Hues of two seasons

36. I ever only wanted you

LIVELY

My one-on-one rehearsal with the woman named Josie was surprisingly comical, or at least she made it so when she noticed everything was too much for me to digest in the span of an hour. We had our laughs, but through that, she taught me how to handle nerves, which was mostly important for me. Then we moved on to how I'm expected to maintain my body language and posture. She acquainted me with the list of names and titles of the guests that will be attending, as I surprisingly needed elegant vocabulary for my greetings and conversation skills. So, I learned today. 'Welcome to our celebration, your presence truly elevates this special occasion,' or 'Your company is deeply valued,' or some other rubbish she jotted down, expecting me to memorize before the event. We had more lessons on stress management and self-acceptance, which was a touchy topic that was weirdly empowering. Even dining etiquette needed to be taught, which made sense considering why Aaron is the way he is with the sandwich I made him at the country club. Oh, and making engagements with strangers for connections. She gave me limited time to engage with my family and even an assignment to make five friends and exchange contact information with them by the end of the day.

"How were your rehearsals?" Sadie asked as two people worked on my hair in my room.

"Lots and lots of expectations," I sighed. Mimicking the fruity, fancy tone Josie said was tasteful, I added, "I adore your dress; it's simply exquisite. Have you tried the caviar? The catering is by our exceptional country club chefs. It would be great to catch up in—Monaco."

We made faces as though wanting to spit out something unpleasant and gagged in the mirror at the same time, transitioning into a peel of laughter.

"What the fuck? And they say wealthy people's lives aren't entertaining," she cried, in between having a belly laugh.

The sun had set, and Sadie was already dressed in a stunning, curvy gown of vibrant red with sparkling details from my closet. I didn't know how it got there, but it was in my possession until now. The straps were off-the-shoulder, with a high slit on the left side that perfectly served her modeling legs. Her hair was dyed back to full brunette and styled smoothly, parted in the middle, and ending in subtle waves with tiny pearls embedded in her beautiful hair. Her makeup was well-executed: a smoky look with shaped brows, well-blended eyeshadow, contoured cheekbones, and a nude lip shade, all in neutral tones, complementing her flawless skin.

"You are so beautiful," I told her, and she smiled bashfully. "You'll probably be giving everyone a jaw-dropper."

"Purrrr," She tilted her head with her hand placed under her chin, cunningly posing. She really is just a vibe.

Flattered as she reigns in compliments, she reaches out from the other chair, and I take her hand, squeezing it as she does the same. The styling team continues their craft on me for the next hour.

My long, fitted gown was a champagne color, adorned with beaded, sparkling lace in vine-like embroidery. It had a strapless bodice with a deep, plunging neckline and a detachable flowing overskirt of champagne gold satin fabric, matching the dramatic off-the-shoulder puff sleeves. I love it, as it delivers a confident semblance, especially at this moment when I have little of it. My hair was styled in a loose, romantic low bun with wavy strands cascading around my well-blended makeup. The entertaining stylist tried numerous pieces of jewelry on me until they settled on only dangling earrings and no necklace.

"Perfect!" Mike, one of the four stylists, uttered with pride as he stared at me seated on the chair facing him. Sadie beaming approvingly, high-fived him. "Okay, I need a picture to promote my business." He excitedly pulled out his phone from his pocket and started snapping shots while I awkwardly struggled with poses.