Chapter 9
Lexie
Marching into Saks, I can’t help noticing how festive everything looks. Christmas is my favorite holiday right after Halloween. It’s filled with music and delicious food and presents. While the old adage ‘It’s better to give than to receive’ is a cliché, I still believe that whole-heartedly. I love giving my close friends and family the gifts that I’ve searched high and low for just for them. I like to make them personal.
I don’t just buy things in December, either. I shop all year round. When I see something special for my dad, for example, I buy it. Since I’m pretty broke most of the time, it helps spread out those expenses to twelve months instead of one.
Checking the directory in Saks, I locate the Formal and Eveningwear. Entering the archway that leads to that department, I spot a petite brunette who looks to be in her thirties. She’s holding a super adorable bag. It looks vintage in red patent leather with a short handle you’d carry on your wrist. “Victoria?”
She turns and looks at me from head to toe and then gives me a bright smile, “Yes. You must be Alexia.”
“Lexie. Just Lexie.”
“Lexie, of course. Gabriel outlined what he’d like for you to wear, so I’ve taken the liberty of pulling a few things.”
I follow her over to a small rack filled with black and gray dresses. Shapeless dresses. Some of them have sparkle, but there’s nothing that stands out that speaks to my fashion taste. “Yeah, about that…” Victoria looks at me with an arched eyebrow. “Do you let anyone pick your clothes for you? A man?”
“She looks down at her pencil skirt and her sweater set with the tiny embroidered flowers around the collar.”
“Oh, heck no!” she giggles. “My husband would have me wearing stripper outfits,” she laughs loudly.
I laugh with her, “Well, that’s how I feel about Gabriel choosing my clothing. I don’t want to wear boring shift dresses. I like things with character.”
She stares at my dress, “I can see that.” Victoria places her hand on her chin and steps her foot out to the side and shifts her hip out as she thinks. “Have you ever heard of Maybelle’s?”
“No. Who’s that?”
“Not who, what. It’s a vintage clothing store.”
“I love vintage clothes.”
“I thought so. Let’s go there. I’ve got Gabriel’s credit card so we can shop wherever we want.” She turns toward the exit, “Shall we?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
“He can also buy us a little lunch on the way. I’m famished,” adds Victoria.
“I could eat.” That’s practically my middle name.
After downing the most delicious cheeseburger in Chicago, we’re off to Maybelle’s. It’s a little-known vintage clothing store that boasts A-list clients like Meryl Streep and Bette Midler. Sure, they’re a little older than me, but they’re very classy ladies.
As soon as we step into the shop, I gasp. “Oh, my goodness.” It’s everything I ever wanted in a store. There are gowns on the left and party dresses on the right. In the middle of the shop are displays of adorable shoes and near the register are glass cases that hold vintage jewelry.
I peek at the price of a pair of classic beige and black Chanel heels. “Four hundred and fifteen dollars?” I squeak. “That’s way out of my price range, Victoria.”
“Well, those particular shoes are extra special. They have a wide range of prices for every pocketbook. Besides, Gabriel’s paying so we can just shop til we drop.”
“I don’t feel right about this.”
“It’s okay. I do,” she says flitting over to the section of gowns.
Sucking in a deep breath, I follow her. “Here goes nothing.” But, as I sort through the racks I sigh in frustration.
“What’s wrong?”
“None of these are going to fit me. I’ve tried on actual vintage clothing before, and I know a size sixteen from the 50s is closer to a size ten now.”
“That’s true, but Maybelle’s carries a large selection of what we’d now call plus size fashions. For the most part, they’re all vintage dresses, but she’s a designer herself, so she has reworked many of these dresses to create extended sizes.”
“Oh, wow. That’s great.” It’s too bad I can’t afford to shop here on the regular. So far, the least expensive dress I’ve touched was over five hundred dollars. So, yeah. I need to enjoy the time I have here at Maybelle’s.
By the time we’re finished, I’ve acquired a long, white gown, three cute day dresses, two cocktail dresses, a pair of trousers that scream Katherine Hepburn, two sweater sets, four blouses, three skirts, and four pairs of shoes. It was weird how easy it was to shop with Gabriel’s money. I think discovering that Victoria is Gabriel’s sister has helped. After that, I didn’t feel like she was just some personal shopper taking him for a ride. Instead, I thought it was okay it was his little sister taking him for a ride. Who am I to argue with family?
The best part of the day was getting to know Victoria. She’s actually quite accomplished herself. She’s a successful artist, a painter, and photographer, when she’s not a personal shopper but only for Gabriel and ‘his women’. She rolled her eyes on those last two words. “It’s so refreshing to see him date someone real and genuine.”
“Oh, I’m real alright.” I’m just not one of his ‘actual’ women. Unfortunately, Victoria thinks this thing with Gabriel and me is real. In the end, I decided not to tell her that truth. That’s on Gabriel to explain to her.
