Josie. Be happy. Be polite. Try on dresses. Have lunch. Then call Erica and laugh about this until we both cry. I can do this. I can do this . I followed Bitsy and Josie to the back where a rack of dresses awaited us in a black and white room lined with mirrors.
“So, Mrs. Brannon, I know you said bronze, and I pulled a few including this one with the black lace overlay,” said Josie, taking a straight gown with a bateau neckline from the rack. “Let’s start with this one and see where we end up. And Miss Tanner,”
“Please, call me Marisa.”
“Okay. Marisa, for you, I didn’t know, but Mrs. Brannon said no black.”
But that’s my default for formal events.
“Looking at your coloring and hair, I’m leaning towards a deep green or purple. How about we start with this Yigal Azrouël? His work is young and sassy. Plus, it’s full length, but has a great slit up the right leg so we’ll get the best of both worlds.”
“Um, sure,” I said, setting down my now empty wine glass. Okay, courage while I try on this dress, er, “work.” It looks like a pickle. I’ll look like a pickle. “It’s really green,” I ventured.
“You just have to trust Josie. She doesn’t let her clients look anything less than amazing.”
“Okay,” I replied cautiously.
“Wonderful. I’ll wait outside while you dress. I can’t wait to see.” Thank God for small favors. I did not want to stand around in my bra and panties in front of his mother.
“Great. Let’s get you in to this. I have a good feeling. I think it will need a slip. It’s pretty body conscious and it just needs to flow without any puckering.”
“Good thing I wore Spanx today.”
“I know. God bless Sara Blakely. However, you really don’t need them know you.”
I ignored her compliment and stepped out of my work clothes and, with Josie’s help, into the gown. “Well, other than you needing a strapless bra, I think we may have a winner on the first try.”
I admired my reflection. The one-shoulder kelly green dress skimmed my body. The dress was ruched on the neckline and at the right hip, opening to a long slit up the right leg. “Okay, now step into these heels. We’ll pick perfect ones later, but let’s see it on you with the height. Is four inches too high for you? Because if you can stand it, it will really showcase the dress and your legs.”
“It really is lovely. I would have never picked it myself.”
Josie laughed quietly. “Well, there is a reason I have my job.”
“Speaking of that, while Bitsy isn’t around, I want to be honest with you. I’m here with her because she invited me, but I’m just looking. This dress is lovely, but I don’t think I’ll be buying it.”
Josie grinned at me like I was a fool. “You may not be buying it, but I’ll let you in on a secret. It’s going home with you. It’s her treat. She’s one of my best clients so if you’re going to turn that down, you’ll have to take it up with her.”
“My boyfriend’s mother is buying me clothes?” What bizzaro world did I just land in?
Josie nodded. “And shoes. She loves to shop and this event is a big deal to her, so my advice would be to graciously accept.”
“I don’t feel like I’m going to have a choice.”
“Probably not,” Josie shrugged. “Let’s go out and show her.”
I teetered on the four-inch heels in the four-figure dress into the lounge area where Bitsy was flipping through a pile of lookbooks. “Yes. Just yes,” she declared, setting the lookbooks on the side table with a smack. “Josie, you’re a genius. Marisa, you look amazing. And I have the most perfect earrings you can borrow. They are Art Deco teardrops. We’ll sort out a bracelet later. You don’t need a necklace. Don’t you agree, Josie?” She paused in thought, taking me in from all angles before rendering her verdict. “Yes. This is it. That color is just perfect on you.”
“Well, Trip does like me in green.” Again, I thought back to
“So, Mrs. Brannon, I know you said bronze, and I pulled a few including this one with the black lace overlay,” said Josie, taking a straight gown with a bateau neckline from the rack. “Let’s start with this one and see where we end up. And Miss Tanner,”
“Please, call me Marisa.”
“Okay. Marisa, for you, I didn’t know, but Mrs. Brannon said no black.”
But that’s my default for formal events.
“Looking at your coloring and hair, I’m leaning towards a deep green or purple. How about we start with this Yigal Azrouël? His work is young and sassy. Plus, it’s full length, but has a great slit up the right leg so we’ll get the best of both worlds.”
“Um, sure,” I said, setting down my now empty wine glass. Okay, courage while I try on this dress, er, “work.” It looks like a pickle. I’ll look like a pickle. “It’s really green,” I ventured.
“You just have to trust Josie. She doesn’t let her clients look anything less than amazing.”
“Okay,” I replied cautiously.
“Wonderful. I’ll wait outside while you dress. I can’t wait to see.” Thank God for small favors. I did not want to stand around in my bra and panties in front of his mother.
“Great. Let’s get you in to this. I have a good feeling. I think it will need a slip. It’s pretty body conscious and it just needs to flow without any puckering.”
“Good thing I wore Spanx today.”
“I know. God bless Sara Blakely. However, you really don’t need them know you.”
I ignored her compliment and stepped out of my work clothes and, with Josie’s help, into the gown. “Well, other than you needing a strapless bra, I think we may have a winner on the first try.”
I admired my reflection. The one-shoulder kelly green dress skimmed my body. The dress was ruched on the neckline and at the right hip, opening to a long slit up the right leg. “Okay, now step into these heels. We’ll pick perfect ones later, but let’s see it on you with the height. Is four inches too high for you? Because if you can stand it, it will really showcase the dress and your legs.”
“It really is lovely. I would have never picked it myself.”
Josie laughed quietly. “Well, there is a reason I have my job.”
“Speaking of that, while Bitsy isn’t around, I want to be honest with you. I’m here with her because she invited me, but I’m just looking. This dress is lovely, but I don’t think I’ll be buying it.”
Josie grinned at me like I was a fool. “You may not be buying it, but I’ll let you in on a secret. It’s going home with you. It’s her treat. She’s one of my best clients so if you’re going to turn that down, you’ll have to take it up with her.”
“My boyfriend’s mother is buying me clothes?” What bizzaro world did I just land in?
Josie nodded. “And shoes. She loves to shop and this event is a big deal to her, so my advice would be to graciously accept.”
“I don’t feel like I’m going to have a choice.”
“Probably not,” Josie shrugged. “Let’s go out and show her.”
I teetered on the four-inch heels in the four-figure dress into the lounge area where Bitsy was flipping through a pile of lookbooks. “Yes. Just yes,” she declared, setting the lookbooks on the side table with a smack. “Josie, you’re a genius. Marisa, you look amazing. And I have the most perfect earrings you can borrow. They are Art Deco teardrops. We’ll sort out a bracelet later. You don’t need a necklace. Don’t you agree, Josie?” She paused in thought, taking me in from all angles before rendering her verdict. “Yes. This is it. That color is just perfect on you.”
“Well, Trip does like me in green.” Again, I thought back to
Similar Books
