“I don’t think—”
“No need to thank me!” she sang. “I’ll be right over.”
When the doorbell rang five minutes later, I barely had time to greet Vera before she was bustling into the living room with an armful of dresses that looked like they had had their heyday in 1983.
“I have to get back,” Vera said, heading for the door. “Come by before you leave and let me know which one you picked. I have Hyacinth in charge. You’d think someone who used to work as a phone operator would have an easier time manning the front desk, but she just can’t seem to handle the touch screen. It probably doesn’t help that she starts drinking at ten in the morning.”
“Oh my god,” I said, looking through what Vera had brought. “I can’t wear any of these.”
“It’s one of these or the sweater dress,” Holly reminded me. She held up a dress. “Can’t go wrong with black.”
I tried to squeeze it on, but it barely made it over my hips.
“Maybe one with a bit more give?” Holly said, holding up another.
“I need to go shopping,” I decided.
My phone chimed.
Beck:On my way over with the girls.
Beck:We have to be there by six or we lose our spots.
“Oh my gosh, who eats dinner that early!” I said in a panic.
“To be fair,” Maeve said, rummaging through the pile of synthetic fabric, “if it’s twenty-six courses, you’d need to start early so you’re not there until three in the morning.”
“Just wear whichever one fits,” Holly urged.
A ridiculous pink dress fit over my hips but barely covered my boobs, a cute polka-dot dress that I wouldn’t have minded fit, but as Maeve said, “You’re going to lean over the table, and those things are just going to fall right out onto the plate.”
The last dress was a black velvet cocktail dress, which wouldn’t have been so bad except that it had a collar made up of oversized pink, purple, and green bows. It was quintessential eighties.
“I look crazy!” I wailed.
“I think Princess Diana wore a dress like this,” Holly assured me, zipping me up.
“Your body looks smoking in it.” Maeve bumped my hip.
“And the bows cover up some of the cleavage,” Holly added, neatening them. “Look, the one in the center has rhinestones! You’re like a pretty present that Beck is going to want to unwrap.”
45
Beck
Tess was waiting in the lobby for me when I arrived.
“I love your dress,” Annie said, running up to inspect Tess’s clothes.
Her dress was something. The black velvet hugged her curves. She looked soft and fuckable yet also edgy and sexy in it.
“You need the big hair,” Vera was saying, trying to undo Tess’s bun.
“Have fun at Liam’s,” I told my sisters, hugging them.
“Have fun on your date,” they chorused.
“If you see the chef,” Vera added, “tell him to call me. He shouldn’t feel threatened by older women.”
