that meant she had to try on forty different tops, another five pairs of pants and at least six pairs of jeans.
And when they were done in that store, five shopping bags later, they had to go to some fancy lingerie shop. At least it wasn’t Victoria’s Secret. That store was so…pink. And frilly. It made her eyes hurt.
This store didn’t have as many ruffles and didn’t make her nose twitch in response to the twenty million kinds of perfumes in the other half of the store.
And they actually had pretty decent underwear. She was a little embarrassed to admit she actually liked purple lace and shiny silk. But they also had pretty cotton undies and bras, and she left there with another two bags of stuff.
Janey and Annie each had one, as well, so she didn’t feel so bad.
By the time they grabbed lunch at a retro diner with decent burgers, Merri was feeling a lot less stressed.
“You know, I never got that whole retail stress therapy thing before, but I’m kind of seeing the appeal now.”
Annie nodded sagely as Janey settled the bill. This time, Merri didn’t argue about it. But she’d refused to let the DeMarcos pay for her clothes. It wasn’t like she didn’t have the money. Hell, she had more than enough money socked away.
“I’m glad you’re finally coming around,” Janey said as they ventured back out into the mall, which, for a weekday, seemed unusually crowded. Didn’t people have jobs?
“So are we going back to the office now?”
“If you don’t mind,” Janey said, “there’s one or two more shops I’d like to check out. Don’t worry.” Janey laughed as Merri couldn’t quite wipe the look of horror off her face fast enough. “Not for you. I need a dress to wear to a wedding. I saw one the other week I really liked but didn’t have time to try it on. Might as well do it now.”
A few minutes later, Janey was in the dressing room and Merri was roaming restlessly through the store. She didn’t want to be ungrateful and she had actually had fun.
But she itched to get back to the office and that code. There was something about it she recognized, something just out of reach. She knew if she stared at it long enough, she’d figure it out.
She wanted—
That dress.
She really wanted that dress.
Dark green. Simple enough that she wouldn’t feel stupid wearing it and casual enough that she might actually be able to wear it to dinner tonight and not feel like she was pretending to be someone she wasn’t.
“That would look amazing on you.” Annie reached for the dress, checked the tag, then searched for another until she found one that looked like it would fit Merri. “Go try it on.”
“I don’t need a dress. It’s not like I’ll wear it to work or anything.”
“It doesn’t hurt to try it on and you never know when you’ll need a dress. Aren’t there all kinds of military cocktail parties and balls? What do you wear to those?”
“Nothing. I never go. They’re so boring.” And she never had a date, not a real one anyway. Sure, one of the guys from the team would go with her if she asked, but she didn’t want them to feel obligated. Then she’d spend all night making small talk with a guy who usually felt more comfortable talking about the politics of their World of Warcraft guild than actual world politics.
Not that she didn’t enjoy talking WoW , but as a team leader, she was expected to know what was going on in the real world. And she did. Sometimes more than she wanted to.
“Merri, try the dress on.” Annie gave her a look that reminded Merri of her mom. She’d gotten that look a lot.
She took the dress and headed for the small, really nice dressing rooms at the back of the store.
When she pulled the dress over her head and it fell perfectly to just below her knees, she sighed. And when she ran her hand over the silky material that draped perfectly over her small breasts, she knew she had to have it.
And couldn’t help but wonder if Jimmy would like
And when they were done in that store, five shopping bags later, they had to go to some fancy lingerie shop. At least it wasn’t Victoria’s Secret. That store was so…pink. And frilly. It made her eyes hurt.
This store didn’t have as many ruffles and didn’t make her nose twitch in response to the twenty million kinds of perfumes in the other half of the store.
And they actually had pretty decent underwear. She was a little embarrassed to admit she actually liked purple lace and shiny silk. But they also had pretty cotton undies and bras, and she left there with another two bags of stuff.
Janey and Annie each had one, as well, so she didn’t feel so bad.
By the time they grabbed lunch at a retro diner with decent burgers, Merri was feeling a lot less stressed.
“You know, I never got that whole retail stress therapy thing before, but I’m kind of seeing the appeal now.”
Annie nodded sagely as Janey settled the bill. This time, Merri didn’t argue about it. But she’d refused to let the DeMarcos pay for her clothes. It wasn’t like she didn’t have the money. Hell, she had more than enough money socked away.
“I’m glad you’re finally coming around,” Janey said as they ventured back out into the mall, which, for a weekday, seemed unusually crowded. Didn’t people have jobs?
“So are we going back to the office now?”
“If you don’t mind,” Janey said, “there’s one or two more shops I’d like to check out. Don’t worry.” Janey laughed as Merri couldn’t quite wipe the look of horror off her face fast enough. “Not for you. I need a dress to wear to a wedding. I saw one the other week I really liked but didn’t have time to try it on. Might as well do it now.”
A few minutes later, Janey was in the dressing room and Merri was roaming restlessly through the store. She didn’t want to be ungrateful and she had actually had fun.
But she itched to get back to the office and that code. There was something about it she recognized, something just out of reach. She knew if she stared at it long enough, she’d figure it out.
She wanted—
That dress.
She really wanted that dress.
Dark green. Simple enough that she wouldn’t feel stupid wearing it and casual enough that she might actually be able to wear it to dinner tonight and not feel like she was pretending to be someone she wasn’t.
“That would look amazing on you.” Annie reached for the dress, checked the tag, then searched for another until she found one that looked like it would fit Merri. “Go try it on.”
“I don’t need a dress. It’s not like I’ll wear it to work or anything.”
“It doesn’t hurt to try it on and you never know when you’ll need a dress. Aren’t there all kinds of military cocktail parties and balls? What do you wear to those?”
“Nothing. I never go. They’re so boring.” And she never had a date, not a real one anyway. Sure, one of the guys from the team would go with her if she asked, but she didn’t want them to feel obligated. Then she’d spend all night making small talk with a guy who usually felt more comfortable talking about the politics of their World of Warcraft guild than actual world politics.
Not that she didn’t enjoy talking WoW , but as a team leader, she was expected to know what was going on in the real world. And she did. Sometimes more than she wanted to.
“Merri, try the dress on.” Annie gave her a look that reminded Merri of her mom. She’d gotten that look a lot.
She took the dress and headed for the small, really nice dressing rooms at the back of the store.
When she pulled the dress over her head and it fell perfectly to just below her knees, she sighed. And when she ran her hand over the silky material that draped perfectly over her small breasts, she knew she had to have it.
And couldn’t help but wonder if Jimmy would like
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