6. Yes to the Dress
Six
Yes to the Dress
DESTINY
“Ican’t believe you’re getting marriedddd!
” Stasha cooed. Aside from Eden, she was my other best friend—my only other friend, really.
Since I kept to myself and stayed in the church, I didn’t have a huge group of friends.
Stasha had been down with me since junior high and accepted me the way I was.
She loved the church just as much as I did, so we had more common interests than Eden and I.
The past two weeks had been a blur of meetings, calls, and expensive decisions, and I would be walking down the aisle in exactly twenty-seven days. I should have been a nervous wreck, but I had so much going on that I didn’t even have time to be nervous.
“Me either,” Eden said dully as she scrolled on her phone before looking up at me in disgust. “I fucking hate it!” she spat.
“Language!” Stasha fussed before sending a smile my way.
“I think she looks beautiful.” Eden and Stash were always the angel and demon battling it out on my shoulders.
Eden had been encouraging me to get in trouble since she could speak, and Stasha had been the one to talk me down.
Usually Stasha won, but today may have been one of those rare occasions where Eden took home the W.
“Yes, she looks beautiful because she is beautiful. But this dress looks like a tulle sleep paralysis demon. Listen, I agreed to help, but I refuse to put the stamp of approval on this ugly shit, and if you think I’m gon’ follow suit in my bridesmaid’s dress, you got another thing coming.
These titties will be making an appearance.
” She squeezed them together for emphasis.
“They’re always present and accounted for,” I said, rolling my eyes. That day, she wore a tube top that had me wondering how it even stayed up with her pierced nipples poking out.
“Whatever. So, when do I get to meet this nigga?” she asked, popping her gum.
“Soon. I meet his family tonight, so maybe we can set something up soon. This wedding planning has us busy."
“I look forward to it.” She smirked. I gulped, feeling nervous all of a sudden. I knew that if Eden found out about the arrangement, she would raise all kinds of hell. All I could do was pray that we made it down the aisle before that happened.
“Y’all, I’m starting to think that I won’t find anything,” I whined. We had been at it for hours and nothing I tried on felt like the one… I didn’t even feel pretty.
“Can I help?” Eden huffed. I had been turning down her suggestions, knowing that she would have me in something way outside of my comfort zone.
“Fine,” I mumbled as Stasha helped me out of the long sleeved, lace dress that came all the way up to my neck and had a huge skirt. Eden rushed out to the floor without another word.
“You sure you trust her with this?” Stasha asked apprehensively.
“I mean… It’s not like it can get any worse.
” I shrugged, making her frown. I had almost forgot that she was the one helping me pick all the others, but something had to give.
At that point I was about to end up wearing the green dress that Brick hated so much.
As if on cue, the moment he crossed my mind, his name flashed across my screen.
Brickly
How is it going?
I haven’t found anything that I liked yet… How’s work?
Brickly
A shit show. Two of my best girls got into it. Started fighting on the floor, and I had to fire them.
Dang! You fired them because they were fighting?
Brickly
I fired them because they fucked up the money. I had to reimburse people for spilled drinks and food because they couldn’t keep their emotions in check. If you don’t find anything, let me know. We may have to find you someone out of state, or get a custom design, but I’ll handle it.
Thank you, Brickly.
Brickly
No problem, Peep.
“Okayyyy, so I know you wanna be all modest, but I feel like we need a happy medium. We gotta give a little bit of titty to keep from looking like a nun,” Eden said as she rushed back in the room.
“What’s wrong with nuns?” Stasha frowned. Eden turned and looked her square in the face. The two of them never got along.
“Nuns don’t get married, Stasha—or fucked.” Her face softened when she turned back to me. “Try this on.”
“I don’t know… It looks a little much,” I said, swallowing nervously.
“It’s not that bad, I promise. Just a little shoulder and the slightest cleavage.”
“Yeah, but you know they won’t approve,” I said softly. Even though he was the reason I was in this crazy predicament, for some reason, Daddy’s approval still mattered to me.
