Chapter 14
Arianna
As much as I’ve enjoyed the first few days at Chique, it’s been exhausting.
I insisted that Denham go to work, much to his protesting.
Today is not for him, or us. It’s a girlie day with Lottie.
Today, we are shopping! Before I left, he tried to give me his AMEX, which then got shoved right back at him.
He laughed it off, but I can see that he really wanted me to take it.
We will have to agree to disagree on that one, as I will be paying my own way whether he likes it or not.
I’m still a little on edge from seeing Jonny two days ago.
But, in the idea of being strong and moving forward, I’m putting it to the back of my mind.
I know this is dangerous, and not a solution, but it’s all I’ve got right now.
It’s the only way I know to not let him win.
Anyway, it’s not exactly just me and Lottie.
We’re not on our own and vulnerable. We have not one, but two commandos keeping an eye on us.
This was at Denham and Spike’s insistence.
I’m aware that they are shadowing my every turn, but they don’t intrude, in fact, it’s quite easy to ignore them.
“So what exactly are you looking for?” I say to Lottie as we walk down the strip.
“Something that makes a statement. I would rather be wearing something magnificent from the boutique my best friend works at, but she’s too stubborn to ask her boss if we can borrow something.” She looks at me with one brow raised.
“Lottie, you always make a statement, wherever you go, even if it’s just to the store. And you know my reasoning for not asking Beth. She’s done so much for me already, I’m not asking for anything else.”
“Fine. Let’s go find something else then,” she grumbles.
“What kind of style do you want to go for? Any colors in mind?”
“You know me, I like to be individual. I’ll know when I see it”
“I know,” I say, bumping her shoulder with mine. “And I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
“You should have seen the dress I wore last year; it was so over the goddamn top. I loved it!”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“So, I want to do something a little different this year. Actually, I want to find a dress that is so different from my usual style, it will make people take a second look.”
“Okay. And where are we going to find this fabulous dress?”
“I know just the place.” Lottie links her arm in mine and winks at me. There are so many little places I’ve yet to discover in Las Vegas and I can’t wait.
She leads me onto one of the smaller streets, and it’s lined with quirky little shops full of all sorts of different things.
We enter a small shoe shop, leaving commandos one and two outside.
Lottie pulls me to the back, behind the cashier and down a steep staircase.
I frown the whole way, as this is totally weird, but I trust her so I go with it, being careful to watch my footing as I step down the crooked stairs.
When we get to the bottom, we stand in what looks like the entrance to a huge walk in wardrobe.
There are racks upon racks of garments, lined next to each other, all grouped in colors.
It looks like a storeroom and it doesn’t look like we should be here, but Lottie steams ahead, rummaging through.
“Lottie …”
“Yes, babe,” she says without even stopping to look at me.
“What is this?”
She chuckles. “It’s a pre-loved dress store. The dresses are mostly designer, and cheap. Well, cheaper than they would be brand new, and most of them have only been worn once. Get over here and start looking … unless you want to fork out for a brand spanking new one …”
“No … I … “
“Here … how about this?” She holds up a deep red, floor length, satin gown. It’s very pretty but not something I would wear.
“No, I think maybe I need to go for something black and simple.”
“Well, aren’t you daring,” she retorts sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “I thought you were supposed to be the style guru.”
“I never said that.”
“Oh my god.” Lottie stops and scrapes all the hangers aside, bar one.
“What?”
“I just found the dress.”
“Lotts, we’ve been in here for a total of three minutes and you’ve found the dress already?”
She bounces excitedly before taking the dress off the hanger and holding it up against her.
It’s perfect. Emerald green, Lottie’s favorite color.
Strapless bustier, floor length, fish tail at the back, scooped up to just below knee length at the front, and gathered to create a bustle in the small of her back.
It’s very pretty, and unusual at the same time. Much like Lottie.
“Okay, I’m trying this on. Grab a few dresses, Ari, you can come and try them on, too.”
“Okay.” I laugh under my breath at her enthusiasm; Saturday at the ball is going to be great fun if nothing else.
I pick up a couple of black dresses in my size; both of them are beautiful and fit perfectly.
Lottie squeals when she sees me in the second one. It’s floor length, with a split up one leg, cut outs at the waist and a high neck. “That one, that one. It’s perfect for you!”
