Chapter 27
CHAPTER 27
S arah
Rather than stay in my bath robe, I slip into a comfortable set of clean pajamas. Naturally, I hear Robert coming down the hallway long before he gets here. I poke my head out and wave him in.
He grabs me in a bear hug and spins me around.
I laugh. “Robert! It’s not like I’m living on the moon! We just saw each other.”
He sighs. “Yes, but you’re my best friend. You’re my person. Like if I had a body in the middle of the night and I needed someone to show up with a plan and a shovel, it’s you I would call to save me.” He pauses. “Although in light of recent events, I might call Marco about the body and you for the emotional support.”
We both laugh. “Call Marco? You guys besties now?”
He rolls his eyes. “No, but I find him slightly less annoying than I used to. Plus, I think Bella has a little crush on him.” Robert wiggles his eyebrows conspiratorially.
“Now,” he says, walking to the bed and sitting down on the edge, “what’s the plan, Stan?”
Shrugging, I tell him, “Hell if I know at this point. Something about a black-tie event and a dress. And a designer.”
“Oh, so I’m here for emotional support and commentary. This I can do.” He stretches and lies back on the bed, resting up on an elbow with one leg casually draped over the other. Then he seems to realize that he’s lying in our bed. He looks at me, slightly aghast. “You’ve had sex in this bed, haven’t you?”
Mortified, I feel my face flush.
Robert squeals. “About damned time you got that V card punched!” He raises an eyebrow and looks me up and down. “I’m surprised you can walk straight, honestly, because there is no way that man isn’t hung like a goddamned?—”
I hear a throat being cleared in the doorway. My mortification is complete when I find Marie standing there next to a slightly-built Asian woman with neatly styled grey hair and a fabric tape measurer draped around her delicate neck, accompanied by a much younger woman that looks like her clone, minus about forty years, holding a notebook and a tablet.
“Well then,” Marie says. “This is Mrs. Shin, and her daughter Michelle. Mrs. Shin is an incredibly talented seamstress.”
The trio enter the room. Mrs. Shin is a good six inches shorter than me, with slightly hunched shoulders and long, delicate fingers. She smiles at me and pats my hand instead of shaking it, almost like a grandmother would. I instantly like her. She chats with her daughter in another language, which I can’t pretend to identify.
Michelle translates. “My mother would like to take your measurements, and then we can all sit down and look at some options on the tablet. I’ll only highlight the options we have available today so that she can tailor them to fit you by tonight. In the future, my mother can make anything you’d ever need, though.”
“Oh, sure. Thank you.” I undress again, and the woman takes a detailed set of measurements while Michelle asks me about what styles I usually like, so she can pull ones that might work. Then I dress again, and Marie suggests we relocate to the cafe downstairs.
Robert insists on showing off his “mad barista skills” and gives everyone a caramel latte. Michelle opens up an electronic sketch book and sets it to cycle through a series of dresses, showing both the illustrated sketch and photos of the dress on the mannequin.
“These are beautiful,” I tell her. “Do you guys design them yourselves?”
She nods. “Yes, my mother was a seamstress all her life, and I grew up in her shop. So when I graduated, I studied fashion design and business marketing. Now I do most of the designs and we split the sewing.”
“You’re both quite talented.”
“Thank you.”
I pause the screen on a pale blue satin gown. It’s strapless and draped slightly over the bust. The torso is shaped by corset bones, and the satin is gently gathered near the right hip. The dress is slit all the way to the gathering, but a small underlayer of matching blue lace is present under the apex of the slit, keeping it from being completely scandalous, but also almost risqué feeling, reminiscent of a flash of lace top stockings.
Robert peeks over my shoulder to see what I’ve been staring at. “Fucking yes, babe. That is you .” He snatches the tablet and hands it back to Michelle. She compares the measurements they took to the current dress to ensure it can be altered in time.
“Oh, this will be perfect,” Michelle says. “We should have it done in a couple of hours. I think the blue will really compliment your skin tone and hair, too.”
Her mother slides a pair of reading glasses onto her nose and eyes the tablet. She nods, mutters something in the other language, and then gestures towards the door. Michelle gathers their belongings and promises to give Marie a call when the dress is ready.
“Speaking of appointments, you’ve got a little time before the next round on the pamper parade.” Marie gives me a little wink. “So I’ll leave you two here. Robert, Leo will be in shortly to bring you back to your apartment. I know you need to get back to rehearsals.”
“Thanks, doll,” Robert says. We watch Marie slip out of the little cafe. “That woman is a force to be reckoned with, isn’t she?” he tells me.
“Oh, yeah.” I smile, finishing my latte.
Robert spins my chair so I’m facing him. I laugh.
“Sarah, are you good? You seem good, but are you good?”
“Yeah, I am. I don’t know what the hell is going on in my life right now, but I don’t hate it.”
“Okay. I’m sorry I got you into this. It was quite literally my fault. I distinctly remember the smarter one of us yelling ‘no, don’t go down the dark scary alley’.”
I nod sagely. “I’m glad you’re admitting I’m the smart one.”
Robert gives himself a dramatic facepalm. “I’m still sorry,” he says with a smirk. “Even though I’m pretty sure you’re having the best sex of anyone’s life. You have nothing to compare, so I had to open the floor to competition.”
“Jesus Christ, Robert! Stop talking about sex!”
Robert puts his palms up in a placating gesture. “Okay, okay, just remember to use protection, young lady!”
“Jesus, Robert. I get the shots!”
“Yeah, when you remember! I had to make the appointment for you and drive you last time.”
“Yes, mom.” I roll my eyes.
Leo appears in the doorway.
“Well, there’s my ride,” Robert says.
We hug again.
“You guys are going to kill it tonight. Call me after.”
“Thanks, doll.”