Rayna returned a sheepish smile. “Don’t tease me. I’m just doing my j—” She choked. “I meant to say duty. I’m doing my duty to society to watch out for you.”
Anne’s cell phone rang.
“Hi, Gram. Did you call to get a report on Steven’s date last night?”
“I’ll get straight to the point, dear. Are you going to the Christmas party with Henri?”
“You’ll be happy to know we broke up. And I’ve decided I’m not going to the party at all.”
“You can go with me.”
“Thanks Gram, but I don’t really feel like a party.”
“You’d make an old lady go by herself?”
“You could go with Steven,” she suggested.
“He’s going with that Ellen girl.”
Arguing with Gram was futile—she might as well give in. “Okay Gram, I’ll go with you. But I’m only staying for a little while.”
“That’s fine. Now let’s go shopping. I want a new dress.”
“I was going to take a nap…”
“Plenty of time for that after you take me shopping for a new dress. I don’t want to wear the same one I wore last year.”
“Okay, Gram.” Anne stifled a huge yawn. “What time?”
“I’m on my way now, dear.”
Gram took her to a small exclusive dress shop. It was nothing like the secondhand store Johanna had shown her. Gram rifled through the dress rack in the petite section, piling dresses into her arms. Not one dress had a price tag under $5,000. Most were between $7,000 and $15,000. The owner of the store spotted Gram and came quickly to take the selected dresses and set Gram up in a dressing room.
She chose a red brocade dress with a fitted bodice and a pleated A-line ball skirt whose hem swept the floor. The dress had a matching long-sleeved bolero jacket.
“At ninety-five, I don’t really like those sleeveless gowns that are so popular. And I think this bolero jacket makes me look taller. Don’t you?”
Anne stared down at the tiny dynamo of a woman. “Gram, I don’t think you need to look taller. You’re intimidating enough already.”
The saleslady offered to bring out shoes, but Gram turned up her nose. “Your shoes hurt my feet. I have to get my shoes special-ordered for them to be comfortable.”
Anne moved to follow Gram to the checkout counter.
“Now find a dress for my friend here,” said Gram. “What size are you, dear?”
She whispered to Gram, “I usually get my stuff from the secondhand store. It’s just as nice, and I don’t mind that someone else has worn it before.”
“Humph! Today, you’re getting a dress from this store. Unless there isn’t anything here you like.”
“Gram, I can’t spend $5,000 on a dress.”
“No problem, dear. This is my treat. The short ones cost less, anyway. I plan to put you in a cocktail dress.”
She started to object again, but Gram fixed her with her piercing blue eyes, so much like Steven’s. “Don’t pretend you don’t know how much money I have. I want to buy you a dress. I can afford it, and it’ll make me happy.”
“Okay,” she agreed meekly.
“Alphonzo!” she called. “I want something special!”