Mr. Lawson's Assistant

Chapter 47

On the way home, after David shifted the conversation from Damon Lawson, he told me that he'd had to call into the army base he was stationed at up north and take a temporary leave because of his injuries. In short, he was going to be staying with me longer than expected. Of course, I complained and told him that he needed to find somewhere else to stay, but I was actually overjoyed. I loved my brother so much, and having him with me, especially over the past few weeks, had been amazing.
A few days after David checked out of the hospital, Soma returned from her family and things started to fade back to the usual. In a way, I resented the same old routine every day, but at the same time, I hoped it never changed. Part of me still longed for the adrenaline rush that I'd constantly been feeding off for the crazy events that had wrecked my life one after another the past month or so. Though, I'd never admit that to anyone.
Soma pushed me to call or text Damon about the second date he'd mentioned, but I refused. As far as I knew, he'd completely forgotten about me. For whatever reason, that thought always brought a pang to my chest, even though I knew it shouldn't. I blamed it on the fact that I'd seen him almost constantly in the past three weeks, and my mind had settled on the fact that he was a new addition to my life. But he wasn't. Luckily, I had work, David, and Soma to keep my mind occupied, until slowly, I settled back into the average life I was living.
*
"For goodness sake, Oana, when was the last time you went shopping?" Soma exclaimed, running her hands quickly through my closet. "I'm not taking you out on a girls night in any of these- whatever you want to call them..." She pursed her pink lips and turned to me with critical brown eyes. "We're going shopping."
I balked, "Now?"
"Yes. Right this instant."
"I don't want to spend my weekend-"
Soma cut me off, like she always did and silenced my arguments. "Shut up, get your money, and get out to my car." She demanded, then she turned on her heels and marched out of my room.
*
"Ooo! This one will look so good on you!" Soma squealed, jerking another dress off the rack.
I ducked my head and sighed. "I don't think I need another-"
"What's one more?"
Soma proceeded to load seven more dresses into my arms, before I was able to escape to the changing room. By the time I was changed into the first dress, I'd already decided that I was willing to slash both mine and Soma's tires to avoid going out in these ridiculous dresses. 
"Oh my gosh," Soma's mouth fell open when I shuffled out of the dressing room, "We're definitely-"
"Not getting this one." I cut in, turning to where the navy dress had a slit nearly up to my hip bone. Giving Soma a look, I trudged back into the dressing room to repeat that same process four more times. "Soma, this is pointless!" I argued, spinning around in the floor length dress. All the dresses were all too tight, bright or ugly. So far, Soma had liked every single one.
"Just go put on the next one- and give me your phone!" She jumped up from her perch on the bench just outside my changing room and snatched my phone from my hand. I rolled my eyes and dragged my feet all the way back inside the dressing room. Stripping out of the fourth dress, I glanced at the next one on the rack. It was a deep crimson color, and unlike the other dresses, it actually had sleeves. Off the shoulder sleeves, but sleeves. Sighing, I tucked some loose brown curls behind my ear and unzipped the dress, stepping into the opening. It fit snugly around my thighs and hips, but not too snugly to where I couldn't breathe. As I struggled with the zipper, I spun around and tripped on my shoes that I'd left on the floor near the full-length mirror.
"Ow!" I crashed into the wall, still grasping at the zipper.
"Oana?"
It wasn't Soma's voice that I heard in the changing room next to mine, and as I slowly balanced myself, I stared quizzically up at the empty space above the wall between me and the other woman.
"Yes...?"
"Girl, I knew it!"
I suddenly recognized Kenya's voice, then heard Soma knocking on my door, demanding that I was taking too long.
Kenya laughed from the other room, "Hold on, I'm coming out to see you!"
I stepped out into the hallway and turned to greet Kenya, ignoring Soma's exaggerated gasp.
My friend appeared from the dressing room beside mine with a bright, patterned sun dress on, matching her familiar golden earrings.
"Oana- woah..." Kenya stopped, her lips parting slightly as she gave me a quick once over, and then another. "Tell me you're buying that?" Kenya looked at me with wide eyes, but I didn't have time to answer.
"She's definitely buying it." Soma cut in, nodding in approval.
I frowned and gestured to both of my friends. "Soma, meet Kenya. Kenya, Soma," I murmured, but both the girls had already taken care of the introduction themselves.
"I think a pair of silver hoops would look amazing with that dress-" Soma was chattering. Kenya gave me another look and nodded again.
"And she needs black heels-"
That's when I shook my head and held up my hand to halt the conversation.
"I'm not wearing-"
"Yes, you are." The two women said in unison.
I raised my eyebrows and glanced between the two, almost as surprised as they were. Slowly, I started back into the dressing room, but Soma threw out both her hands, stopping me.
"No! If you try on any more you won't buy any of them. Give me the dress and get changed, we're going out for lunch."
I glanced at Kenya and she smiled her brilliant, white smile, motioning that I move along into the changing room.
*
"My mom said she talked to Mrs. Lawson yesterday," Kenya started, and before she even said the second half of her sentence, I knew what she was going to say, "She said that Damon took you on a date?" Kenya's soulful black eyes sparkled when I looked away, suddenly very interested in the dining table in front of me. Soma and I were sitting on one side of the table, and Kenya was across from me. We were all eating burgers at Five Guys. After all that shopping (two hours) I needed a burger to bring me back to good spirits.
"He picked me up from the hospital and gave me a choice between Italian and Mexican. The choice of going on the date at all wasn't an option." I muttered, biting off a piece of a French fry. Soma and Kenya exchanged glances like they hadn't just met for the first time an hour ago, then they both turned to me a smiled. "Why are you guys looking at me like that?" I asked suspiciously,  pausing between another bite of fries.
"I invited Kenya to hang out with us tonight on our girls night, and we decided that after our movie, we can all go eat at that nice new restaurant on main street."
Kenya added, "And, you're wearing that new dress!"
I started to argue but stopped when I saw both of their expressions. "I'm not getting out of this, am I?"
"Nope. And you're wearing my heels too." Soma grinned.