Love on the Scale

Chapter Twenty-Four

I had never allowed myself to be caught up in a situation that required me to feel so vulnerable. Shopping for clothes at a steady size was bad enough, but I wasn't happy with my weight loss, although the pounds were dropping off day by day. In truth, I was a bit of a sneaky snacker, and I too-often sabotaged my dieting efforts. But I wasn't about to give up on myself.

"Look guys, lets not spend too much money. I still have a lot left to lose."

I realized I would never blossom into a tall model-like build, and it was hard enough hanging around them all day. The girls at the studio were perfection, every angle of their faces a work of art, their bodies petite, tucked-in, in all the right places. I was the toad of the lily pond, but I refused to fall into despair at my imperfection, or their perfection.

"Here we are," said Jenna, directing Neil from the backseat to pull into the closest parking lot. "This street is the fashion hub of town. I'm taking you to a small avaunt-guard boutique." As she showed us into the store, she said to me, "We need to find you outfits that will enhance your hourglass figure, and of course the correct coloring for your cocoa-luscious skin is paramount. Mmmm... lets see..." She ran on ahead into the back of the shop, leaving Neil and I to browse the clothing alone.

I couldn't get her description of my skin color out of my mind. Cocoa-luscious? No way would I survive a day with her; she was insane. I lifted a silky, flowered sleeve, and wrinkled my nose. Upon glancing up, I found unfamiliar pairs of eyes on me, and grabbed hold of Neil.

"I don't want to be here. Everyone is staring at me."

"Look, don't be so paranoid. There's no one in here except the assistants, and they're only looking at us because they are interested in making a sale. This place is probably commission based. Really, this is not such a big deal."

"It's not a big deal to YOU. You get to keep your clothes on!"

"What do you think I do all day at the studio? Undress and redress hundreds of times. People staring at me from every angle."

"At least every one of your angles is perfect! Mine aren't."

He loosened my fingers from his shirt, amusement clear in his eyes. "You. Will. Be. Fine."

Jenna then came running towards us, engulfed in a wave of eagerness, almost tripping over a coat-hanger. Her arms were draped in such a large pile of clothing, she ran right past us in a blind frenzy.

"Neil... Chris... Hey, here, here. You gotta check out all this stuff!" Out of breath, she stumbled straight into the arms of a mannequin, and sent the clothes she was carrying, flying into the delicate front window display.

"Excuse me, miss. If you're in need of help, we would prefer if you'd ask us instead of bludgeoning the whole shop to pieces," a rude shop assistant said, advancing on us.

"Excuse me? Well, excuse you! Do you want to make a sale today, or would you prefer it if we went somewhere else?" Not waiting for an answer, and undeterred, Jenna stood up grabbing handfuls of crumpled clothing, and continued towards the dressing room. Neil and I just stared, her audacity astounding us both.

"Don't just stand there, you two. Lets get your future wardrobe on the make."

We ran after her, two kids trailing a drill sergeant.

"Let's get this magic started. Time to make you feel like a Cinderella, Christella."

I followed her into the dressing room as if being led to my execution, while she hung everything up on the rod provided.

"Well aren't you a bundle of excitement. Now get those grotty old clothes off that cute body!"

She expected me to undress while she was in the room? Had she smoked something before we picked her up?