed dress Lyndi has made, and I have to support her. This is her dream.
However nightmarish the result is.
“I don’t know what I did wrong.” She sinks on her heels with a sigh.
I tilt my head toward the full-length mirror and study the dress that’s now permanently glued to my body. It’s not bad. The purple is not ideal, but if it had been black and less sheeny, it would be more sophisticated and even sexy.
“It makes my butt look good,” I offer.
Lyndi checks out my backside. “Your butt always looks good.”
“It’s a perfect first dress.” I face my best friend. “You’ll be making masterpieces like that one in no time.” I point to the beautiful gown in front of me.
“I wish. I think I’ll be sticking to pillowcases.“ Lyndi picks up a pin cushion that’s nearly empty.That’s concerning.I hope she didn’t leave some pins in this dress.
“You know, all I need is a suit coat, and I’ll be ready for that job in Vegas.” I try to comfort her.
Lyndi snorts. “I think I might be a one-hit wonder.”
I consider the flamboyant, reflective material again and can’t help it. I laugh. But because this dress wasn’t made for living, breathing people, the second my chest expands, so does the dress. A loud rip allows my lungs to fully inflate, and then I’m exposed.
I shriek, but the dress keeps tearing. I grip the material around my chest, covering my most important bits, and fall to the floor in a fit of giggles, which conveniently causes the dress to rip along my left hip.
Lyndi isn’t any help. She crosses her legs as she hunches over, her breath escaping in short bursts.
“Oh my gosh. I really could work in Vegas.” Lyndi half-laughs, half-cries.
“You have nowhere to go but up.”
Truly. Every breath I take causes the dress to tear more, and now I’m basically holding a much too small towel over my lady parts. It’s only as I’m rolling to a seated position that I remember I’m in a very fancy, dignified dress boutique in the middle of a popular mall. And other people exist. Thankfully, only a handful of women are currently in the store, and I’m mostly out of view of the main hallway.
I shoot the few onlookers a wave and grapple with the pieces of the dress, but it comes apart as easily as tin foil.
How is this even happening?This dress is essentially a tube. A pillowcase actually has more stitching.
Lyndi wraps me in the blanket they keep on the back of the couch. I thought it was there for aesthetics, or to keep somebody’s grandmother warm while they try on dresses, but clearly its purpose is much more significant.
“I’m so sorry,” Lyndi says with a hiccup.
“You better be.” I tease, pinning her with a glare that says she’s going to get it, but she never will, because we are best friends. I’d do anything for her.
Her expression sobers. “I’m so sorry Maddie. I didn’t mean to use you as a Kim Kardashian to get people into the store.”
Poor, sweet, naive Lyndi. “Kim did a bit more.”
Lyndi pulls Crew out of the back playroom so I can change. I finally allow myself a full breath when the door shuts behind me, letting the blanket and two pieces of pointless material fall in a heap at my feet. Lyndi and my mother might be working on the same team to get me back into the workforce.
I retrieve my clothes and am happy to be covered once more. When I return to the front desk, Crew gives me a bear hug. I don’t think he will ever understand how much I need these. I lean my cheek against his curls and hold him while he lets me. He’s my little boost of serotonin when I need it, and lately, I really need it. He doesn’t judge me for my failures or question my life choices.
Am I ever going to get back into law? The longer I’m out of it, the more I worry I might never make it back. And then what will my mom say when I come home for dinners? How smart Iwas? How Iusedto be a daughter she was proud of?
“Uh oh.” Crew pushes away from me.
I know that voice, and it does not bode well. “What did you do now, little monkey?”
“I got a boogie on you.”
“Ugh!” I jump back, practically shoving him to his mom while searching my outfit. There it is. A giant green blob of nastiness. “What in the devil just came out of that child?”
