“I didn’t account for this when I was wardrobe planning,” Kara confessed. She spun Tzipi around to inspect how much of the black cutaway gown left Tzipi’s shoulder tattoo exposed. “Nope, that won’t work. Even if we tried concealer and a setting powder, these embellishments would rub them off.”
The embellishments in question were thin silver chains with sprays of Swarovski crystals that draped across her back where the Italian silk left skin exposed. It was the most glamorous thing Tzipi had ever stepped into, and she could instantly picture Kara wearing it to a red carpet premiere.
Which made it hard to reconcile that the vision in the mirror was following her orders, lifting hand to chest as she turned to inspect Lorne’s flowers sprouting from under the black silk.
“What about that blue velvet, there?” Tzipi pointed. It was long sleeved, with full back coverage and looked infinitely warmer. Especially when Kara pulled it from the hotel closet rack, revealing the wide legs of a pantsuit, although the front plunged dramatically.
“Shoot. I wore this on the boat last year! Sorry, Tiz. It would invite too much speculation…and comparison. Couldn’t you just see the side-by-side pictures now?”
Ah, the old Who Wore It Better catfight, usually reserved for an aging starlet and an up-and-coming young actress whose stylists had unfortunately chosen identical gowns. In this case, it would be who wore it better, last year’s real McCoy, or this year’s knockoff decoy.
“What about the Milly dress I bought yesterday?”
“Super cute find! Boho Hepburn vibes.”
In Kara-speak, that was a no. And Tzipi had to agree. She had purchased it with her short hair in mind, not these voluptuous waves that would overpower such an adorable frock. And, as much as she loved it (enough to pull it off the rack and try it on without glancing at the price tag) it did not have “party cruise past midnight” energy. More like “curled up in a cozy West Village café sipping coffee on a lazy Saturday afternoon” vibes.
Maybe she would do that, once the big night was behind her. Something to look forward to. For now, she had to keep her eye on the ball. Or, more accurately, the Baller.
Tzipi's phone buzzed on the bed. She glanced at it.
A text from one of Lorne's stunt friends in Melbourne.
Thinking of you this weekend, Tzipi. Saturday's gonna be hard.
She set the phone face-down.
"You okay?" Kara lowered the dress she'd been holding up.
"It's already Friday in Australia. Saturday…" Tzipi's voice dwindled. "Lorne would’ve been thirty-one. I can only imagine what my Facebook feed is going to look like all weekend. Happy birthday in heaven posts…pictures and those well-meaning 'gone but not forgotten' tributes on his wall from everyone who worked with him."
Kara's face shifted – guilt creeping in. "Tiz, I wasn't thinking about the date when I asked you to –"
"No, Kar." Tzipi shook her head. " Trust me, the Matzo Baller is exactly the distraction I need."
Kara sat on the edge of the bed. "You could stay off social media too. Take a break for the weekend."
"Yeah." Tzipi picked up another dress without really seeing it. "Maybe I should."
“I’ve got it!” Kara hopped up, pulling a whisper of a gown from the closet. “Try,” she insisted at Tzipi’s skeptical look.
Holding her breath, Tzipi stepped into the dress and let Kara zip the back. It was delicate and dramatic all at once. For one, it was silver, but not flashy in the way some silver dresses screamed. Net tulle draped this way and that, soft and matte. One layer of the material on its own would be too sheer, but the design ingeniously combined many layers to hang, elegant and flattering, on Tzipi’s every curve. The only shine came from a glittery, beaded peek at the V-neck bodice, which was half-hidden by swaths of the fabric and a long, cape-like sleeve on one side.
The side that happened to be her tattooed shoulder.
Tulle draped high along her back, with just enough of a dip to feel glam but still provide full coverage of the inked flowers. And something about the sleeve, although sheer, drew the eye. The asymmetrical design provided the illusion of coverage, but the other bare shoulder and hint of cleavage kept the dress unapologetically sexy. The overall effect had Tzipi mesmerized by her own refection.
“It checks all the boxes.” Kara stood back, crossing her arms with satisfaction. “And wowza, hotter on you than me!”
Tzipi wasn’t sure about that. Kara looked great in just about anything.
“But I am you, remember?”
The girls dissolved into laughter, which felt like a balm to Tzipi’s frayed nerves. Could they really pull this off?
In some ways, she had the easy part. Board boat, smile, be seen. Kara had to elude the public…and pull off a wedding without Hollywood (and Shel’s Grandma Ackerman) finding out.
“What will you be wearing? Are you getting nervous?”
