Attending this gala would be my prom. I may not have been going with a hot date, but there was hope that I could be hooking up with one by the end of the night.
“Ivy, I have the perfect dress for you,” Bobbi said as I ran my fingers over a silver satin gown. “Follow me.” I followed him to the fitting area, where he instructed me to stand where the mirrors were. “Give me just a second.”
He went around a corner and then returned with a champagne gown. He hung it on one of the racks close to me, and I moved next to him to get a better look. I was completely awestruck.
“Now, I know this doesn’t come close to being the hottest gown ever, but this is a dress I’ve been working on for a few months now. I could never find the person with the right look who could rock this dress, so I’ve kept it in the back as a little treasure, but when you walked in with Lola, I saw it. You were made for this dress, love. You’re the one I’ve been looking for.”
Isn’t it funny how destiny works, Marriott? Bobbi had been waiting for a girl like me—a girl who was meant to disrupt Lola Maxwell’s life, all so I could try on a dress he was passionate about. See, it couldn’t be all bad that I was here. Someone was getting something out of my presence in Lola’s life.
“Wow, Bobbi, it’s—it’s stunning.” I ran my hands over the silky fabric. It was a spaghetti-strap mermaid dress with a plunging neckline and white lace trimmings. The dress made just for me spilled down to a puddle of silky champagne fabric on the floor and was embroidered with more white lace at the hem. It was simple, and the complete opposite of Lola’s dress as far as the style.
It screamed Ivy Hill, the real me, as you know, and I loved everything about it.
“Do you want to try it on?” he asked.
I thought he’d never ask. “Yes please.”
Bobbi carried the dress by the hanger to one of the fitting rooms. As he hung it up, Lola came wandering out of her fitting room in one of the custom-made gowns, and of course it was stunning.
Mine was so simple in comparison to Lola’s, but for once I didn’t care about hers being better. Lola had to be the star of the evening—the best dressed. It was her charity. Her event. If it weren’t for her, there wouldn’t have been a Ladies with Passion Gala to begin with. She needed to stand out the most.
She waltzed out in a one-shouldered, sky-blue satin dress that was pinched at the waist to flaunt her curves. It appeared to be made entirely of sequins at the top, but slowly transitioned to sky-blue and white feathers at the bottom. A front side split revealed one of her long, slender legs and even her upper thigh.
That dress screamed Lola. It was custom-made to appeal to her tastes. She’d mentioned wanting feathers on her dress, and Bobbi really came through with them. A train followed her, the feathers swaying beneath the golden lights as she walked.
“You look amazing, Lola.” I fed her the compliment as she stood in front of the mirror.
“You think so? I might have to get back with Dre, work on losing about ten to twelve pounds to fit better in this thing.” She picked up the dress at her thigh, ruffling the feathers.
“Oh, stop it,” Bobbi said, fixing her train. “You look incredible. Just imagine you with some banging jewelry, your hair all done up, and your makeup on point, and everyone will be drooling all over you at the gala, Lady Maxwell.”
I clenched my fist at that name. Lady Maxwell. Though this was nice, what Lola was doing for me, I couldn’t forget my plan. She still had Corey. She was definitely gorgeous in that dress. Corey wasn’t going to be able to keep his hands or eyes off her. I hated her all over again.
Why couldn’t I just have him, Marriott? Why did she have to find him first?
“Is this the one?” Bobbi asked her, his hands clasped in front of his face.
“Yes,” she breathed. “This is the one, Bobbi.”
“Yes!” Bobbi shouted, doing a little bounce on his toes. “Okay, so Ivy, go ahead and try on your gown,” Bobbi said over his shoulder to me. “I’m going to take Lola’s measurements and then I’ll come check on you. Be gentle with the zippers.”
I entered the fitting room, and as soon as I got the door to close, I wanted to scream. I couldn’t let Lola win on gala night. My only hope was that I could get to Corey sooner—way before the night of the gala.