I needed to get out of this situation fast before I ended up fulfilling my pa-pa’s worst fear and suffering the same fate as my great- grandmother. The first thing I needed to do was get back to Gabe’s, find my bag, and then find a way around Jerome!
“Stacy, is it alright if we call it a night? I’m not used to so much shopping, I feel tired.”
“This is the one!” She cried obviously not hearing a word I just said. She and the sales lady who had been so kind as to bring me a cup of coffee and Stacy a glass of champagne had been looking through a catalog for the last hour.
“Oh… Vera Wang the bridal collection, excellent choice.” The woman clapped her hands together once and a tall slender blonde woman came through a door that I thought had been a dressing room.
“Heather, please model the number twelve Vera Wang bridal dressin white for our guest.”
Wow! This whole shopping trip was like nothing I had ever experienced. Back home if I needed something, pa-pa would just take me to the local Walmart. I didn’t even know people shopped this way. My thoughts were interrupted when Heather came back in modeling the white dress or shall I say partial dress. My hand flew to my lips.
“No, Stacy I can’t!” I cried. Don’t get me wrong, the dress was beautiful, in a scantily clad kind of way. The deep V neck cut in the front went all the way down to the model’s belly button, and the same cut in the back down to her waist, giving us a sneak peek of the tattoo she had on her lower back. The bottom of the dress kissed the floor but the split went all the way up mid thigh. Stacy got up from the couch and approached the model.
“Yasmin girl, this dress was made for you. You will be breathtaking! This is the one! This is the one! We’ll take it!” She was so excited and I hated to burst her bubble. But there was no way I would be able to pull that off.
“We will?” I asked from the couch. She turned to look at me and judging by the fever she had in her eyes, I could tell that there was no use arguing with her, her mind was made. I liked Stacy I really did, but she could be very strong willed at times.
“Yes, we will!”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit much, besides it’s a wedding dress, I’m not getting married?”
She waved that away. “Of course you’re not getting married yet, it’s not your wedding day. But this dress can be worn to a formal event. It will make you look like a celestial virgin.”
“A what?” I cried. What the world was a celestial virgin?
“And angel dear, this dress will make you look like an angel!” I frowned at the model whose flesh was barely covered by the material.
“A naughty angel!” I muttered. Stacy beamed.
“Perfect, we’ll take it.” I was going to argue further with her, but then I thought why bother. I would not be here to wear the dress anyway.
“Now, we need shoes!” My very being began to weep at her words.
“Stacy, I’m tired… please, it’s enough for one day.” She turned around from where she stood at the register paying the sale’s clerk.
“But we still have to go to the beauty salon!” Oh my goodness! This woman was a money spending machine.
I put my hand on my head. “Stacy, I have a headache.” She sighed.
“Well, I guess I can skip a couple classes and take you to the salon tomorrow.” Then her eyes brighten.
“You know what? That’s actually perfect, so that way your hair can be fresh. Okay, we can call it an evening, but not before we get shoes!” And then she was gone out the door. I looked toward Jerome for help but he just wore a little grin on his face shaking his head slightly.
Miraculously, we found shoes at the second shoe store we stopped at. Because she was rightfully convinced that I would never be able to walk in nine-inch heels like hers, so she bought me six-inch heels. The shoes were amazing and very expensive, but there was no way I would be able to walk in them seeing as to how I had never worn a pair of heels a day in my life.
“We’ll start off simple and work our way up!” She said reading the doubt on my face.
I smiled at her and nodded, I would agree to anything if that will get me out of here and back to Gabe’s, including the pair of six-inch steppers that I would not be able to walk in even if you paid me.
It seemed like forever but eventually Jerome dropped her off at her apartment. Before she got out the truck she handed me back Gabe’s black card. I forgot she had taken it from me earlier.
“We’re going to need this tomorrow, be ready at about noon.” I nodded.
“Thank you so much Stacy, you were so kind to me. It was really nice meeting you.” She half smiled and half frowned at me.
“It was my pleasure. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” I nodded, hating that I had to lie to her.
When she got out, I sat back in the seat and exhaled. One obstacle was out the way, now it was time to get rid of obstacle number two—Jerome. When we got back to the house, he informed me that he would carry all my bags upstairs and put them in our room.
I followed him up but at a slower pace, giving him a chance to complete his task. When he came out he stopped next to me on the massive stair
