Page 64 of Loving Ladybug: Part One
Me
What do you think? A possibility for the wedding?
Clark
The dress matches your hair. I like it.
I also sent one to Tenzin, since I missed him. He and Cooter were catching salmon or something.
Tenzin
Very nice.
“Gwen, are you coming out?” Valya called from the other side of the dressing room door.
I came out of the dressing room, into the private lounge area of theveryfancy shopping boutique that Valya had brought me to. It was the kind where you lounged on chaises and drank champagne while eating cookies as the assistants brought things for you to try on. My mother and sisters loved places like this. I wasn’t into the fuss. But the person who worked here was Valya’s friend.
“I don’t know what you think I do all day, but I don’t need clothes like this.” I laughed, as I showed her the sparkly purple gown which had a high slit and a low back. “All I do is go to work, class, and hockey practice. Don’t need an evening gown for any of those.”
Valya wore a flowing red dress that made her look like an omega from a fairytale, with her pale skin, red lips, petite and delicate frame, and her long, dark, straight hair. She attended Posey Academy, which had once been Miss Posey’s School for Elite Omegas.
Where my mother had gone.
“You could wear evening gowns to those things, depending on what you’re trying to accomplish,” the sales omega, who’s name was Jolette, said. She attended the same omega school Valya did and sang in the choir with her.
I started laughing. “Could you imagine the coaches’ faces?”
Valya took a sip of champagne. She looked me up and down. “You need nice things, for JP’s wedding, to meet agents and sponsors, and to go to parties, so you can meet new and better alphas. You don’t want to date a hockey player; they are big dumb-dumbs.”
Mercy, who’d shown up right after we’d arrived, laughed. “They are big dumb-dumbs. But as someone who lives with my sister’s four big dumb-dumbs, I can see the appeal. I don’t think I want to date a professional athlete, though. Their schedules are too demanding.”
Skate smasher schedules were as busy as hockey players.
“Are you still planning on moving out now that you’re eighteen?” I asked.
It was a pretty dress. I could wear it to the fancy party the Knights hosted to raise money for their youth hockey program.
“I don’t know.” Mercy frowned. “It’s not awful living in a giant penthouse with my sister and her dudes for free. I think I’ll stay there and save up, so I can buy a cute townhouse and restore it.”
“That seems like a good idea. I mean, free rent? That’s a gift.” One I was grateful for. Last night, after we’d all had dinner at Marabou Mike’s, we’d hung out at Clark’s and played video games. This morning, Clarkmade me breakfast.
Yeah, I could make living in Clark’s guest room work. Also, I was fairly certain Tenzin lived across the hall. That would be a nice bonus.
“Here, try on these.” Valya piled some things into my arms.
I went into the dressing room, took off the dress and tried on another. “Question. What would I have to talk about if I dated someone who didn’t play hockey?”
“Common interests and hobbies, world events?” Jolette offered from the other side of the door.
“Which would be hockey, activities hockey players enjoy, and what is going on around the world in hockey?” I replied as I shimmied into a pale blue dress.
Okay, I suppose I could date someone in the financial sector who enjoyed watching market news and listening to forensic accounting podcasts. They’d have to at least likewatchinghockey and maybe play in a finance bro rec league.
“Or just keep them pretty, silent, and good in bed.” Valya laughed.
I chuckled, taking off the dress, because it didn’t look right, and put on another. This one was strapless, dark blue, and hugged my hips, then flowed down. Wow, I looked like an old-fashioned movie star. I took another pic and sent it to both Tenzin and Clark.
Me
