Rainy Day Stories

The Fitting Room

The bubbles from the champagne tickled her nose as she took a big sip. Her eyes crossed with the effort to look past the stemmed flute at the semi-circle of women watching her. Natalie sighed.

"Bring me another one and keep them coming," she told one of the salespeople thrusting the now-empty glass towards her. Yeah, she didn't miss the looks between the two skeletons perched on 4-inch heels. Natalie waved her hand shooing the glass-holder away. She should have eloped, but no, she wanted a big wedding. If she had understood what sort of bridal hell she would find herself in, she would have drug Clyde to the airport and hopped the first flight to Vegas.

As hard to believe as it is, Natalie was getting married. Yes, it was to a man named Clyde Barrow, and Natalie wasn't going to change her name to Bonnie. Her fiance was handsome and a corporate banker (Pay attention! Not a bank robber!). Back to the task at hand. She needed to find a wedding dress. This was the reason for her excessive champagne consumption and the critics sitting in the chairs.

The dress she was currently wearing was a favorite of hers. It reminded her of something Grace Kelly would have worn in a movie from the 1950's. She turned around on the raised platform towards her family and friends.

"I don't know. It looks too old fashioned," Natalie's friend, Claudia noted. There were a couple of nods from the peanut gallery.

"It does nothing for your figure, dear. It makes you look round." Thanks, Mom. Way to make a girl feel beautiful.

"Let's try something else," Natalie grumbled as she and her skeletal sidekicks headed back to try on another dress. This gown had a modern, sleek look. Natalie thought it seemed like a thousand other dresses, she had seen in bridal magazines. She headed back to the main room and stood in front of the group once again.

"It doesn't have enough bling," her cousin, Margie, piped in. The others tipped their heads this way and that asking her to turn around.

"Maybe you should try something else, sweetie?" Granny was being tactful. Natalie looked around frantically for her champagne.

"Hit me!" She flung out her hand for a glass of the bubbly stuff sucking it down with a giant belch. Oops, not so lady-like. Her mom would ream her later. So it was back to the changing room once again. The Skeletor Twins didn't mention that Natalie was now weaving a tad bit when she walked there.

The next dress was backless, strapless and sparkly. She wondered how the white garment would stay up with so many sparkly things sewn onto the fabric. She dragged the train behind her as she held onto its non-existent bodice. As she attempted to step up onto the 'Platform of Torture', Natalie tripped. She heard the drawn out sound of a collective gasp as she fell to her knees.

"S'all right. I kept the girls covered." Thing 1 and 2 helped her to her feet. She patted them on the shoulders. She might have patted them a little too forcefully because Thing 2 fell on her bony tush on the floor. "So, so sorry." Natalie snickered as she spun around to face the firing squad. Their mouths hung open with horror, disgust, disbelief or boredom. Who knows? Natalie didn't care by this point. She didn't wait for their verbal opinion of the dress; the nonverbal one was enough. She hiked it up over her knees and headed with halting steps towards the changing room.

The next dress was backless, strapless, and the hem hit her mid-thigh. She wondered if fishnet hosiery came in white. Maybe a pair of white Go Go boots from the 60's would be the thing? That way she could have a retro vibe along with the whole hooker bride look. She tried talking to the waif-like women, but they must be some type of elves because they didn't understand a word she said, Natalie could tell.

With all of the dignity she could muster, she managed to navigate the hallway to that horrible place with the big mirrors. Her friends and family were speechless when they saw this wedding finery. They must really love this dress! Without hesitation, she turned to those poor, underfed ladies and using her loudest voice stated, "I'll take it."

Wouldn't Clyde be surprised on their wedding day?