Page 55 of Wild For You
“You would?” I asked, surprised.
“Oh, definitely. I learned from the best. I worked as an intern for Cassidy my last two years of college.”
Cassidy was one of the most well-known fashion brands in the world. Her range from women’s clothing to men’s daily wear was remarkable. And she came from a small town in North Carolina. I remembered watching a documentary on her brand and how it expanded when she married her rock-star husband.
“I’m so jealous. I’ve always wanted to meet her and her family. I’m a big fan and obsessed with her daughter’s photography.”
“Oh my gosh, she’s amazing, right?” Rory called out from her stool. I already knew, with Rory’s love of photography, that she was a big fan.
Nicole interrupted our gushing to add that these two dresses were from Cassidy’s newest line.
“Try them on!” the group exclaimed, and I hurried toward the fitting room, Nicole handing me the dresses before I stepped inside.
I managed to pry myself out of the corseted gray dress unassisted and pulled the lavender dress on first. I knew without looking in the mirror that this was my favorite by a mile. The material was soft and flowy and made me feel regal.
When I stepped out and showed the women—including an excited Nicole, who lifted her joined hands to her lips, eyes shining like a proud mama—they all squealed their agreement. This was their favorite too. And thankfully, when Nicole pulled out a set of plain, black heels for me, we discovered it didn’t need any adjustments.
The blue tea-length dress was just as magical. Which was a blessing and a curse, because now I couldn’t decide which one was my favorite.
“I wish I had a second occasion coming up soon that I’d need a different dress for,” I said jokingly as Nicole left us to help another customer. “I can’t pick. You Easterly girls vote which I should choose.”
But there was a tie between the four sisters, and Marisol refused to break, instead insisting that I buy both. “Save one to wear somewhere in the future, since we all know it’ll be a long time before we can get you to go shopping with us again after all this.”
We all laughed as I nodded vigorously at the last part. “Truth. But for real, I need to pick just one of them.”
My budget was already tight, and with the baby on the way, I needed to save every penny I could.
As I put my regular clothes back on, I tried to debate internally which dress to get, because I truly loved them both. But I knew the purple one would be best for the wedding, so I settled on that one, stepping out of the dressing room with it carefully draped over my arm. I almost felt like I was leaving a child behind as the blue dress remained hanging in the booth.
“Oh, did you decide on the purple one?” Marisol asked as I joined the group. Her daughters were standing in a semicircle, holding up sweaters in front of the mirrors.
I nodded. “It’s a bit springy for a fall wedding, but I just love the way this dress fits.”
“I think it will work just fine. It looked beautiful on you.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you going to get the blue one as well?” she asked.
“I don’t think so. I really don’t have anywhere to wear it to. And truly, I couldn’t imagine paying for both.”
The smell of coffee wafted through the air, and I noticed two newcomers into the store were carrying to-go cups from thelocal shop. I learned yesterday that the smell of coffee would send me running to the nearest bathroom or trashcan. I’d even told Andrew that my favorite drink was out to kill me.
During her information dump, Dr. Heller said morning sickness was common and happened at any time during the day, and any little thing could trigger it. When I dry-heaved in her office at the smell of rubber gloves, she sent a prescription over to the drugstore to help combat the nausea. Before we left, she gave me a sample for the day, which I took immediately.
Right now was as good a time as any to test it out.
“Are you okay, dear?” Marisol asked beside me, as I held my breath, waiting for the queasiness to strike. Several small inhales later, my stomach didn’t roll like I’d been accustomed to over the last few days.
“Yes,” I replied, placing my hand over my stomach. “Must be some residual symptoms from the stomach bug I had last week.”
Her keen eyes searched mine, then she smiled. “Sure.” Reaching out, she squeezed my hand with hers, and I nearly burst into tears at the caring touch. “We’re glad you’re feeling better now.”
Right then, I knew that she knew. Somehow, she possessed an instinct that could read someone like a book. And she flipped through a single page of mine and landed on my secret.
“Mrs. Easterly—"
“It’s okay, dear. I understand. It’s not my secret to tell,” she said with another warm smile.
