Page 12 of Eggnog and Edging
Bellamie is thoughtful as always and takes the call. Turns out she was the right one to answer because she knew where the missing woobie was.
I take my dress from the hanger, excitement racing through my veins.
The reality of Jolene being a mom hasn’t set in, even after discussing that she doesn’t need to feel guilty for getting a babysitter for tonight. That’s what friends are for, not letting us let go of our dreams. Much like they had to help me figure out how to participate. And Jolene and I had to convince Bellamie not to count on a guy she dated once and still doesn’t know the real name of—no matter how perfect he seems.
It’s like we had to prove that we wanted to be here.
Jolene laments, "I'm such a terrible mom. I just want one evening to myself."
I laugh as I step into my dress. "You sound like a seasoned mother already. It's only been four days—or three and a half, I guess, actually."
There’s a knock on the dressing room door, followed by Laz’s voice calling out, “Can I come in? I have some exciting news to share.”
I tug my dress up. “Yep, we’re all decent.”
“Great news, ladies!” He enters and flashes the program at us.
Bellamie takes the shiny cardstock from him.
He seems overly proud of it. “Hot off the presses. Molly is on her way and Roxy, one of the first women to get auctioned, is bringing a dress that should fit her.”
The three of us freeze. We knew Molly had applied but she hadn’t gotten an invite. Bellamie had considered seeing if Molly could sub for her until we convinced her not to devote herself to Krampus until after the auction.
Supposedly he’s going to meet up with her on Sunday. How can she not see the red flags?
“That’s what you wanted, right?” Laz asks.
Jolene and I realize what he’s told us at the same time and jump up and down, squealing in excitement.
“Oh my gosh, really?” Bellamie is undoubtedly excited she helped get Molly in.
“Yeah, after you contacted us, we looked into it and long story short, her invite must have gotten lost…”
“Does this mean she can take my place?” Bellamie toys with her homemade bracelet and her tone is wistful. She can’t back out now.
“She’s not taking anyone’s place. We added her.” Laz tips the edge of the program down so he can point to the names.
Jolene steps in to see. “Don’t back out.”
Laz is confused. “Yeah, don’t back out. We’re reprinting the programs. This was the first one, I grabbed it off the copier to show you because I thought you’d be excited.”
“We are,” Jolene says.
“Bellamie?” Laz asks.
“Can I have a minute?” She looks like she’s having second thoughts.
“If you’re backing out, we’ll have to reprint. I need to know right away.” He checks his phone.
I usher him out of the room, then Jolene and I crowd around her.
“What if this is a sign that I’m not supposed to participate?” Bellamie asks.
Jolene takes the paper from her hands and holds it up. “If it is a sign, it has your name on it. You are part of this year’s auction. Read it.”
When Bellamie stares blankly, Jolene points to her name and says, “Jolene, that’s me.” Pointing to me, she reads my name. Then sliding her finger back and forth under Bellamie’s name, she says, “Bellamie, that’s you.”
“I know, but–”
