She nodded.
“I’ll see you Friday? It leaves at six. Do you want to walk over together? If so, I’ll come to your house at five-thirty.”
“That sounds good.”She nodded yet again.
He walked away and she stared down at her empty ice cream bowl, debating getting another scoop. It wasn’t every day someone asked her out on a date.
A date. She was going on a date.
“Mom?”Olivia walked up and slipped behind the counter.“You okay?”
“What?”She gathered her bowl, spoon, and napkin and stood.“Of course.”
“You look…funny.”
She glanced over toward the door.“Well…it appears your mother is going on a date on Friday.”
Olivia grinned.“That’s some good news. Now will you please,pleaselet me take you shopping?”
She remembered her closet that held the old dated clothes and her indecision on what to wear when Barry had simply come over to grill burgers. She smiled at Olivia.“I think that might be a good idea.”
Chapter 11
Later that week Donna went shopping with Olivia and Heather. They dragged her to their favorite shop on Magnolia Avenue, Barbara’s Boutique. Margaret, the owner, met them as they came in. It always tickled Donna to think that Barbara’s Boutique hadn’t been owned by a Barbara in over fifty years…but the original name survived. Though, now that she thought of it…there wasn’t a person with the last name Parker running Parker’s General Store, either. But at least she was a Parker descendant.
She shook her thoughts away and back to the problem at hand. Clothes shopping.
“Donna, I haven’t seen you in here in a while.”Margaret frowned.“Actually, I can’t remember the last time you’ve been in here.”
Olivia laughed.“I’m sure the last time she was here was probably to buy a present for me. Mom just doesn’t go shopping for herself. But she needs an outfit. For a dinner date on The Destiny.
“A date?”Margaret’s eyes widened.“Well, I’m sure we can find something perfect.”
“I don’t want anything fancy.”
“Do you want to wear a dress or maybe slacks and a top?”Heather asked.
“I…well, I don’t know.”Donna looked at the racks of clothes surrounding her, starting to panic just a bit. So many choices.
“Okay, let’s say a casual dress.”Olivia sifted through some dresses on the rack before her. She picked out two and held them up.“Like either of these?”
“I guess so?”She wasn’t sure.
“You like yellow, so try that one on for sure.”Heather pointed to the simple yellow dress with elbow-length sleeves.
“I like this black one, though, too, and you could brighten it up with a scarf or a wrap.”Olivia raised the other dress.“Try them both on.”
Margaret put the dresses in a dressing room and Donna entered. She slipped off her usual worn slacks and Parker’s t-shirt—she was heading right back to work when they were finished shopping, after all. She put on the yellow dress and turned this way and that, looking at her reflection in the mirror. The dresswaspretty. It was fitted at the top but swung loosely around her legs and hit about knee length. The material was a soft jersey and draped nicely from her waist. She opened the door to the dressing room and stepped out.
“Oh, Mom. That looks great on you.”Olivia clapped her hands.“Just great.”
“But try on the other one to be sure,”Heather added.
Donna went back in and switched into the black dress. She barely recognized herself in the mirror. The dress gave her a bit of a sophisticated look. Dressier than the yellow one, by far. But it fit her like it was made for her. She walked out to show the girls.
“Wow.”Heather stood there staring at her.“That’s just…wow.”
“You look fabulous, Mom.”
