Jennie
Kevin dropped us off in a wealthy shopping district and I found myself staring at golden window displays as toothpick thin women passed me by, bumping into me with their enormous shopping bags as they spoke in hushed tones about the latest gossip of the season. I pulled Prija into a nail salon and swiped Lisa's card to pay for mani-pedis for the both of us. Prija argued at first but I insisted and then watched as she stared down at the pedicure in awe, enjoying the small bit of luxury.
Then I pulled her towards a dress shop, the only one that I'd ever heard of before. We browsed for a bit on our own but must have looked as lost at sea as we felt because a saleswoman found us soon enough and, as soon as she saw that bit of black plastic in my hands, she started jetting around the room, pulling the most gorgeous gowns she could find.
She settled a stunned Prija onto a puffed up armchair with a complimentary glass of champagne and shoved me into the nearest dressing room with an arm full of silk, satin, and lace.
After trying on five of the most beautiful gowns I'd ever seen, Prija and I settled on a simple black slinky gown which was backless and had a delicious slit on the left side all the way to my thigh. Prija remarked, half-drunk on champagne, that it had the perfect balance of sexy and sophisticated and that was good enough to me. But the saleswoman hummed disapprovingly at my visible bra and assured me that I'd need new lingerie to compliment the look, maybe new lingerie in general.
Overwhelmed by the experience and wanting nothing more than to return home and not try on another garment for as long as I lived, I sent her off with Prija and instructed the helper to buy whatever she thought was necessary.
In the meantime, I collapsed onto one of the fluffy armchairs and pulled out my phone. A notification popped up immediately. I had a text from Lisa.
Lisa: Hope Nan told you about tonight. Looking forward to seeing you all dressed up.
I couldn't help but smile.
"All done." the saleswoman's cheery voice called out from the register. I looked up to see that she was already packing things away as Prija downed her fourth glass of champagne. I joined them there, handing over the card while trying to slip my phone back into my purse, not paying too much attention to what the saleswoman was doing. But then, at the end, when Prija took my dress bag and I was handed the largest shopping bag that I'd ever seen, I finally turned to Prija.
"Um... Prija." I said, while staring down at the frilly tissue paper tucked into the top of the bag intended to discreetly hide the lingerie underneath. "How much lingerie did you buy?"
She cocked her head to the side.
"What I thought was necessary for... oh no!" Prija said, paling. "I thought you meant for... oh dear. You meant for the party tonight, didn't you? Just to go with this dress."
"Prija." I replied calmly. "What did you think I meant?"
Her cheeks tinged pink.
"I unpacked your suitcase." she blurted. "Two bras and a handful of panties. I thought you meant that you needed... more. Since you're staying longer than you thought and, now that you're back with Ms. Manoban, I thought..."
My eyes widened when I realised what the miscommunication had been. I shoved a hand into the bag and pulled out a handful of mixed and matched lace thongs, panties, and bras, with my jaw dropping.
"Oh my goodness." Prija cried in a rush. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Manoban. I didn't mean... are you angry?"
"No, Prija." I told her, making an effort to stay calm to assuage her fears. "I'm not angry but let's not tell Ms. Manoban that this particular purchase is what her card was used for, yes?"
She nodded emphatically, totally wide eyed.
"I think I've had too much champagne." she said and I laughed.
"One can never have too much champagne, Prija." I told her, while leading her out of the store and towards the waiting limo. "But let's head home just the same."
Kevin drove us back to the mansion and I asked Nan to make some coffee and then handed a mug to Prija and we spent the afternoon readying me for the party. I felt like a princess getting ready for a ball and, by the time I had the chance to look myself over in the mirror, a final and finished product, I couldn't help but beam at my own reflection.
