An American Cinderella

“You are Aria Ritter, right?” Lydia asked. “And we did say the senator sent us, didn’t we?”

“Yes, yes.” I shook my head trying to clear it. “I just wasn’t expecting much.”

Gunner and Lydia exchanged glances that turned into smiles.

“Let’s get you upstairs,” Lydia said, putting a hand on my back and guiding me toward the building. “We have plans for you.”

Somehow, in the space of ten minutes, Gunner and Lydia transformed my tiny apartment into a Hollywood worthy backstage. The larger trunk contained several dresses, shoes, and jewelry. The other was for makeup and hair. When Lydia opened it, it was like a tiny makeup artist station made for traveling.

“The video the senator sent did not do you justice,” Gunner said, going through his gowns. “But, it did give me the right size. I think I have the perfect thing for you.”

“Good, because I need to get her started,” Lydia replied, pushing me into a chair and turning on some lights. “Please tell me you’re going with the blue dress.”

“You are learning quickly,” Gunner replied with a smile. “It’ll be perfect for her.”

I got the feeling they had done this before. A lot.

“I’m going to do a half up-do,” Lydia told Gunner. She held up my dark hair in the mirror to various levels.

“Do a full up-do,” Gunner counseled, glancing over. “She has the clavicles to pull it off.”

Lydia played with my hair for a moment. “You’re right,” she agreed.

“Do you guys do this often?” I asked, trying my best to hold still in the chair as Lydia styled my hair.

Lydia chuckled. “All the time. We’re the go to team for last-minute makeovers. We’re the best in the business.”

“That sounds interesting.” I tried not to grimace as Lydia pulled on my hair. “How do you know the senator?”

“Faye? She’s an old friend of mine,” Gunner explained as he carried a poofy dress of pale blue fabric behind me and to the bathroom. “We’ve worked together for years.”

He disappeared into the bathroom and I heard the water turn on.

“He’s just steaming the dress,” Lydia explained. “Hold still. You have great lines.”

The next hour flew by as Lydia twirled my dark hair up and pinned it with tiny pale blue flowers. The lightness of the tiny flowers made my dark hair shine. She turned me away from the mirror to do my makeup, but she did it all so much faster than I ever was able to do myself.

“Don’t look in the mirror until you have the dress on,” Lydia told me. “That way you’ll get the full effect.”

“Okay...”

She helped me up and over to the bathroom where Gunner was prepping my dress. It took all three of us working with the satin and tulle of the dress, but I was dressed in record time. Gunner stood behind me, tying up the corset-like strings on the back of the dress. He pulled them just tight enough that I knew I had curves, but I was still able to breathe.

“Shoes,” Gunner instructed. I lifted the blue skirts and he slid on a pair of silver pumps. They were surprisingly comfortable.

“And now for the big reveal,” Gunner announced. Lydia carefully put her hands over my eyes making sure not to smudge her hard work as Gunner guided me to the center of the room.

I opened my eyes, not sure what to expect.

Standing in front of me was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. She looked like my mother in the wedding photos I’d seen as a child, but the dress was the wrong color. The woman frowned and I realized that it was me in a full length mirror.

The dress was strapless blue satin that cascaded into a full skirt of tulle and satin. Intricate dark blue flowers bordered the edges of the gown, accenting the sweetheart top and the gentle curve of the drop-waist into the skirt.

I looked like a princess from a fairy tale.

“Oh my...” I whispered, not believing the transformation. This made the purple dress look like a cheap swimsuit cover-up by comparison.

“And the final touch,” Gunner said, putting a mask over my face. It was a simple silver mask with small engraved flowers around the edges. The beauty was in the simplicity. I still looked like me, but more mysterious.