The Favoured, The Fair and Ms. Vérité Claire

9 Not Tonight, Josephine

When her cousin Blanca called at ten o'clock at night, Julia foolishly thought it was to thank her for the scarf she'd brought her back from Paris.

"Do you want to come out for my birthday?"

"Aunt Helen knows I'm coming."

"Not to dinner at the house. Out out. It's a party boat on the lake, but I've got to know soon so I can get the tickets."

"Who else is coming?"

"Just me and Theresa and the boys. You're not still seeing that Orson guy, are you?"

"Occasionally," Julia lied, "but he hates boats."

"Great. So you're in?"

"Sure! It sounds like fun."

"What are you going to be?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's on Halloween so that means dress up."

Julia could practically hear the shoulder shrugging through the phone.

"Oh."

"Theresa wants to be a nun. A pregnant nun. How original. Anyway, I was thinking of being a ballerina but a sexy ballerina. Or a fairy, but sexy still."

"Cute."

"So you just tell me what you need to make the costume and I'll pick it up."

"Ohh, you want me to design it?"

"Duuuh! You're a designer. Besides, it's not like I'm asking you to do the wings. I have those."

"Gee, Blanca, Halloween's in a week and a half. That's not a ton of time and I have loads of work to do."

Blanca snorted and then in the most patronizing tone said, " I know your job has you running in circles, but I wouldn't be asking if I didn't think you were the best. Pleeease?"

"Okay," Julia relented.

"Great. I'll text you pics."

Over the next week and a bit, Julia created a costume for Blanca, covering a bodice with sequins and a store bought tutu with gossamer shreds. Then Theresa called complaining her nun's habit was too itchy. Julia made her a breathable satin slip to wear underneath it which could accommodate her growing tummy.

Like a cobbler without shoes, it was no great surprise to Julia that she had little time left to make a costume for herself. Instead she stopped by a theatre costume rental shop that was well picked-over for the holiday season. As luck would have it, she was smitten with a blue and cream regency style dress labelled 'Napoleon's Josephine', and even though it was a little snug at the bust, it was flattering, available and would have to do.

As Julia dressed the evening of the party, she piled her hair on top of her head in a set of stylish curls and applied thick false lashes to balance the fact that she wore little make up other than minimal blush. Blanca and Paul picked her up a half hour late, blaming each other, as Julia climbed in the back, for the difficulty they were going to have finding parking. The arguing only ceased when Blanca looked over the back of her seat and stopped short, mid-gripe, to stare at Julia's chest and shake her head with hummed disapproval.

"Like Pillsbury popping out of a can," she tsked.

"What now?" Julia said trying to see through her cousin's giant fairy wings.

"Showing off much? Your boobs look outrageous in that dress."

Paul looked through the rearview. "Whoa!" He was supposed to be some Western version of Clint Eastwood in a poncho. He looked more like Juan Valdez.