The Marriage Dare

And so as we go through the clothes, I don’t think about anybody but me. And I try not to think too hard about it. I stay away from anything that reminds me of my pageant days, and if something looks interesting to me, I point it out. Halfway through the second rack of clothes, I’m beginning to see a pattern. Simple cuts, solid colors, and stylish lines. I like some patterns, and some details, but I’m not drawn to them the way I am the other things. Perhaps it’s because of all those things that I was forced to wear that were rich and over-the-top. I was always forced to be girly, and to present the right image. No one seemed to notice that they didn’t tell me what the right image was.

Alex doesn’t do anything but smile and nod as I point out things. There are even a few things on the racks themselves that I like so much that I immediately pull them out to try on. “This feels very much like a Pretty Woman moment,” I say.

She chuckles. “Yeah, I suppose so.”

The things I’ve chosen are comfortable and simple, without being drab. There’s some lovely trousers, sweaters, and tailored shirts. Thrown into the mix are a few flowing numbers as well. I seem to be drawn to cooler colors, with rich blues, creams, and greens making up the majority of my choices.

The last rack of clothes are more formal. There are some beautiful gowns, and I wonder if I should choose any of them. I don’t have to, I know. I took what Daniel said to heart and I know that he’ll be happy no matter what I choose. But even if I didn’t love the pageant lifestyle, I still really like dressing up. I like the power it affords me as a beautiful woman, and I like the way I can command attention. Also, it can just be fun.

There’s quite a few on the rack that I like, but then I come across one that takes my breath away. It’s a pale blue silk, and at first it almost looks like a nightgown. But it’s not. The thin straps flow over the shoulders and down, catching the material in such a way that it drapes in one long line. The seams are artistic, lying on diagonals and almost giving an Art Deco feel. There are just a few silver details along the hem and the neckline to add some sparkle. But something about it calls to me, and Alex sees it.

“You need to try that on right this second.”

“How can you tell?” I ask her.

“Because I’ve seen that look before. That is the look of love at first sight with a dress. Once somebody has that moment, there’s pretty much no going back. So try it on.”

I take the dress into the bedroom and slip it on over my shoulders. Yeah, Alex was right. I love this dress. It makes me feel ethereal and beautiful, like something out of a fairytale. And when I come out of the bedroom, the look on everyone’s faces confirms it.

“Yeah, that’s the one. Working to get that altered for you right away.”

They already took my measurements when they first arrived, and I can feel a couple of places where the dress isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty close. Alex looks down at her sketchpad. “I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of what you’re looking for. Over the next couple of days, I’m going to put together some sketches for you and you can look at them. In the meantime, do you feel like you’ve got enough pieces to choose from for the next few days?”

I nod. But I’m unable to look away from the image of myself in the mirror. It doesn’t seem like me. And yet it does. It seems more like me than anything I’ve ever worn before. Suddenly, I feel eyes on me. In the mirror I see that Daniel has walked in behind me. His eyes are glued to me, and I meet his gaze in the reflection.

The room seems to go still around us, and even Alex and the assistants go quiet. I turned around to face him, unable to stop the blush from creeping up my cheeks. I’m not sure why I feel embarrassed in this moment. Perhaps embarrassed isn’t the right word. But I feel… vulnerable. It’s like I’ve taken off some sort of mask and he seeing through it for the first time.

But that’s not true either, because he’s already proven that he saw through it all along. I have taken off the mask, and it’s my first time being seen. I don’t know how to feel.

Daniel slowly crosses the room to me. I’m standing on a little pedestal in front of the mirrors, and it brings me just a little closer to his height. He stares at me when he stops in front of me, and I feel the urge to fidget nervously. Only my pageant training keeping me from doing so. “What you think?” My voice sounds more worried than I want it to, but I want him to like it. I want him so desperately to see what I see when I put on this dress.