“They ain’t paying for shit,” she argued. “Des, please. If you don’t like it, no harm, no foul. I won’t be upset. I just want you to try it. You tried on every dress Stasha picked out. Please just try one for me?” I knew she wasn’t trying to make me feel guilty, but I did.
I stepped back into the dressing room and climbed into the satiny dress.
At first glance, it was pretty, with a neckline that I never would have chosen for myself and long off the shoulder sleeves.
Eden came in to help me zip myself up and we both stared straight ahead in the mirror.
My mouth dropped when I saw how my body looked in the dress…
How I looked in the dress. I didn’t go to prom, so this was my first time wearing something so fancy.
“Now, before you turn it down, just hear me out. We can press your hair out, a little makeup… Just—” Eden started, moving around me in a circle as she spoke.
“I love it,” I cooed dreamily, unable to take my eyes away from my reflection.
“What?” she choked out like she just knew I was about to shoot her down.
“I love it… I feel so pretty.” I sighed, fighting back tears.
“Because you are. I keep telling you that, bitch!” She said, immediately extinguishing the sappy mood.
“Now let’s run up this black card and find me something that’ll get my ass ate out the frame during the reception!
” I laughed as she skipped out of the room again.
Before I stepped out to show Stasha, I picked up my phone and texted Brick again.
I think I found it!
Brickly
That fast? Bet! Send me a pic!
That’s bad luck! We need all the luck we can get!
Brickly
Damn, my fault. Can’t wait to see it tho’! & make sure you get everything you need. Call me later.
Thank you! & I will!
I smiled as I put the phone down, hoping that he would like it.
Wait, do I want him to like the dress, or me IN the dress? Get it together, Des. Don’t even start getting in your head like that. It’s not like that with him!
“Oh, wait, this one?” Stasha asked with a scrunched-up face. “I think we should keep looking. Surely we can find you one that’s a bit more covered up.”
“Stash, I love this dress. I’m getting it.
” I quickly shut down any argument she raised because I was tired and still had to meet with Brick’s family for dinner immediately after.
I rolled my eyes when she pouted. She was always encouraging me to be modest and Godly, but there she sat in a skintight crop top and even tighter jeans.
The irony smacked me in my face that she was just as out there as all the other girls that she judged so heavily.
We wrapped it up, making plans to get together again soon to nail down their bridesmaids’ dresses.
Since my circle was the size of a coaster, we opted to keep the wedding party small—Eden and Stash on my side, and Brick’s brothers on his.
After we left the bridal shop, I hurried to the address that Mrs. West gave me for family dinner.
When I arrived at her house, I parked, looked down at my outfit, and sighed, wishing I had time to change out of the peplum top and boyfriend jeans that I had on.
“I really do look like Little Bo Peep,” I huffed to myself.
Once my allowance kicked in, I had to go shopping.
I could admit to myself that I was tired of dressing like a sixty-year-old woman while simultaneously giving pre-schooler.
I only had a moment to dwell on my outfit because Brick pulled up right next to me in a money green sports car, revving the engine and nearly scaring me to death.
I saw him laugh at the way I jumped, then climb out, strolling over to me in an all green outfit that matched his car.
Brick was never dressed super flashy, but it was apparent that everything he wore was expensive, and he almost always had on his diamond chain that glittered in the sun.
“What’s good, Peep?” he asked loudly as he closed in on me. I just smiled sheepishly, watching the way his tongue rolled over his bottom lip and feeling something flutter beneath my belly button.
Oh NO, Destiny! No ma’am.
“Hey,” I said quietly. His eyes swept over me as he sighed in acceptance.
“What’s wrong? You nervous?” he asked.
“I mean, a little. What if they hate me?”
“Then fuck them niggas,” he said with a laugh.
“Listen, no matter what happens, we good. They not gon’ fuck with you…
Well Kilo’s dumb ass might, but don’t take it personal.
I think somebody put that nigga in the microwave as a baby or something.
” That got a giggle out of me, but I quickly went somber again as a clean, black, old school Challenger pulled up followed by a candy red Lamborghini.
I rocked on my heels nervously, refusing to even glance back at my 2012 Camry that had seen better days.