“Kim is parked out front so I’m going to get going, honey. Hopefully we can find the dress she needs for her date fast and I’ll be home soon.”
“Take your time. I know women love to shop.”
“Not this one.”
“Really?” he arched his brows.
“Well, ok, that’s not exactly true. I love to shop, but it’s not like I have a lot of money to shop with, you know. But of course I want to help Kim find a nice dress for her special date.”
“Well, have fun. I know you haven’t been making bank at Driscoll’s lately…”
“…that’s for sure.” Lately, business at Driscoll’s had been off and my bank account was probably at an all-time low. It was a good thing that Justin had asked me to move in with him, not only because I loved the man, but also because I could barely have made rent if I had still been living in my old apartment. Happily, Kim, Heather, and Gwen and had been able to find another roommate to take my place quickly.
“Take this,” he opened his wallet, pulled out a bill, and waved it at me. “Sorry I haven’t been to the ATM lately. This is all I have on me.”
I peered at the bill—it was a hundred. “I can’t take that!”
“Yes, you can. What’s mine is yours. I want you to have fun. Maybe it’s enough to buy a new scarf or something. And take this too. Treat Kim to lunch.” He handed me a credit card. “I’ll add you as an authorized user after you leave. Buy what you like.”
“Wow, thank you!”
“I have a few meetings later today, but I shouldn’t be home too late. We’ll go out for dinner tonight.”
“Mmm,” I gave him a light kiss. “Thank you sweetie. That’s so nice of you. Love you.” As I headed outside to meet Kim at her car, clutching the money and the credit card, I felt like hugging myself. Justin was the most perfect man—kind, gracious, good-looking, and very generous. I slid into the car seat and opened my pocketbook. Kim glanced over, her eyes widening as she took in the hundred dollar bill and the card.
“Whoa…”
“Justin told me to have fun.” I heard a little ding on my phone and read the text message out loud. “Just added you as an authorized user, have a great time!”
“My kind of guy,” she grinned as she turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking space.
“So, you think tonight’s the night?” Kim had been dating her boyfriend for a long time and she was anxious to hear wedding bells in the near future.
“Oh God, I hope so. I’ve been waiting for him to propose for so long. I need to find something special to wear. I’ve been looking but I just haven’t found anything yet.”
“Phil’s Prime is pretty dressy. How about something flirty and romantic—maybe white with ruffles and lace and a…”
“You think ruffles and lace...not something sleek?”
“Uh huh, I do. Ruffles and lace are so romantic. Just think of how you will describe that moment to your children. The night daddy proposed to me I was slurping French onion soup at Phil’s Prime. I was wearing a pretty white dress…floaty and soft and…”
She grinned. Keeping one hand on the wheel she reached over and smacked me lightly on the arm. “We don’t know for sure that he’s going to propose. I think you just want one like that so you can borrow it. But from the looks of things, you can afford your own dresses now!”
As we pulled into the parking lot of the mall and got out of the car, Kim turned to me, a serious expression on her face. “Honestly, I don’t know if Roger is going to pop the question or not. He’s been a little weird lately—a little standoffish.”
“Oh, come on, you know he will,” I grinned. “The two of you have been together forever. He’s probably just under a lot of stress at work.”
She frowned. “I hope so. But,” her face brightened, “if it all works out, I want you, Gwen, and Heather to be my bridesmaids. I’m thinking of a purple and pink theme, and…”
“This might be just the place to find all of the dresses,” I said as we entered Opal’s Department Store. Opal’s was an upscale store featuring designer apparel, shoes, handbags, and cosmetics. I had barely walked six feet before one of the displays stopped me in my tracks. The mannequin was dressed in a floral skirt with a crisp short-sleeved boat neck top in a warm buttery peach color. Accessorized with a creamy leather bag and beige espadrilles with tiny chestnut colored beads, the outfit was simple but stunning. It was perfect for Florida.
“I love it!” Kim squealed, touching the fabric on the skirt.
“Me too!” Though in the past Kim would be the one buying clothes on our shopping trips and generously lending them to me, this time I could buy clothes too. We grabbed one of the floral skirts and tops for each of us, mine in peach and Kim’s in green, and continued circling the racks. Kim found a cute lacy sundress for her date at Phil’s Prime with Roger, and I found a polka dotted sundress just for whenever I felt like wearing it. It felt good to have the money to be able to buy something nice for a change.
Before we knew it, we both had our arms filled with clothing. And in the dressing room I had one of those days I rarely had—everything fit! As we exited the dressing room and made our way over to the cash register, Kim’s cell rang.
“I have to take this,” she said after looking at the number.
“Ok, I’ll meet you in accessories.”
Clutching the clothes she’d tried on, Kim hurried off to find a quiet spot to take the call. After paying for the outfits I’d decided on, I headed to the front of the store to take a look at the designer pocketbooks. It was a tough choice. I loved the idea of a classic bag I could wear with everything, but a color that would pop would be a blast. When the sales clerk suggested I get them both with matching clutch wallets, I hesitated—they were so expensive, but they were so perfect I couldn’t resist. The shoe department was right near accessories. Keeping an eye out for Kim, I tried on dozens of pairs, and finally settled on a pair of flats for work, the classic sheepskin boots I’d always coveted in chestnut, and a pair of dark chocolate stilettos with red soles. As the clerk rang up the purchase and the number on the cash register kept going up I felt a bit sick. How could I possibly have spent this much on shoes?
As I left the area, I couldn’t help but notice a large display sign on the floor advertising a gift with purchase at the cosmetic counter of one of their most popular brands. I headed over to the counter. I wasn’t planning to buy anything, just look at what they had, but the pretty woman in the white coat offered to redo my makeup and before I knew it, I had purchased an exfoliator, tinted moisturizer, two eyeshadows, lip liner, a chubby lipstick, blush, eyebrow pencil and highlighter, eye gel and a special skin mask designed to draw out impurities and soften the skin. As I finished paying, I heard Kim’s voice call out to me.
“Libby! There you are. Sorry I took so long. That was work on the phone. I had to walk them through how to…” She stopped mid-sentence, looking from me to the shopping bags in my hands. “Oh my God, did you buy everything in the store?”