Chapter six

Chapter six

Julie

Sunday arrives and I wake up feeling happy in a way I haven’t been in a long time. There’s a mix of excitement for the epic show and the feeling of a real good night sleep, in spite of missing the naughty boy from the house next door.

I sit on the bed, stretch my body, and hear the message tone on my mobile.

Daniel : Good morning, Ju. Did things go well last night at AD?

Oh, damn it! And now? I’ll have to act silly so that he doesn’t suspect anything.

I: Hi, Danny. All good and you? The venue was pretty full. When are you coming back? Kiss

Daniel : Saturday. Kiss

Men are so thrifty with words... Phew! Fortunately! I got away with this one!

Just in tandem another message comes through. Oh, God!

George : Little girl, I’ll be there in 15 to take you shopping. Be ready. You’re not allowed to wear leggings. XXXX (Kisses) from your personal stylist, best friend and producer.

All men are thrifty with words, not George. I stand up and run to the bathroom as I type the answer.

I: Okay. Can I put on the yoga pants? ;D

George: Nooooooooooooooooooo :@ :@

I: What are those :@?

George: My angry face for your lack of style, sweetheart. MOVE OOOON!

I laugh and get in the shower fast, because I know he's probably knocking on the door in a little while.

***

"At last you dropped those hideous clothes you used to wear, huh?” George speaks, glancing at me from head to toe with contempt.

He's absolutely right, but I can't help but pick on him.

"Friend, but it's so comfortable...”

George seems to shoot me with his eyes.

"If you went through one of those transformation programs, like a Fashion Squad, you'd be humiliated on national television in all those horrible clothes.

"Julie, how do you want to make out with Hot Alan dressed like that?” Jo asks me, very serious.

I let go of a laugh in the middle of the mall.

"Does he go by a new nickname now? Who says I want to make out with Alan?”

"Little girl, if you don't go for him, I'll slap your face! He's going mad, freaking crazy to play guitar on your seductive body.”

George moves his hands, as if describing a body in the form of a musical instrument. I roll my eyes.

"For God's sake, George! You sometimes vent out such goofy stuff! He doesn't want to touch anything. That was just a stage scene!”

George's mouth opens like I told him there's no Santa Claus.

"What?! You really think that was a stage scene? My dear, I know the look of a male very well when he’s getting ready to take his prey. Hot Alan wants you bad and you should want him too, because he's soooo hot!”

"But, George...”

"If you come up with the story that you love Danny Boy, I won't listen anymore. Little girl, you know that I love you. I really wish, from the bottom of my heart, that you would come right with that idiot.” He turns to Jo with an expression of sorrow and squeezes her hand lightly. "No offense, dear.” Jo nods, as if she agreed that her brother is really an idiot. Geoge turns to me and proceeds with his enthusiastic speech. "He's hot, I’ll give you that. But, as an idiot, he scores top marks on a scale of one to five. You've been in love with him for yeaaarss and he doesn't give a damn about you. He can't even see how much you've grown. You need to get someone. Hit the road before you get old, crazy and surrounded by cats!”

"Not full of cats, full of books," I answer, sulking.

"Girlfriend, George is right. You deserve to find someone to love you. I really wanted it to be my brother, but after all this time...”

I hear the words of my two best friends and my eyes fill up with tears. I know they're right. I just think it's so unfair. My life was anything but easy... As much as the Stewarts may have given me all the love in the world, losing both parents at the same time is a pain that will never heal in my heart. Though I never complained, moaned or played a victim. I accepted my fate and tried to do everything I could to be happy. The only thing I wanted was the opportunity to show Danny how much I love him.

I keep thinking about last night. I fulfilled my dream of singing. I felt great on stage. I felt alive. Beautiful. Wanted. I remember the rules I set for myself. I close my eyes, take a deep breath and make a decision.

"George? Jo?”

"Yes, little girl.”

"Let's go shopping. It’s time I become a new woman. If, with my new look, I can't get Danny to wake up, at least I’ll get a boyfriend. I don't want to become a crazy old woman, alone and full of cats.”

