Chapter 4: Dress Hunt

Mom loved the way these two people made me happy. We don’t expect big things; these small moments we live with our friends and family will be our lifetime memory.

Olivia and Ivy grabbed my hand as we went into my room.

“I am leaving, Al,” mom called before leaving.

I ran down and hugged her.

“Thank you, mom, for everything you have done for Cassie and me.”

A mother knows everything even when you don’t say it.

“And thank you for allowing me to go with my friends.”

I hugged her tightly.

“Ok, ok... there is an envelope under my bed; you can take it for your shopping.” She patted my back.

“No, mom. I don’t want money. I can manage by myself,” I answered.

She touched my cheeks and said.

“I know you are a big girl. But for me, you are still that little girl who wanted everything to be done by her mom.”

She kissed my cheeks and took her coat from the hanger.

“Mom,” I whispered.

“Choose a beautiful dress for yourself. Maybe you will get your Mr. Right in that Masquerade ball.” She winked at me.

I stood there as I watched her praying before leaving the house.

As humans can’t survive without oxygen, my mom couldn’t survive without her prayers.

I came back to see my friends fill my bed with my clothes.

“Guys, what are you doing?” I jeered.

“Nothing. We were checking your dress for a masquerade ball,” Ivy answered in her thin voice.

“I don’t have a dress for such an expensive ball. We have to go shopping for that.” Answered in a lower voice.

All three were quiet at the thought of going to the ball, but none of us had the money to get new dresses for ourselves.

“I think we should leave the idea.” Ivy purred.

We looked at each other as we lay on the bed in messy clothes.

“But, Why did you say we’ll manage?” I replied to Ivy.

“I thought to ask her permission first,” she sighed in a low voice.

“Hmm...” We replied.

Suddenly, Olivia jumped up with an idea tingling in her mind.

“Guys,” she screamed.

“What?” we replied in an exhausted voice.

“Give me your phone.” She snatched my phone and dialed a number.

“Hello... Is this Mario? Hey, sweetheart...”

She walked outside while talking on the phone. Ivy and I looked at each other with a confused look.

Between the three of us, Olivia is the problem-solving girl. She never gave up. We were sitting quietly, accepting our situation, but Olivia gave her last shot to get the dresses.

She entered the room with a big smile, rolling the phone between her fingers. Her confident walk passed the message; she got good news for us.

“Say,” we screamed.

She threw the phone on the bed and said.

“I know a designer ready to give us the dresses.”

“How?”

“He was our company’s ex-designer. My boss threw him out for some silly mistake. Now he wants to establish his name.”

She answered.

“But why he will give his creations to us?” I asked.

“No excuses. Get ready; we are going to meet Mario.” She replied.

“But before that, we have to buy a bottle of expensive wine. Let me check how much money I have.” She searched for her purse.

We needed more money than what we had in our hands.

I remember mom told me about the envelope.

I ran into her room and took out the envelope.

“How much?” They asked.

“Hundred,” I shrugged my shoulder.

“Cool, give me.” Olivia counted the money.

“Is it enough?” We asked.

“We will see; let’s go, guys.” She yanked at our back to move our asses as fast as we could.

We left the house in a rush, holding our fluffy coats and scarves to cover our bodies. The chilly weather of New York reminds us of the unforgettable howling winds again.

We called a taxi and settled inside.

Olivia sat in the passenger seat. Ivy and I settled ourselves in the back of the taxi.

“Girls, here are the rules we need to follow.”

“Best country?”

“America- my home.” Ivy jumped.

“No, Italy. Next question, best designer?” Olivia said.

“Ralph Lauren,” I said in a lower voice.

“For us, it’s a yes. But where we are going, we have to say, Donatella Francesca.” She updates our intel.

“Best dish?”

I googled it.

She said, whatever Mario would love to hear from us.

“Remember to appreciate his work as the best in the town.”

She winked at us.

The taxi driver gave us a strange look as he heard the conversation.

We settled our bill and stepped out of the taxi.

Olivia told us to wait outside a wine shop; she bought an expensive wine.

“You spend our savings to buy this expensive wine,” Ivy whispered; she grabbed her sleeves.

“Trust me, girls,” she winked at us.

We quietly followed our leading lady and remembered what she told us to do; pretend Italy is the best country even though we are American. If you are reborn again, the country you will choose will be Italy.

“One last thing; show your girls move, pump your boobs and booty,”

she showed us how to expand our chest and ass to their limits.

“Whatever you are doing, I hope it will work.”

I glared at her as she told me to take out my warm coat to show my body curves correctly.

We went inside the boutique.

The street looks simple, but we never know what’s inside.

We three entered, and a cute, sexy girl came to us.

“Hello, how may I help you?”

Olivia stepped out and kissed her cheeks in a classically Italian way.

“Ciao, sei Bellissimo,” Olivia changed her language.

“What was that?” I whispered from her back.

“I said hello, and she looks beautiful.” She replied.

“How come, you know, Italian language?”

We investigated.

“Shut up, guys, and smile.” She yanked her hand.

The lady took us to Mario.

The guy looked in his middle forties, wearing red suspenders pants with a parrot green mandala shirt. Clean shave and green eyes. He turned towards us and looked at us with a strange gaze.

Olivia introduced us.

“Hello Mario, this is my friend, Ivey and Alyona.”

Mario greeted us; he turned towards me and kissed me on my cheeks.

“She is beautiful. Beautiful eyes.”

His eyes observed my face and body, making me a little uncomfortable.

“You are a rare beauty. Are you an Italian?” I stood there with no noise.

Olivia presented him with an expensive wine bottle. That diverted his peer from my face to the wine bottle.

He greeted us and told us to sit on the couch.

“Would you like to have some coffee or tea?” he asked.

We gave our choices, and he got busy on his intercom to call our drinks.

“This man makes me uncomfortable.” I punched Olivia’s thigh.

She glared at me and told me to be quiet.

“Are you afraid of me, baby girl?” Mario said, looking at me.

I gulped my confusion and anger.

“Don’t worry. I am not interested in women. But I do like to appreciate their beauty.”

He answered.

Confused, I look at Olivia.

“Are you gay?” Ivy interrupted in between this tense situation.

Olivia stressed out, but Mario laughed at her question and made the environment lite.

“Yeah, blondie. I am gay.” He answered.

That thought relaxed my mind;

“I assume you guys are here to see my creation, masquerade ball theme?”

“Yes,” we answered him immediately.

“Let’s go then,” He stood and told him to follow him.

“Are you made?” Olivia screeched at Ivy.

“I am sorry. He was making Al uncomfortable,” Ivy answered.

We walked towards a big room. The carpet was soft and new.

The gigantic mirror stood there to show your dress from every angle.

We settled ourselves as he came out with a big rack of dresses.