The Beginning

Tess

Imagin-Knit. Black lettering against white concrete hung over a large window. Headless, snow-white mannequins posed in frilly, elegant and unique dresses.

My heart raced as I tried to convince myself to go inside. When Star asked me to take a shopping trip with her, this isn't what I had in mind. I thought we'd go to our local supercenter and make a mad dash for clearance racks like always. I couldn't begin to envision spending hundreds of dollars on a dress that I'd be too frightened to take out of the closet.

"What are we doing here?" I grumbled at her.

"Nicky said we should get something nice." Star moved past me to the entrance.

"Maybe we just go to the Sew and Tell. He might appreciate that we didn't spend that much." I bargained.

"He wants you to get a dress for the funeral." Roni spoke from behind me.

My heart seized and I bounced forward.

She laughed the same way Nicky did when he embarrassed me. "You are so not wearing your twenty-year-old blouse and your patched jeans to my cousin's funeral." She, too, moved past me to stand opposite Star. Both girls framed the doorway. "And you're going to bitch about spending someone else's money?" She looked me up and down, turned toward the door and strode toward it confidently. She pulled it open. Bells that hung on the handle chimed. "Come on, Tess." She hurried.

Taking a breath, I did as she requested.

Inside the boutique, women and girls lined the walls. All of them chattering and sizing themselves up to the material. A group, who'd heard the chime, turned to look at us. Two of the older women immediately began to whisper to one another.

"Don't make eye contact." Roni advised. "Keep walking, head up, shoulders back." Her hand reached out, but only her fingertips pressed into my forearm. "Stop here." She did a quick once over of the gowns in front of us.

"Nicky did say that she might be here." Star whispered in my ear.

"Might?" I growled back. Still tuned into every little musing about us, I spoke to Veronica, "I thought the funeral was family only."

"It would've been, but their dad's side heard the news. They're all coming anyway, so we might as well invite the rest of the strangers." Veronica kissed her teeth. She plucked at something flowy, then looked me up and down. With a snarl, she put it back. "We have to make this quick. Nicky and Santi in the same room doesn't work for very long." She released a sarcastic snort. "Who am I kidding? Nicky with anyone doesn't work very long." Veronica finally turned to look me in the eye. "What are we working with here?" Her eyes bounced from my breasts to hips.

I felt the urge to cover myself.

"You are worse than I remember." Starla shot at Roni, while she swayed in the mirror with a teal dress covered in tool.

Outwardly ignoring the comment, though inwardly chortling, I answered Veronica, "Something loose would work nicely." I started to grab for the flowy number.

Veronica unexpectedly smacked my hand. "Loose?" She gripped my shirt and pulled it taut around my waist.

This time my hands flew to my stomach. "What are you doing?" I bit.

"You have a body, Bowen. You didn't know that already?" Roni released me.

"Honestly, Tess." Star peered at me, her head tilting from side to side. "You've been covering up for so long, I don't think you know what you look like."

I tugged the fabric back into place. "Will you two stop it?"

"Trust me a little." Veronica replied snidely.