Chapter 23
I didn’t have time to worry about what he meant. They stepped up to the saleswoman with an arrogant air.
“I’m Barrett Lent.” He said his name like it meant something, so both women practically jerked to attention. “This is my brother Jeremy and our friend, Alatheia.”
The taller and older of the two women nodded, quickly. “Hello, Mr. Lent. We … we know who you are, of course.” I doubted she did, but they recognized his name. “We’ve been selling dresses for your mother’s party all week.”
So, they do know who he is . Or at least who his family was, which was different. The Poor Relation knew that well.
“Our friend needs a dress for tomorrow, and she’s gorgeous. Everything looks beautiful on her, so I would like you to sell her something you haven’t sold to anyone else.”
I put up my hand. “I would really like to blend into the crowd. I don’t want to … be stared at too much.”
“Oh, boo.” Jeremy released me to cross his arms in a pout. “You were born to stand out.”
I swallowed, not wanting anything to do with the spotlight. “No, I would really just like to look appropriate. If I can avoid being the topic of anyone’s conversation, that’s the goal.”
The saleswoman scurried over. “I understand. Come with me. We have a lot of things that might work for you, but originals, things we haven’t sold to anyone else. You won’t feel like you have a spotlight on you, but it will still be something new for just you.”
It sounded great, but I wasn’t sure she could pull it off.
The décor of the shop was elegant and obviously extravagant.
Neither surprised me, although I had never been around clothing quite like the ones on nearby plastic models.
Even when Dina took me shopping, we mostly looked at casual wear.
These dresses sparkled. Perfectly centered lighting illuminated each piece, making them shine like something really special.
Silk gowns hung gracefully, some of them with lace and beautifully done beadwork.
Mannequins wore everything from black cocktail dresses to flowing evening gowns.
No other shoppers were around right then, but I could still smell expensive perfume wafting from another shopper.
It wasn’t the saleswoman’s, who smelled like fresh roses, but something darker and heavier, leftover like the lingering notes of a song.
“My name is Grace.” The saleswoman smiled. “I’ll be right back with some dresses. Wait here.”
I nodded, unable to force words past my numb lips. I needed a dress, so I would have to get through the experience one way or the other.
My phone dinged with a message from Phoenix.
I’m on my way .
He was?
Jeremy responded to him. She’s back in the changing room .
I’m twenty minutes out, Phoenix replied . Don’t go anywhere until I get there .
I sank onto the provided seat and stared at myself in the mirror.
So much had changed since I’d lost my mom.
I remembered the bags of used clothes my mom used to bring home for me.
I never thought about them, other than I should try to take care of them because they were new, and she was terrible at sewing to fix things.
When we lived in Colorado, we had more people around.
The neighbor— what was her name? I couldn’t remember it or anything about her other than she smelled like cigarettes—used to help my mom sew my socks when I got holes in them.
Once we moved to North Dakota, we were on our own.
She told me she would teach me to sew in a few years.
That hadn’t happened.
Instead she died. Of a drug overdose .
The idea of it still just didn’t sit well. I rubbed my stomach and then touched the smooth pink pearls. Jeremy thought I was strong. That helped. Maybe for him I could be strong?
Grace appeared, then hung four dresses on the rack. “Try these. Mr. Lent asked me to remind you that he wants to see them.”
I could just refuse them. I wasn’t used to parading around for inspection, but I kind of loved that he wanted to see them. Well, that they both did, but I knew Barrett was putting on a show. I would place money he was the Mr. Lent she meant.
The door closed behind her with a click.
I considered the first hanger, which held a sleek, black number with a plunging neckline.
When I slipped it on, it hugged my curves, the fabric smooth and almost slippery against my skin.
The dress was made for someone more confident than me, certainly not for me in my pretty pink pearls.
I texted the group. I’m not coming out wearing the ones that aren’t going to work.
Boo . Jeremy answered.
Barrett quickly responded, Fine. But I bet they all work .
Are you getting to see her try on dresses? Julian quickly asked.
We are waiting while she tries them on. We are not in the changing room with her .
I could practically hear Jeremy’s eyeroll.
I promise, if I had her naked, I would not be texting you.
We’re waiting until she comes out to see what she likes and doesn’t like.
