Desolation // l.p.

Chapter XXVIII

"I just want to make sure you have a good time." My mother whines into the phone. I roll my eyes as I turn, watching myself in the mirror.

"And I will. I will call you later." I tell her and hang up the phone, tossing it onto my bed behind me. I didn't even give her the chance to say goodbye. She has me so frustrated that I'm beginning to see red.

I called to tell her about the dinner I was invited to go to for work. That conversation quickly led to her asking what I'll be wearing, which then led to her complaining about every single thing I had picked out. Finally we both settle on a navy dress that I bought when I was with her the other week. She took me clothes shopping in honor of my new job and I ended up getting a few dresses, sone skirts and blouses for me to wear to work. This one having never been worn yet, still has the price tag dangling from my arm pit.

I carefully pull it off, tossing it on my bed and returning my eyes to the mirror. The dress is tight, it has a plummeting v-neck that goes just above being inappropriate but is modest in length. The three-quarter length sleeves are a bit tight in my arms but not uncomfortably tight.

After looking at myself for a few minutes more I'm actually glad my mom told me not to wear the other stuff I had picked out. I look really nice in this dress and each second I spend in it the more appealing the idea of going in it is. I grab my phone laying on top of the duvet and check the time. If I want to be there on time I should probably leave now.

I rush over to my closet and kneel down, noting that the dress has risen significantly in the back to the point where I'm not going to be able to bend over in public. I find my nude pumps that my mother got for me and step into them. They are about four inches high, my new height giving me a new perspective and also a hint of dizziness from standing up so quickly.

Catching my balance, I walk out to the den and glance out the large window. The dark but lit up city always immediately brings a grin to my face. I love how alive the city looks when the sun goes down. It shows that even though the sun is sleeping everyone down here is still awake and even without the light, life does go on.

Mesmorized by it for a few seconds I pull my attention from it and to the small clutch purse that I put together earlier for me to use that is lying carelessly on the sofa. I pick up the delicately beaded white purse remembering everything I've ever known about it.

It was my grandmothers. She carried it the day she got married to my grandfather. She gave it to me when I turned sixteen, it was only a few months before she passed away.

I remember the day she handed it to me. It wasn't wrapped nor was it boxed up with a frilly ribbon tied atop of it. She handed it to me and whispered delicately, that as long as I had it not only her but my grandpa also would always be with me. I didn't understand the value of it when I received it but now I'm glad I have it. It's the last remaining piece I have of either of them. I always try to cherish the moments that I get to use it. It's not often that I will considering how old it is. I'm always afraid of it falling apart under the touch of my clumsy fingers.

A knock thuds in the wood of my door, the sound rings in my ears and my head turns in the direction of it. It must be Alex. This afternoon before I left work he asked if he could accompany me to the dinner. I'm not sure if it was his way of making sure I went, or his way of making sure that I knew he was going but either way I agreed. He's a nice enough guy and I could use a little nice in my life.

I walk as quickly as I can in my heels to the door, opening it up to see Alex with a contagious smile on his face. A dimple pulls into his cheek that I hadn't noticed before. "Are you ready to go?" He inquires.