Page 101 of Gone With the Wine

“With sleeves? Or no?”

I throw up my hands. “I have no idea!”

“No sleeves,” Ana says. “Like this one.” She plucks a dress from the rack—strapless and form fitting in a black and white pattern.

I nod. “That’s okay.”

“How about this?” Millie holds up a dress. “Completely different.”

Yes. It’s hot pink, very short with a poufy skirt, spaghetti straps, and big bows on the bodice.

I look up at her. “Do you know me at all?”

She laughs.

“I am not a pink poufy girl,” I say.

“But you have such great legs, this would look amazing.” She pouts. “What color are you, then?”

“Deep colors,” Anna says. “Jewel tones.”

I give her a skeptical look.

“Here we go.” She shows me a long, slender dress with a halter neckline. The silky fabric is in shades of navy, deep green, and dark red.

“I like that.” I touch the fabric with my fingertips.

“Okay! One to try on. What else?’

“I only need one dress.”

“You have to try on more than one!”

I say a firm no to a sequin and feathers number, and to a black ruffled chiffon dress that’s pretty but too fancy for the harvest dinner.

They load me up with other options and then lock me into a dressing room. I wrinkle my nose at all the garments hanging there. Trying on clothes is not my idea of fun.

The first one I try on is a purple one that caught my attention. I love purple. It matches the stains on my fingers. Haha!

Okay, it’s a purple print, flowers in shades of mauve, plum, and periwinkle. It’s also a halter style, but different with a plunging neckline and ruched and fitted around the waist.

Eeek. I study myself in the mirror. Holy cleavage, batman. I tug at the small ruffle on the edge of the neckline.

It’s a long dress but it has a slit. I flutter the skirt and do a twirl. That slit is high.

“Let’s see!” Ana calls.

I suck in a breath and open the door.

“Ohhh. Nice.”

I pluck at the bodice again. “It’s really low.”

“Sexy.” Millie nods approvingly. “Jansen will love it.”

Well, that’s all she has to say and I’m sold. But truthfully, I love it too. The fabric is my dream. So I’ll go along with the revealing style.

I do like the idea of Jansen loving it.

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