At first, everyone crowds into my tiny bedroom to paw through my clothes. When Maya suggests a power suit, Laney gently shoos everyone back to the living room, promising a fashion show.A power suit?I mouth at Laney, who shrugs helplessly. I have never understood Maya’s obsession with boring suits.
“Does she think I’m heading for an interview?” I whisper to Laney.
“An interview with his dick maybe,” Laney taunts. “It is called a blowjob,after all.”
I throw a pillow at Laney, who cackles like a misfit.
“Alright, alright. I give,” Laney holds up her hands when I threaten her with another pillow. “Let’s find something to knock L’Corte’s socks off.”
We start with the standard little black dress. Usually, I feel fabulous in my LBD. The nipped-in waist with a shiny black belt makes me look curvier than I am, but somehow, it falls flat today. It looks stilted and too formal. Next, I try something a little more casual: a boho print, off-the-shoulder mini dress. The lackluster response from my friends when I sashay into the living room lets me know for sure that this isn’t the right dress. I’m not sure when my roommates Yasmin and Natasha joined the party, but they both give a thumbs down at the outfit.
When I head back to my room, I look at the haphazard pile of clothes mounded on my bed in dismay. Laney suddenly gasps from the depths of my closet.
“I’ve got it!” she declares triumphantly.
Laney pulls out another black dress I had almost forgotten I owned. It’s my spite dress, the dress I wear when I know I’m going to bump into an ex. I once wore it to my least favorite aunt’s birthday party after she told me how I would never land a man because I was too ‘mouthy’. I forgot I owned it; I haven’t felt spiteful in a long time.
The dress is a black lace sheath. Strategic black lining beneath the lace gives the dress a two-piece look with my midriff only covered by the floral crocheted lace. The scalloped hem flirts with my thighs, showing a whole lotta leg.
Wordlessly, Laney hands me a pair of strappy heels.
This time when I enter the living room, everyone starts whooping and whistling at me.
“That is a dangerous dress,” Ally says in awe.
“That’s a baby-making dress!” Chelsea exclaims, making everyone fall all over themselves laughing.
“When he sees you, he won’t know what hit him,” Laney vows from behind me.
Chapter 14
L’Corte
After I buzz Trinh’s door, I can hear several excited-sounding feminine voices on the other side of the barrier. When the door slides open, I am surprised to see the room filled with Trinh’s friends. Trinh, however, is nowhere in sight.
“Hi, L’Corte,” the group of women all singsong in chorus.
“Good evening, ladies,” I reply. “I am here for Trinh. Is she here?”
One of them calls out to Trinh.
I look at the group of women, who are giggling and whispering among themselves. There are several bottles of alcohol and half-empty glasses littering various surfaces around the room. This feels like I’m witnessing some kind of human female ritual.
“Hey,” I hear Trinh’s voice. I look up from my perusal of the alcohol and momentarily forget how to breathe.
“You look… I don’t have the words to express how beautiful you look,” I finally manage to gasp out.
The chorus of awwws from around the room reminds me that we are not alone. It keeps me from snatching Trinh up and taking her back into her bedroom like I want to.
I offer the crook of my arm to Trinh, like I have seen in some of the human romance movies. I am pleased to be correct when this elicits another round of cooing from our audience and a happy smile from Trinh.
When the door closes behind us, I hear a sudden clamor of noise from the other side of the door. A few Cerasteans I am friends with have become quite enamored with the human game rugby. This sound is similar to the noise my friends make when a team scores a point.
“Ignore them,” Trinh murmurs, tugging on my arm when I look back at the door in consternation.
“Is this a human thing?”
“Kinda. It’s more like a ‘my goofy friends’ thing. Don’t worry about it. They mean well, I think.”
