Dune Drive
Page 18
“Actually, I do.” She took a small pad of paper and a pen from her bag. “I need you to tell me what we’re going to be doing every day, and what the dress code is.”
“Huh?” He looked confused.
“I need to know what to pack.” She didn’t want to admit she’d be shopping for just about everything she’d be bringing with her.
“Oh. Well, I know there’s a rehearsal dinner on Friday night, and the wedding’s on Saturday. Does that help?”
“I sort of figured those out for myself. No, I need to know about Thursday. What time are we going? Is there something planned during the day? That night? Casual? Formal? Somewhere in between?”
“You’re starting to sound like every other girl I ever knew,” he said.
“It’s what any girl would ask when going away to spend four days with people she’s never met, especially when one of those people happens to be an internationally acclaimed author. So can you find out those things and let me know?”
“Sure.” He looked slightly peeved at the prospect.
Chrissie laughed in spite of the fact that she could see he was perplexed. “Look, you have a sister, right? Just ask her.”
His face relaxed a little. “That’s a good idea. Better yet, how ’bout I ask Rachel to call you and she can tell you what she’s bringing?”
“That would be great, thanks.” She picked up the pad and the pen and started to drop them into her bag. “Should I write you a memo?”
“No, I’ll remember. I have to call Dad anyway so he can tell Delia I will be bringing a friend to their festivities.” His ice cream had started to melt, so he began to work on it. “Chrissie, thanks, I really am happy that you’re going with me. Not just to please my dad and Delia, but because I know we’ll have a good time.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “I really am.”
• • •
AND SHE WAS. She was glad the decision had been made, and happy when Rachel, Jared’s sister, called the following night.
“I knew there was someone,” she told Chrissie. “I knew he’d break down and ask you to go with him. As soon as he said, ‘There was this friend . . .’ Well, Jared doesn’t have women friends, so of course we were all wondering what he was hiding.”
“Oh no. He’s not hiding anything. We really are just friends. He wasn’t kidding,” Chrissie protested.
“I’ll believe that when I see it.” Rachel paused. “We’re all looking forward to meeting the woman Jared claims is ‘just a friend.’ ”
“Oh, no pressure.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that . . . I guess you’d have to know how Jared’s always been about women.”
“Someone did describe him as a bit of a playboy.”
“Playboy works. Not in a bad ‘love ’em and leave ’em’ way, but he’s always been sort of lighthearted about his relationships. I never saw him in a serious relationship, so I don’t even know what that would look like. But I digress. I’m sure you’re fabulous and we’ll all love you. If you’re a strong enough woman to take on a relationship of any sort with my brother, you must be quite a girl.”
“Thanks. I think.”
“Now, I did manage to get an itinerary out of Delia, so take this down . . .”
Rachel ran through the weekend’s events and Chrissie made notes. By the time the weekend had been laid out for her, Chrissie felt slightly deflated. There were so many things planned, so many choices of activities for the afternoons, her head was spinning.
“I’m packing a nice outfit for Thursday night—something I can wear anyplace that I can change the look of with different shoes—but am going with a casual sundress for the day. Delia lives in Chester County, and there’s so much to see there, lots of great sightseeing, depending on your interests. Dressy for Friday night, very dressy but not floor length for the wedding, though some others may choose to wear something long. Totally casual for Sunday. Does that help?” Rachel asked.
“Enormously. Thank you so much. I think I can work with this.” Or at least, Vanessa will.
• • •
CHRISSIE CALLED BLING on Friday morning and gave Vanessa the outline for the weekend.
“Come in on Sunday morning,” Vanessa told her. “I’ll have a bunch of things for you to try on. And don’t feel you have to buy everything, or anything, for that matter. I’ll be the first to admit I love clothes—hence my choice of profession—and I love to find things for other people to love. But even if you don’t find something you want to buy, you can get an idea of what’s available, what’s in style this season.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your help so much. I’ll see you on Sunday morning.” Chrissie ended the call determined to find at least one thing to buy from Bling.
