Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 164263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 821(@200wpm)___ 657(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 821(@200wpm)___ 657(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
She starts rattling through the racks and passing me things left, right and center. “This red one is fabulous.”
“No, I wore a red dress last time I saw him.”
“Right.” She looks me up and down. “What about this white one?”
“I’m not sure it would be flattering on me.”
“Trust me on this, it’s perfect on everybody.” She passes it over along with another pile of things that are way too overpriced. “The change rooms are this way.”
I hurry in and start undressing, I glance at my watch, shit is that the time? Oh my god he’s going to be here in three hours and I’ve still got to do my hair and everything.
I pull on the black dress. It looks okay, I turn around and look at my behind. Not very wow, though.
“What does it look like?” the sales assistant asks me.
I pull open the curtain. “It’s okay, I guess.”
She twists her lips and looks me up and down. “We can do better.”
I give her a half-hearted smile. “What should I try on next?”
“The white. Definitely the white.”
I tear the black dress off and step into the white one, no way this is going to work. Probably going to look like a giant polar bear or something. It’s fitted and off the shoulder and zips up under one arm, the skirt is tight around my waist but falls nicely over my behind.
“How does it look?” she calls.
“To be honest—” I open the curtain, “—better than I expected.”
She smiles as she looks me up and down. “This is the dress.”
“Really?”
“Do you want this man eating out of your hand?”
I give a half-hearted shrug. “It couldn’t hurt the situation, I guess.”
“Then this is the dress, here, let me find the shoes.” She marches off across the shop and my eyes go back to myself in the mirror and I turn to look at my behind again, it’s flattering without being too much. But then white, is that too formal just to go out for dinner?
With a fucking male escort….
Oh my god, this is ridiculous…. I just…what was I thinking? That’s the problem: I wasn’t thinking at all. I’m going to cancel Thomas Stone.
I’ll still go down to meet them at the bar, but I’ll just pretend that my date couldn’t come…. Why did I even tell that stupid lie, it’s just ridiculous.
I keep looking the dress up and down. But I do still want to look good tonight.
The saleswoman reappears with a pair of strappy silver stilettos and puts them on the floor in front of me. “These will match perfectly.”
“You don’t think they’re too much?”
“Ha,” she huffs. “Darling, you can never be too much.”
Twenty minutes later I am rushing down the street with my shopping bags in tow, and I dial Thomas’s number.
Hello, you’ve reached Thomas Stone. I can’t take your call right now.
Leave a message and I’ll call you back.
Shit.
“Hello, Thomas, this is Alora Sorenson, I spoke to you earlier today. I would just like to thank you so much for offering to come tonight but my situation has changed and I don’t need you anymore. Please send me a bill for your booking fee, I’m happy to still pay. Thanks…and if you could you please text me back when you get this message just so I know that you got it. Goodbye.”
I let out a sigh of relief, okay so that’s done. I need to find a cab and then to get back to the hotel and do my hair. I glance around and notice a hair salon on the corner, they won’t have any appointments but I guess I can try my luck. I push through the front doors. “Hello, I was wondering if you have time for a quick blowout?”
“Now?” the gentleman asks.
“If possible. I’m on a really tight deadline.”
“Yes, I have an opening right away, please come through.”
“Really?” I smile, very pleased with myself as I follow him, this is all happening so easily, dress, shoes and now hair, maybe it’s a good sign. I take a seat in the chair and he comes to stand behind me. “How would you like your hair done today?”
“I have a date tonight and I just want to look…” I shrug, embarrassed, “…better than this.”
He laughs as he fiddles with my hair with his hands. “Better than this coming right up.”
I hold the phone to my ear as I pace back and forth.
Hello, you’ve reached Thomas Stone. I can’t take your call right now.
Leave a message and I’ll call you back.
“Answer the phone, damn it.”
I haven’t heard from the elusive Thomas Stone, which means I have no idea if he got my message, which means he could possibly turn up here any minute.
Beep, sounds the answering machine.
“Hi, Thomas, it’s Alora, and it’s imperative that you call me back urgently please. I have left five messages for you this afternoon and I would just like to reiterate that I don’t need your company tonight and I need to know that you got my message. Call me as soon as you get this message please.” I hang up and throw my phone onto the bed, how hard is it to have common manners these days? All he had to do was send back a one-word text or even a thumbs-up. Anything would do.