“Now you’re talking!” George claps while he speaks. "Are you going to play with Alan's guitar?”

Jo and I burst into laughter. George knows how to cheer us up.

***

The day goes by and George takes us to several different stores. I can't take it anymore. We've bought shorts, blouses and dresses —lots of dresses. He decided that my show look will consist exclusively of items that leave my legs out. Now I have an astonishing amount of ballad dresses, glittering skirts and low-cut blouses. They match shoes so high that if I lose balance and fall, I run the risk of breaking my neck.

"Come on, pussycats. Let's go into this one”, he says, pulling me toward a store. I look up and get stunned to see the sign of a famous lingerie store.

"Friend, what are we going to buy here?”

"Definitely not bread! You need a lingerie that will pick you up.”

Jo looks scared. She's been acting weird. She’s always distracted, and spends all the time exchanging text I just don't know who with.

“Guys, I'm going to pop in quickly to the leather bag store on the second floor. I need to buy a new briefcase.”

"Go, my darling. Anything, just call.”

"But, George...” I am interrupted by the saleswoman who comes close and offers help.

Obviously, George takes over and parts the sexiest pieces from the store. I frown on every item he picks up. I'm not used to so much lace.

An attendant serves us candy and prosecco. We make our toast, and I take my mind off and eat while George seems to be on a war mission.

Forty minutes and a few glasses later, I'm pushed into a fitting room with a pile of panties, bras, corsets and other pieces I don't even know what they're for.

I start trying them out, and the prosecco gets to me, leading me to do a parade in the fitting room. George goes on indicating to the saleswoman the pieces he approves so she can separate them. If we were at Victoria's Secret, I'd say I felt like an Angel so much that I shook my butt back and forth.

While I take a look at a corset, George mutters something to the saleswoman, who returns a few minutes later with a pile of sweaters and babydolls .

“I don’t need pajamas, George!”

“Of course not.” That’s not pajamas. You're going to throw away those garbage you sleep with and start sleeping like a diva.

Immediately, I remember the countless times Daniel showed up at the house first thing in the morning for coffee and I was wearing one of my cartoon T-shirts. I break into a smile as I picture his face when he sees me in a black sweater like that.

I tried all the pieces and bought things that, if it wasn't for prosecco, I would never have agreed to try. I'm not much of a drinker because, with my size, anything knocks me down. However, the drink makes my head lighter and, apparently, my hand much more open as my credit card can tell!

"George?”

"What is it, little girl?”

“I'm drunk. I need to eat something.”

George laughs and takes me to a restaurant in the food court. As we sit down, he calls Jo.

“Where did this girl end up? We spent two hours buying lingerie, long enough for you to get drunk, and she's still picking out a briefcase?”

"She's been weird...”, I say it with a little smile on my face.

"She’s not picking up. I'm going to text her.”

I stretch my neck to see George type:

George : Beloved, where are you? We're at that restaurant you love. Julie's drunk on prosecco and needs to eat something before she devours the hot waiter attending us.

Damn it! Did he notice I'm drooling over the waiter who came to serve us water? I look again at the cellphone screen and smile at the many happy faces in the message. I love getting messages from George. They're always full of fun stickers and emojis.

A shadow draws close to me. I look up and I see the hot waiter. Yummy yummy.

We're almost halfway through lunch - and I'm already much less affected by the drink - when Jo arrives with a guilty face.

"Friend, where were you? You missed all the fun!”

"I went to the bank," she looks away as she speaks, as if she were... embarrassed. George doesn't let go.

"Jo, my angel, three and a half hours to go to the bank? You walked out the door of the lingerie store saying you were going to buy a briefcase and you come back saying you were at the bank. You went to dance the Macarena on the manager's desk?”

I spit some of the soda on George. It's really funny to imagine Jo, a very serious lawyer, dancing like Psy on a table.

"Argh, Julie. Not again!

"I'm sorry," I say, wiping it with the napkin. "But it's your fault, you say these things while I'm drinking.