She’d gone through the clothes she owned, what she’d brought with her as well as the pieces she bought after she moved to the island. Aside from a few basics, there wasn’t a whole lot she’d want to take with her for the wedding weekend.
A pair of shorts, a few casual tops, walking shoes in case they did some exploring, and a pair of sandals that weren’t particularly great looking but that she had a fondness for and were comfortable to walk in. She’d set them on the chair in her bedroom and regarded the small pile of clothing. Definitely not enough to take her through a weekend where many of the other women would be wearing designer clothes.
She checked her bank account and found she had more in reserve than she’d remembered. Then again, she’d had few expenses since she moved to Maryland, and there’d been that generous severance from Rob plus what she’d been earning at Blossoms. Armed with her checkbook and an open mind, Chrissie drove into St. Dennis on Sunday morning. She found a parking place directly in front of the store since it was early and the church parking lots would be filled at this time of the day. Most of the shops on Charles Street didn’t open until noon on Sunday, and the only business that seemed to be busy at that hour was Cuppachino, the coffee shop directly across the street from Bling. Chrissie locked her car, and after a brief pause to admire Bling’s front window, which sported a few things from the fashion show, she knocked on the locked door.
“Sorry,” Vanessa said as she unlocked it. “We normally don’t open on Sunday until twelve, but I wanted you to have enough time to try on some things that I think will be lovely on you.”
Vanessa ushered Chrissie to the main section of the store, where she had a rack of pretty things on display. Chrissie’s head began to spin.
“I thought we might want to go event by event, starting with Thursday.” Vanessa stepped aside so Chrissie could look through the rack. “Any idea what you might be doing in the afternoon?”
“I think we’re not leaving till around four. Jared said we’ll get there in time for dinner and hang out with his family afterward,” Chrissie said.
“So that’s good. You only need something for the trip there and something for dinner.” Vanessa pulled out several dresses from the rack. “Any of these speak to you?”
Before Chrissie could take a look, the door of the store opened and closed.
“Hey, we’re here.” Lis came into view, followed by Cass.
“What are you doing here?” Chrissie tried to remember if she’d mentioned her shopping excursion to either of them.
“When Gigi told me you were going to shop for some new things to wear next weekend, well, we had to be here.” Something in the glass jewelry case caught Lis’s eye and she paused for a moment.
“We thought we’d do a sort of girls’ day. Girls’ morning. Whatever.” Cass placed a bag on the counter. “Coffee, scones, a few Danish tossed in for good luck.” She handed Chrissie a paper cup of coffee. “Drink up. Then let’s see what you decided to try on.”
“Nothing yet. I haven’t had a chance to look.” Chrissie took a sip of coffee and put the cup down on the counter. It was delicious, but so were the four dresses Lis pulled out from the rack.
“Any one of thes
e would be perfect on you.” Lis held up a blue sheath.
“We’re going day by day, so we’re on Thursday dinner and probably hanging out at Delia’s house,” Chrissie said as she began to go through the dresses. After she’d rejected them all as too dressy, Vanessa brought out several more.
“I still like the blue one.” Lis held the dress up in front of Chrissie. “It’s so pretty.”
“It is,” Chrissie agreed as she searched the rack. “But it’s just not me. Maybe it’s that ruffle around the neckline. I can’t see myself in it.”
Chrissie lifted a light gray dress of slightly marled cotton knit from the rack. It was fitted, sleeveless, and had a high neckline. “I think I’d like to try this.”
“It’s kind of plain,” Cass said, then hastened to add, “but you could dress it up with a belt or a scarf.”
“I want to try it.” Chrissie held it up to her body.
“The dressing room is to the right in the back room.” Vanessa pointed the way.
Once in the dressing room, Chrissie took a deep breath. She’d wanted not to feel overwhelmed by this totally new experience of shopping in a high-end boutique, one that had opened just for her. She was determined to enjoy herself, especially now that Lis and Cass were there, both of whom she felt sure had shopped here more than once.
