I Do...

Chapter 12

“Right now let’s find a dress for you!” exclaimed Aria as she ran over to the nearest rail of dresses.

“Can I help you madam?” said a tall scrawny woman aged around fifty, walking over in our direction.

“Uh yes...Becky’s getting married and well she needs a dress.” Said Aria nervously.

The woman stared at Aria for a moment and then turned to me and looked me up and down. I began to feel anxious and as if she was criticising me without even speaking.

“Right well did you have your mind on anything in particular?” She said; her grey eyes still boring into me.

I stuttered for a minute trying desperately to form a sentence to please this deathly looking woman as she studied me for an answer.

“Um I was thinking something like a Vera Wang style meringue. Maybe with a purple ribbon around the waist?” I said hoping that I had said the right thing. I sure wouldn’t want to argue with this deadly woman. I might have been a customer but felt more like I was being interrogated.

“I can assure you that our stock is more classic than that. Can I interest you in say...this?” she said reaching over and pulling out a dress with her long talons. Yes...talons, no exaggeration there. This woman looked like the creepy woman off Shutter Island. I looked at the dress that she held up in front of me before turning to Aria. She too held the same slightly worried, stunned face that I imagined was on mine. The dress had long puffy sleeves with a lace trim around the cuffs, and then layers upon layers of lacy frills on the skirt. It was the kind of dress that even my nan would be ashamed of. I kept looking at it and all along it made me wonder how this woman was still in business. Who even wore this kind of thing? Was this a twenty first century bridal shop or a renaissance one?

I smiled nervously at the woman. “Um it’s very unique... isn’t it Aria?”

“Yeah...different.” She said looking at me not sure what else to say.

I watched as the women tried to explain what “lovely” features it had. I almost wanted to laugh. She couldn’t be serious right?

“So would you like to try it on?” She said whilst flashing a crooked smile.

Those were the words I had been dreading. Mainly because I knew that when the time came I knew I wouldn’t know how to answer. I heard Aria let out a sudden cry of laughter. The woman quickly snapped her head in the direction of her and frowned at her. Aria cleared her throat as if to mask her outburst and turned to look at some dresses on the rail next to where she was standing.

I turned back from looking at Aria to see that the woman was now looking at me. She startled me so much that I jumped backwards and nearly fell over mirror that was placed in the corner. I got myself together, my mind racing over what I was going to say to this woman.

“Uh...” I stuttered. I was brought out of my panic when my phone started to ring. I pulled the phone out of my handbag and looked at the caller ID; it was Cassie. I looked back up at the woman who’s expression had intensified even more since the last time I had caught a glimpse of it. How that was even possible was beyond me. I looked back at the phone and decided that albeit Cassie this was my only chance to get out of this shop.

“Ah Casandra...” I said trying to sound sophisticated as not to annoy this woman standing before me anymore.

“Oh. My. God Becky! Don’t ever call me that! Urgh!” I heard Cassie say in rather a disgusted tone. I ignored her and continued my charade. 

“Oh you’ve got the figures from last week’s meeting! Oh brilliant, look let me just put you on hold for a jiffy!”

I heard Cassie mumble “What are you on about babe?” underneath my hand that was now covering my phone to prevent Cassie’s classy tone of voice from escaping my phone and being heard by the bride of Frankenstein.