Jo's still quiet, looking at the menu. George and I exchange glances.

"Aren't you going to tell us what's going on, Jo?” George sniffs. "I thought we were best friends. I really feel so devastated by your attitude. Julie and I tell you everything , and what do you give back in return?” He looks at me and takes his hand to his chest before looking back at her. "You ignore us and push us away from your life. It's too much for a poor heart, you know?”

I support his words, holding George's hand and patting it lightly. Jo looks at us, raises an eyebrow holding a look on her face like she can’t believe what she’s seeing, and becomes the lawyer in the courtroom.

"You're taking it way over the top, George. I went to three stores to look for a new briefcase because mine looks terrible, but I didn't like any. Then I went to the bank to make some payments. I ran into a lawyer on the way and we chatted for half an hour. If you still want to measure my time, I stopped about ten minutes to pee and came to meet you.”

"I don't know why, but you didn't convince me," George says, looking at me. "But it's okay, I'm going to let it go. I'm going to respect your moment.”

***

We left the restaurant and made a stop at Starbucks. A cup of coffee is gonna go down really well to remove the rest of my hangover. Reminder: never drink more than two glasses! While we wait for the barista to call our names, Jo takes her Kindle out of the bag and starts reading.

"Which one are you reading now?”, I ask, stretching to see.

“ A reason to dream, from Jennifer Van Wyk”, she smiles at me.

"Ohhh... Captain James...” George and I sighed at the same time.

"Have you read? It can’t be! You didn't even wait for me”, she looks at both of us, pouting.

"Jo, my dear, I'm sorry, but I could never leave Captain James waiting for me," George replies, and we both laughed.

The three of us love reading, and we're always exchanging reading tips.

At this time, our names are called.

We stand up to get our cappuccinos when I hear behind me:

"Well, well. What a delicious surprise. Juliette, the hottest singer of the moment.”

I turn around and meet Alan.

"Alan! Hey, what a surprise.” I approach to kiss him on the face. Wow, how nice he smells and... Ops! How cheeky! He turned his face and almost kissed my mouth! I push away a little, but he pulls me hard and whispers in my ear.

"Babe, this time was on the edge of the mouth, but next time, you won't escape me.”

Oh my God! I'm sure I'm red as a chili.

"Did you know that our duet has become a hit on YouTube? There’s already been a staggering number of views. I talked to Rafe today, and he told me that a critic is going to After Dark on Friday to meet us. Cool, huh?”

"Wow, Alan! That's great news!” I answer as he passes his arm by my waist and pulls me against him. He squeezes me hard and I feel protected in his arms. All right, he's not as strong as Danny. He has a thin structure, yet he’s still muscular. I try to get away, but he squeezes me a little more.

"I love your spontaneity. And perfume”, he says and licks my neck. I hop off him stepping away slightly.

"Well, Alan... It's really great news. We need to go, don't we, George?” I look at George, who is standing still with our cappuccinos in hand and open-mouthed. I look at Alan again. “It was good to see you. E-mail me the songs you guys want to play on Friday!”

He looks at me with a mischievous smile and nods.

"Sure, pretty girl. I'll send it over. And Friday, you're going to be mine.”

I grab my glass from George's hand, give a wry smile and go out dragging my two friends behind me. After climbing the escalators to the fourth floor of the parking lot as if being chased by the ten plagues of Egypt, George stop me, laughing in my face.

"Well, well, well. What was that?”

"What?” I ask, trying to talk my way out of it, but my tone comes out a little louder than I intended.

"He licked you! Jo, did you see that? A lick on the neck!”

“Of course I did.”

"Me, if I were her, I would have licked him in full, every inch. And I'm sure that in some places, he has several centimeters!”

“ George !”

"Whoa, I'm just telling you the truth. You're red.”

"What? No, I'm not!”

"Yes, you are. Jo, how does she look?”

"On fire!” my friend replies, looking at me. They burst out laughing.

I turn around and go to the parking lot, with the two of them laughing their heads off behind me. I have to go home. Now. Take a shower.

A very cold one.