Once Upon A...Oh, Never Mind!

The Dress of the Century

Chapter 9---The Dress of the Century

“Ember, meet Regine. She is going to be your dress designer,” Jenn said, introducing me to a middle-aged redhead, holding measuring tape and bobby pins.

We were standing in a small shop downtown. This is a place where Ruby and Jade would never think to go. They hate this area because they think it's not classy enough for shopping.

“How much is this going to cost me?” I asked.

“Fifty bucks,” Regine replied.

“Fifty dollars for a customized dress? That's less than what I probably would've spent on an already made outfit.”

“She's working on the cheap side just for you,” Dex said. “Plus, Jenn and I are each pitching in a twenty, so you only have to pay fifteen.”

“Why are you guys doing all of this?” I asked.

“Because we're your best friends, and we hate seeing you unhappy,” Jenn explained.

“And I'm honestly getting sick of your complaints about the witches,” Dex added.

Jenn slapped his arm.

“I'm just being honest!” Dex told her.

“What did I ever do to deserve such great friends?”

“Who knows,” Jenn said, shrugging.

“Alright. Let me get your measurements,” Regine said.

After she wrote down all of the measurements, she observed me: my hair, my skin color, my eye color, my height, the build of my body, and my personal style.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Yeah. Shouldn't we be working on the dress design?” Jenn asked.

“Already done,” Regine said. “I have the perfect outfit in mind.”

“But it's supposed to be customized,” Dex said. “Shouldn't Ember get a say in what it looks like?”

“That's why I observed her,” Regine explained.

“But what good will that do?” Jenn asked.

“I have a knack for knowing what people want, and Ember, you my friend are going to have the dress of the century. There's not telling what will happen when you walk into that room. All I know is that you will be turning heads. I assure you.”

I was skeptical. “How can you guarantee that?”

Regine handed me a piece of paper and a pen. “It's a secret. Now, all you have to do is give me your phone number. Then I'll start working on the dress.”

“Can we at least see a sketch for the dress?” Dex asked.

Regine shook her head. “That would ruin the element of surprise. My pieces are works of art that cannot just be publicly displayed whenever you please. The dress will take no longer than eight hours to make.”

“That quickly?” I questioned. “Don't designers usually have to work slowly on their dresses in order to get all the finishing touches in place.”

“I'm not like other designers. I work fast. I don't need days to complete a project. Just trust me. Once you put on that dress, you will feel and look like a princess.”

“That better be one heck of a dress,” Jenn stated.

“It will be. Don't worry.” Regine said. “Now off you go. I must be alone in order to complete my next masterpiece.”