Barrett pulled out his best rich boy attitude. They’re hustling around.
Fifteen minutes , Phoenix answered.
The second dress was a deep emerald green, which worked pretty well with my skin tone.
The shimmering sequins caught the light with every movement.
The cut was sophisticated, maybe too old for me, because I could imagine my Aunt Tricia in the dress.
Maybe some people my age could pull it off, but not me.
I just didn’t like it, and I wanted it off almost immediately.
I couldn’t get it back on the hanger fast enough.
The third dress was a vision of midnight blue, off-the-shoulder with a fitted bodice.
I almost felt like I stepped into a different time when I slipped it over my skin.
It was heavy and constricting. The Poor Relation would call it gaudy.
I smiled at the thought. I should use that word more in that stream.
I took the offending gown off and hung it back up.
Nothing working? Barrett asked. Show me. I bet they all work .
Not yet . No one wanted dress shopping over more than I did.
Finally, I tried the fourth dress. Bold red, strapless and form-fitting, the gown included a sexy little slit up the side. Somehow, I felt like I stepped into anime-me. The idea of not standing out? The dress didn’t do that at all. I scowled and took it back off.
Finally, Grace knocked. “One more. Sorry.” She cracked open the door to pass me a hanger. “We just got this one today. It might be perfect.”
I knew as soon as I touched the soft fabric that I liked it better, but I waited until after Grace shut the door again before I tried it on.
I took off my bra, since it didn’t work with the dress.
Spaghetti straps and black, pink butterflies fluttered across the otherwise stark fabric.
The neckline plunged, showing some cleavage but not the kind that would make me feel like I was on display.
I didn’t want the Teds of the world to look at me. It really worked out to be that simple. I pushed the thought of him from my mind, not willing to share a moment with even the mention of him.
Maybe the guys would tell me if the dress worked? For the first time, I stepped out of the room so they could see me.
They both waited by the changing room, leaning against the wall, staring at their phones, but stopped when I came out.
“Just wow.” Barrett said first, his voice low and a little husky. “I mean … it’s perfect. You’re perfect.”
Jeremy nodded. “You are … beautiful, Alatheia. The dress was made for you. No one could ever look as pretty in that as you do.”
My cheeks heated up, but I let myself enjoy the heat of their stares for a few seconds. I opened up inside and didn’t shut any of it down. Instead, I basked in it. “Guys, this doesn’t feel real. And I … I’ve never felt like this before.”
“Neither have I,” Barrett whispered. “I didn’t know I could. We need to buy that dress. It’s yours. Do you want any of the others?”
I shook my head. “No. Not for me.”
Jeremy smiled. “Shoes. She has to buy shoes.”
I glanced down, quickly realizing he was right, I didn’t own anything that would go with the dress.
“Thank God you came, Jeremy. Seriously.” Barrett laughed. “Yes, we need shoes. There’s a place next door, I think.”
His younger brother shrugged. “I wouldn’t care if you were barefoot, Alatheia. It might even be sexy, but you said you don’t want to stand out, so I think you should probably get some strappy sandals.”
The saleswomen gushed over me as we paid.
Barrett still did his best impression of his father Kit—was Kit his father or was he an uncle?
Suddenly, I wondered if they were all technically half-brothers?
I set the question aside as too confusing while the saleswomen continued bending over backward to help him.
What did Dina say? She learned how to make the world bend to her will . It didn’t make sense to me, though, to be meaner if I wanted other people to behave nicer.
The shoe store was simpler. Even I knew the slightly open-toed heels with the pink hue were perfect. I couldn’t help but be amused, because everything I would wear was going to be pink.
“Did I miss it?” Phoenix ran up as we exited the store. “I did, didn’t I? Damn it. Did you take photos?”
“No.” Barrett glanced at his phone. “You can see her in it tomorrow. Shit.”
Phoenix hugged me against him. He had the look he usually got when he’d popped his ADHD pill and not the ketamine blur that seemed to come over his eyes. I had only seen him outright sober once, and then it looked like withdrawal. It must be exhausting for him to constantly keep up with it.
“What?” Jeremy nodded toward Barrett. “What’s wrong?”
“They want me back to be in the room for a family business meeting.” Barrett glanced at the sky for a second like he was in pain. “I hate these fucking things.”