“You think?” I ask, unsure.
“Yes, I wish you would go for something that wasn’t damn black, but if you insist, I like that one.
You have great legs, Ari, you should definitely flash them in that one.
You can have your hair piled high on your head, and just a few bits down here …
” She stands on her tiptoes, playing with my hair and her eyes are wide with excitement.
It’s enough to convince me to buy it. It’s inexpensive, and yes, it does look good.
Do I feel a million dollars in it? No. But I don’t have a million dollars to spend on a dress, so this is the next best thing.
Well, that was easier than I thought. I don’t think I’ve ever chosen a dress so fast for something so important in all my life.
If I’m honest, I’m still not convinced it’s the dress but I don’t have the time or inclination to try on a million things today.
I know I can pair it with some killer heels, and have my hair done which will dress it all up, and it’ll be perfect for a summer ball.
We window shop for a while before making a detour into a little restaurant for lunch. I’m famished, and Lottie insists that we stop at this place.
We sit at a large table by the window and order a glass of crisp, cold white wine while we peruse the menu and watch the world go by.
“Are you ready to order?” I ask Lottie, who is being even more indecisive than usual.
“No, I don’t think so. I’m torn between the Caesar salad and …”
“May we join you, ladies?” A familiar soft voice comes from behind me and I look up at Lottie who’s grinning back at me like the Cheshire cat. I spin around in my chair to find not only my mom, but Dana, too.
“Oh my god!” I squeal, leaping up out of my seat.
I haven’t seen my mom since she went away for a few days, and although I’ve spoken to her almost daily, being back in town and not being able to visit with her has been hard.
I fling my arms around her neck and hug her tight.
“What are you doing back already? Is everything alright?”
“Yes, darling. Everything is fine. Brent finished up with the business he was doing so we came straight back. Wanted to see my girl.” She smiles, pulling me tighter and kissing the side of my head through my hair.
“I’m so happy to see you, mom. And Dana. I didn’t realize you two knew each other.”
I hug Dana with almost as much enthusiasm as I did my mom. I feel a genuine affection for her, and I’m so pleased to see her with my mom.
“Oh well, we don’t know each other very well, just from here and there,” Dana explains.
We all sit. Mom next to me and Dana next to Lottie.
“Did you plan this all along?” I ask Lottie.
“I might have,” she says, smirking. “When you told me you had a day off, I thought it was a great opportunity.”
“It’s perfect, thank you.”
Neither of the moms mentions the commandos outside. I can see them in my peripheral vision, but they are fairly inconspicuous, so I don’t mention it either. I really don’t want my mom to worry, especially when I have it handled.
We order and eat. And before long, we have laughed more than I have in years and polished off a couple of bottles of Prosecco between us.
“So, are you and Brent coming to the ball, mom?” I ask hopefully.
“No, we’ve been away so much just lately, I haven’t had a chance to get a dress or anything.”
“No need to worry about that,” Lottie says firmly. “I know just the place.”
I laugh at Lottie’s enthusiasm for our secret shop but reaffirm her thoughts, “Mom, you would never even know this little place existed, it’s like an Aladdin’s cave.”
“You’ll have to show me another day, Lottie,” Mom says placating her for today.
She knows Lottie almost as well as I do, and once she gets the bit between her teeth, she doesn’t let go and if mom showed even a hint that she wanted to look, mom’s lunch would be cut short, and she would be dragged there for more shopping.
“Also, the house is nearly ready. The builders have left such a mess, and I have that to sort out before we go to Florida on Monday.”
“Florida?” I say, maybe a little too loudly. “You’re away again?”
“Yes, darling. Brent gets to travel with his job and I like to go with him.” The dreamy look in her eyes makes my heart swell. Who would have thought that we’d get to this point in both of our lives after everything we both went through.
“Dana,” Lottie announces. “What about you? Can we tempt you to come dancing with us at the ball?”
Dana laughs and takes a sip of her drink before answering, “And watch you molesting my baby boy? I think I’ll pass.”
My mom almost spits her drink out at Dana’s direct comment, and the way she keeps her expression so neutral when she says it. But it’s just another thing that shows me how down to earth she is.