Once Upon A Time(59)

“I’m so not comfortable with this.” I groaned, my eyes shifting to the dress as Kylie walked towards me.

She rolled her eyes, dramatic as always.

“Either you get out of those clothes voluntarily or Quinn and I will strip you ourselves.”

My gaze moved to Quinn, who wore the most menacing smirk I’d seen in a long time.

“Fine. But if I don’t like it, I’m taking it off and were all going to march down to the Bistro for copious amounts of cheesecake, and I never want to hear about this experience ever again.” I hardened my gaze towards Kylie. “Okay?”

Kylie smirked and nodded while Quinn gave a wink.

Sighing, I held out my arms for the dress. Kylie laid it across my forearms and pointed to the far left corner of the room where a divider stood, finally giving into my prudish ways.

Marching over, I placed the dress carefully across the chair which sat behind the screen and proceeded to get undressed. I left my clothes in a heap on the floor, trying to listen in as I heard Meshia’s voice and a small squeal from Quinn, followed by an appreciative moan from Kylie. I presumed Meshia offered them some of the vile champagne I’d unceremoniously drank like a sailor.

Turning back to the task at hand, I removed my bra. It was clear I couldn’t wear one with the amount of boning in the bodice of the dress. Taking the dress from the chair, I pulled down the zipper and stepped into the sheer fabric. I stared in awe as I pulled it up my body, basking in the softness grazing against my skin. Once in place, I splayed my hands over the cups of the dress, hoping it’d hide the girls before shouting for help from my best friends.

Kylie stepped behind the screen and smiled wide. After handing her champagne glass to Quinn, she zipped me up. I chuckled quietly as I watched Quinn take a sip from his glass before switching to Kylie’s glass. He was going to be wasted by the time the damn dress was secured.

“There!” Kylie announced, placing the tiny hook into the eye at the very top of the bodice. “Open your eyes, honey,” she whispered.

I hadn’t realized I’d momentarily closed my eyes. I was terrified of seeing myself encased in something of pure beauty, worried I’d fall in love with it. Finding some courage, I slowly opened my eyes as Kylie placed her hand in mine, guiding me towards the platform in the center of the room.

Stepping on the podium, I turned towards the floor to ceiling mirrors and audibly gasped. The dress was… there were no words to truly describe what I was looking at. Beauty, masterpiece, a creation which could only be described as true craftsmanship. The fabric accentuated every curve and sat flush against my skin. The royal blue color only brought out my slight tan of my skin and made me seem taller than my five foot two frame. The fishtail of the dress pooled around my feet as I stared in utter disbelief.

“Honey, you’re a vision!” Quinn squealed, sloshing a little champagne on the expensive flooring before hiccupping and giggling to himself.

Kylie rolled her eyes at him before turning back to me.

“What do you think?” she asked tentatively, chewing on the corner of her bottom lip.

Turning back to the mirror, I took in the reflection staring back at me. The dress was exactly what I feared. Amazing and, of course, I already didn’t want to take it off. I’d fallen in love with the dress, the design, the whole package. Could I really do this? Could I accept something as lavish as a dress designed exclusively by Vera Wang? I was teetering on a cliff I didn’t know existed and I was both petrified and a little excited.

“Fuck me.” I gasped, the lady-like version of myself nowhere to be seen.

“That’s what she said.” Quinn hiccuped, throwing back the rest of the champagne from both glasses, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“You’re so drunk right now, aren’t you?” Kylie rolled her eyes as Quinn giggled in response.

Oh yeah, he was wasted.

Turning back to my sober friend, I knew I had a decision to make.

“I’m not comfortable with this,” I admitted. “I mean, what are we talking for a one of a kind Vera Wang?”

Kylie twisted her mouth, stepping around me to look at the dress in more detail. That was worrying. Kylie had always been the girl with the money. Her parents both came from old money with lavish lifestyles to boot and I knew nine times out of ten she’d only have to glance at a piece of clothing to determine an approximate price for it. She was studying the dress in far more detail than I was used to; I had no doubt it was going to give me a stroke.

Coming full circle, she stopped in front of me, giving the dress another once over before looking back at me and shrugging her shoulders.