She took off the white T-shirt and navy shorts she wore, and slipped the dress over her head. When she turned to look in the mirror, she did a double take.
The dress was slightly fitted to her body but not tight, so unlike most of her things, which were somewhat baggy. She’d been browbeaten for so long by Doug not to show off her body, she’d forgotten what it was like to wear clothes that actually fit well.
She stepped out of the dressing room in her bare feet and went into the front room, where Lis, Vanessa, and Cass were dividing up a huge scone. The three looked up when Chrissie came in.
“Well, there’s a perfect example of how a dress can look like practically nothing on the hanger and then be a wow on the right body.” Vanessa licked remnants of the scone from her fingers.
“I never would have guessed that would look so good on.” Cass nodded. “It really sets off your hair and your cute shape. You need something here, though.” She patted around the neckline. “Might be too warm for a scarf, but maybe a necklace.”
“Something fun and summery,” Lis agreed.
“I have just the thing.” Vanessa opened one of the glass cases and brought out a necklace made of five strands of coral-colored beads. “Try this.” She handed the necklace to Chrissie.
“Oh, and these shoes, Chris.” Cass lifted a pair of sandals made of multicolored strips of leather. “They have heels, but not too high, not too low. And they have that coral color in them.” She handed the shoes to Chrissie.
“These are my size,” Chrissie said. She looked to Vanessa and asked, “May I?”
“Of course.”
Chrissie slipped on the sandals while Lis fastened the necklace at the nape of her neck.
“Gorgeous,” Cass said.
“Perfect,” Lis agreed.
“That outfit’s a winner, Chrissie,” Vanessa said. “Look in the big mirror behind you to get the full effect.”
Chrissie stood there for a moment, then pulled the elastic from her hair and let the long blond strands fall over her shoulder. She hardly recognized herself.
“Done. I love everything—the dress, the shoes, the necklace. I’m taking these.” Chrissie removed the necklace, then the shoes, and handed them all to Vanessa.
“Great choice.” Vanessa placed them on the counter. “Now. Friday. Friday night.”
“Rachel said there was a lot to see around Delia’s place. I checked out the area on the internet and found some Revolutionary War battlefields and a place with lots of gardens,” Chrissie recalled. “So I’m guessing some sightseeing during the day, something sort of dressy at night.”
They went through the entire weekend, event by event, just as Vanessa had suggested, and by the time Chrissie was finished shopping, she’d picked out a pretty sundress for Friday during the day and a beautiful silk dress in a medium shade of pink for Friday night. For the Saturday wedding, she’d chosen a dress in a shimmery blue-green that seemed to change with the light. It had thin straps and came to a V in the front that was, in Lis’s words, deep enough to be interesting but not so deep as to get her in serious trouble. As soon as Chrissie had seen it, she’d known it was the right one.
“These shoes.” Lis handed her a pair from the display. “With that dress. Put ’em on, please.”
Chrissie did.
“I should have had you modeling in my show a few weeks ago. I will remember this for next time.” Vanessa straightened out one of Chrissie’s straps. “You wear everything so well. And those just sell the whole picture.”
“You need long, sparkly earrings, and nothing else.” Lis scanned the glass cases for something she deemed suitable.
“I have a pair of long gold earrings that look like they’ve been woven from solid strands. They’re just the thing. I’ll loan them to you,” Cass said.
“I’d be afraid of losing them, but thanks,” Chrissie told her.
“No, that dress needs those earrings. Trust me. You have to wear them,” Cass insisted.
“I’ll try them on. Thanks.”
They finished the scones and the coffee, and Cass cleaned up the counter while Vanessa added up Chrissie’s purchases and Chrissie held her breath. She knew the total was going to be steep, but she didn’t care as long as she could cover it with a check. She’d set a spending limit for the day, and she was determined not to exceed it.
