11. Make It Happen
Make It Happen
Dani
After Luke hangs up on me, I fire Erin a text.
Me: You free to help me pick out an outfit for tomorrow?
My phone dings in my hand.
Erin: Have you forgotten how to dress yourself?
Me: No, you dork. I have a date.
Erin: Ahhhhhhhhh! Please tell me it’s with that hot piece of ass boss of yours.
Me: What? No. It’s a blind date.
Erin: Even better. I’ll be over around eight for the fashion show. And I’ll bring booze.
I roll my eyes with a smile.
Me: Why so late?
Erin: Jake wants to slip me the sausage.
Me: You two are like a couple of horny teenagers.
Erin: I’m not sorry about that.
Erin is my best friend, my partner in crime. We met in elementary school when we wore the same dress one day. We have been inseparable ever since. Erin has been my rock. She has helped me when I needed it, and never asks for anything in return. She’s my sista from another mista and I love her to death.
I climb off the bed and head into my closet. I lay out my entire wardrobe, old and new, on my bed. Mulling over if I should wear pants or a skirt. I guess I could try to put an outfit together by myself.
Nah.
I would rather get Erin to do it. She has always had an eye for fashion.
The sound of a key in a lock grabs my attention. " Fashion show!" Erin yells.
I run to the top of the stairs. Erin kicks off her shoes and heads into the kitchen.
"Is Jake slowing down in his old age. Can’t go two rounds anymore." I tease.
"Had to postpone the sausage slipping," Erin yells from the kitchen. "My body thought this was a good time to start my period." She heads up the stairs with two glasses, a bottle of rum under one arm and a bottle of Coke under the other.
"Guess you’ll be eating sausage for the next week," I laugh.
"I loooooove Jake’s sausage. It’s more than a mouthful." She says, kissing my cheek and walking into my room.
"Oh, I know. I’ve seen it," I remind her. "You’d have to unhinge your jaw for it to fit."
Erin snorts. "Believe me, I do." She says and inspects what I have laying on my bed. "I don’t like any of these," she states and scoops everything back up. "You need to show off that bangin' body."
I follow her into the closet. "Bangin' body? Whose body have you been looking at?" I ask.
Erin sticks her tongue out at me and dumps the clothes from her arms into mine. "Your bangin' body, you dummy. I would kill to have tits like yours."
'I’ll trade you," I say, hanging up the clothes.
Erin cackles. "Jake would cum all over himself if I showed up with tits like yours. He wouldn’t know what to do with them," she snorts. "Hell, I wouldn’t know what to do with them. I still don’t know how you manage to stand upright."
"I’m like a Weeble. I Weeble and I wobble but I don’t fall down." I reply.
Erin is my exact opposite; she’s tall and slender with a personality that draws everyone to her. Where I am short, on the chubby side, with the personality of a bridge troll.
Erin shoves a dress at me. "Go change in the bathroom."
I raise a brow. "Why? You’ve seen me naked before."
"I want to be surprised." Erin states.
"Surprised by what? I still look the same."
"Not by you naked, you ding dong. I mean the outfit," Erin says and shoos me into the bathroom.
I change into the form fitting dress that Erin somehow found in the back of my closet. I had bought it for a wedding but ended up chickening out after seeing myself in the mirror.
I wiggle it over my head and down my body. It hugs my chest, hips, and has a huge slit up the side. I feel dumpy wearing it. My chest and hips are too big for my short torso and my butt sticks out.
"Let me see!" Erin demands.
I take a deep breath to steady my nerves and walk out. Erin’s sitting on the bench at the end of my bed, pouring the drinks.
"Oh, Daniella," she whispers, "you’re fucking stunning." Erin hands over a glass of Rum and Coke.
"I’m too big to wear this, Erin." I poke my soft belly.
"You are not. Stop talking like that," Erin says. She circles her finger. "Turn around. Let me see the back."
My face catches fire as I spin around. "See. Dumpy."
"You’re not dumpy, Dani." Erin states, taking a sip of her drink. She pulls out her phone and snaps a picture.
"Why did you do that?" I ask.
"If you don’t get some action from this date, I’m making you a ' fuck me' profile." Erin informs me.
"They have those? Why am I just hearing about this now?" this information would have come in handy after my breakup with Antoni.
Erin laughs. "Yeah, they’re called dating sites."
I snort. "Dummy."
Erin shrugs. "Meh, say what you will, but I am hilarious."
I shake my head. "I’m going to change. I feel too…exposed." I rush into the bathroom and tear the dress over my head. My body relaxes as I throw my robe back on.
"Explain to me why you think you’re too dumpy to wear a dress like that?" Erin questions as I sit next to her on my bed.
"I just am." I answer, taking a huge gulp. There’s more Rum than Coke in the glass and it burns my throat. Erin opens her mouth to argue but I shut that down quick by changing the subject.
"How’s Jakey?" I ask, propping myself up on my elbows.
"We’re not done talking about your negative body image issues, miss missy. But I’ll let it slide. This time." Erin warns. She grunts as she rolls onto her side. "He’s good," she answers. "He wants to start trying for kids."
"That’s exciting!" I squeal.
She shrugs one slender shoulder, her long, naturally red hair bouncing with the movement. "I guess. I mean, my business is booming but I would like to wait another year or two. Make sure Jessa can manage everything. She’s smart but not totally ready to take full control. She’s too soft when it comes to dealing with assholes."
Erin opened a Concierge service two years ago, specializing in personal assistants. Jessa is her PA, she’s very sweet but hates confrontations. There isn’t a mean bone in her body.
"Did you tell him that?" I ask.
"Duh, but you know Jake. Once he sets his mind on something, there’s no changing it." Erin rolls her eyes. "I mean, look how serious he took his job as Mason’s father figure when you asked him."
Jake stepped into the role of Mason’s 'father' without question. I had asked him after he and Erin got engaged. He was so honored that he nearly choked me to death when he hugged me.
"And I’ll be forever grateful for it," I reply. "You two will be incredible parents. You were amazing with Mason when he was younger."
"To be fair, Jake did most of the work. He is the youngest of six children, so he had practice with his nieces and nephews." Erin finishes her drink.
"Either way, I think you should revisit this conversation soon," I say.
Erin cackles. "You just want to be an auntie."
"You’re fucking right I do! Make it happen Matthews."