Page 58 of Imperfections Forbidden
“What do you think about this one, Ava?”
“Lord have mercy!”Ava takes one look at it and starts cracking up in the middle of the store as loud as she can be.Loud.“Honey, you look like a crackhead ballerina in a three-ring circus.Take it off, immediately!”
I look down at myself and laugh too.“You picked it out.”
“Darling, I am so sorry I did that to you.My deepest apologies, even I’m wrong when it comes to my fashion at times.That dress is god awful.It should be a crime to waste good material on something like that.”
“I know, right?”
“In my defense, I didn’t pick that out, the sales lady handed it to you.That’s why I dismissed her.”
I go back in the dressing room to change again.Ava knocks on the door.
“Cat?”
“I’m coming out; I don’t think this one will do either, Ava.”
“Take it off.”
“You haven’t seen it yet.”
“I don’t have to.I found the perfect dress for you.”
She puts it over the door.I take one look at it, and I think she might be right.
“It’s gorgeous, right?”
“I think this might be the one, Ava.”
“I know it’s the one,” she says enthusiastically.
When I put it on, it fits like a glove.I turn around and look in the mirror, and it’s me.I look fabulous.I can’t believe it!I found my birthday Christmas gala dress.It says all three in one.I step out of the dressing room, and I know this dress is the one when I see the expression on Ava’s face.
“Cat, you look…this is your dress.It looks like it was tailor-made for you.People are really going to talk.”
“You don’t think it’s too revealing in the back?”
“Of course not.You look like a golden goddess.Like you’re surrounded by golden fairy dust.Turn around.”
I spin around for her once and show her the back.
“This plunging back is everything!Scandalously tasteful.”She squeals.“A hint of ‘come get me’ from the back, but spin around to the front and it says ‘don’t touch, I’m a lady.’We’ll take it!I love the drama.”
“I know you do.”I say with a laugh, going back into the dressing room and change.
It’sthree days before Christmas.Where did the time go?It seems like December first was last week.I have so much to do still; including finishing my Christmas shopping.I tried to beat the Christmas rush this year but I couldn’t.You always think you have more time than you actually do.The only person I have a gift for is Sophie; I brought her a Keurig.She’ll love it.Who knew QVC had such great stuff?It’s Ava’s favorite channel.I’m not ashamed to say we’ve done some of our best bonding over four easy payments of Dooney & Bourke.
I finally left the house last night to go somewhere other than work.It was time for me to get out and have some fun instead of beinglocked away like a nun.Those were Ava’s words.We went to the Taco Bar in downtown Brooklyn.The food was good and so were the drinks.I made sure to stay away from the tequila.
We met Chloe there, and you know it could have turned out to be a wild night, but it didn’t.That was a surprise, since halfway through our girls’ night out, Matt showed up.That was a shocker but it shouldn’t have been.He called me when I was leaving the house, and I told him where we were going.I wasn’t upset though.It was nice seeing him and hanging out.It was a hilarious and fun night.We all stayed mostly sober, we laughed a lot, and I even made plans to hang out with Matt after Christmas.A fun night was had by all.
The next day the house is filled with all things Christmas.Too bad when I look at our Christmas tree, all I can think about is the tree Nick and I decorated together.My birthday is in two days.I usually go all out with shopping, decorating and carols blasting, but I can’t find my Christmas spirit.The only time I find myself feeling truly warm and fuzzy is when I hear the ding on my phone at the same time every day.I didn’t realize until yesterday when he sent me a text at the end of the day, instead of in the middle of the day, how much I looked forward to hearing from him.
“Cat, have you seen my silver-and-black stilettos?”
I stop playing with my phone and get up off the couch.I wasn’t doing anything on it.I was hoping Nick would send me another text, but I guess not.Ava was right when she said I would need a man on those cold, cold, lonely nights.My problem is the only man I want I can’t have.
“Cat!My airplane is going to leave without me if you don’t help me find them.”