“Of course, you get the friends-and-family discount,” Vanessa told her before she handed over the bill. “And I took a little extra off because it was fun for me. I never get to shop with my girlfriends anymore.”
“Maybe because you don’t have to go anywhere to shop,” Cass pointed out. “And because when we shop here, there are always a dozen other people shopping at the same time.”
“Yeah, the rest of us don’t get the royal treatment that Chrissie got. No fair.” Lis pretended to be put out.
“Maybe we should do this more often,” Vanessa said as she began to bag Chrissie’s things. “Open early on Sundays for private shopping.” She nodded. “I like it.”
“I like it, too. It’s more fun this way.” Lis turned her attention to the short skirts that were hanging on a nearby rack, then began to search through a pile of colorful T-shirts. “As long as I’m here, I think I’ll pick up a shirt or two.”
“Let me see that light green one, please.” Chrissie held out her hand.
It would be cute with her denim skirt, which she’d decided she’d take with her for the weekend. She asked Vanessa to add it and a pair of white cotton shorts to her total, since—surprise—she hadn’t reached her self-imposed limit. She knew that happy fact was due to the generous discount Vanessa had given her.
“Vanessa, this was the most fun.” Chrissie gathered the bags that held her shoes and the jewelry she’d bought and the garment bags containing the dresses. “I’d hug you, but I have no hands left for hugging.”
“I’ll hug you, then.” Vanessa did just that. “If I don’t see you before Thursday, have the best time of your life. Imagine how much fun you’re going to have. Delia is a delightful woman—she shops here when she’s in town—and her daughters are just as much fun.”
“I want to hug you, too.” Lis set down the shorts she was considering and put her arms around Chrissie. “Thanks for letting us crash your party this morning. It’s been fun. We’ll definitely do this again.”
“Thanks for bringing the refreshments,” Chrissie said as Lis squeezed her.
“I might as well, too.” Cass hugged her when Lis stepped away. “You’re going to wow everyone with that beautiful blue-green dress. It’s a shame you and Jared are only friends. He’s going to be knocked out and not know what to do about it.”
“You go, girl.” Cass held up a thumb.
“Oh, wait. Your hair.” Lis came to the door. “What are you going to do about your hair?”
“And makeup?” Cass asked. “Do you even own any makeup besides mascara? And how old is it, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Before Chrissie actually got out the door, Lis had made an appointment for her to have her hair trimmed and highlighted on Wednesday after Chrissie was finished working, and Cass promised to bring her some makeup samples to try out later that day.
“I have tons of stuff,” Cass told her. “As much as I hate to admit I have a weakness, I am a makeup junkie. I order tons of kits, then end up using two or three things, so I have stuff that’s never been used.”
“I’ve never worn a lot of makeup,” Chrissie said.
“The trick to wearing makeup is to look as if you’re not wearing any. You want to look like Chrissie, but better. I’ll show you,” Cass promised.
“Do you need help getting to your car?” Vanessa asked.
“No, I’m good,” Chrissie told her, “but thanks. I’m right out front.”
Chrissie said her good-byes and somehow made it to the car with all her goodies without dropping anything. She probably could have used a hand, but after two hours of girl talk, as fun as it had been, she was ready to go back to the island. She’d just started the engine and snapped on her seat belt when her phone rang.
“Hey, Chrissie. It’s Jared. I was just wondering if you were planning on another of your tours today.”
“Ah, actually, no. I have some things I want to catch up on at the store since I’ll be away for a few days. I want to make sure things are set up for Gigi, and I want to bake some stuff ahead of time.” She thought about the hair appointment Lis had made for her with her hairdresser, a woman who worked out of her home and was available 24/7 according to Lis. “No ice cream on Wednesday, either, I’m afraid.”
“Oh. Well, okay.” To her genuine surprise, he sounded disappointed. “So I guess I’ll see you on Thursday. I’ll get back to you with a more exact time, but it looks like around four in the afternoon.”