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The Healing Souls
Dress Shopping
Dress Shopping2299words
Update Time2024-11-01 09:40:40
[Carmen]That weekend, I invited Gemma and Pyla to go dress shopping with me. I invited Kaya and Tana as well, but they were both busy. I understood. It wasn’t like they didn’t like me, they just had no real interest in shopping. We went to the mall. Pyla stuck close to us. She was in her glamour but didn’t really spend a lot of time in the human city. It was entirely different than anything she had ever experienced before. There was only one store where I knew I could get what I was looking for. Southland Song was one of the most expensive and high-quality stores in town. There was a boutique downtown and a shop in the mall. We decided to go to the mall because that location was more spacious and seemed like a better idea if we had a half-troll, half-lizard with us. As we approached the shop, I could smell the higher-quality items. This was the shop where I bought the dress I was wearing when I met Rock. I knew I would find something for this banquet thing Rock was taking me to. “How may I help you ladies today?” a woman asked. “I have a formal event to attend and I need a dress that fits in,” I told her. “I think I remember you. You came in back in the summer. You’re the blind woman, right?” “You have a great memory. I hope you’ll be as helpful this time as you were back then.” I smiled in her direction. It made me feel a little bad. She probably remembered me because I embarrassed her when I came in. That could burn a person into your memory. “We can get you seated and I will bring some options with me. If I remember correctly, you prefer comfortable textures and no light blues.” “Yes. Is it okay if my friends join you? I would love to see what they come up with as well.” Gemma led me to a seating area and got me to a couch. She dragged Pyla in the same direction as the sales associate went. It was almost second nature to use my magic anymore. I loved the change in my life since I started learning how to use it. It was almost like being nearsighted. After a while, Gemma came back. She was carrying a dress in her arms. I could make out the lines of it. “That looks like it would be pretty form-fitting,” I said.“Yeah, it’ll be totally hot. Rock’s going to love it,” she replied. “What color is it?” I asked. “Black. I figured the accessories would make it pop. Maybe a colorful shawl or something like that.” I went over and felt the material. It was really nice, actually. It was something that felt cool and like it wanted to cling to whatever was under it. I liked that. “Are you sure about shopping here, though, after what you spent last time we were here?” Gemma whispered. “Rock told me to buy whatever I wanted and not to worry about the prices. He worked hard and saved up in order to give his mate whatever life she could possibly want once he found her. Splurging so I can look good and make him look good by association is definitely worth it,” I told her. “True.” Pyla came up with a dress as well. I could see my friends’ personalities in the dresses they picked for me. Gemma picked something sexy and daring, a dress to draw attention. Pyla picked something less trendy.I examined the dress that Pyla had picked out for me. It was an elegant gown that was made of a soft fabric. The dress had long, flowing sleeves that were cinched at the wrist, and the neckline was modest, coming up to just below the collarbone. The skirt of the dress was full and I could tell it would flare out around my legs.She really went with the formal idea and picked something that was classy and modest. That was how she was, though. Pyla was calm, classy, and conservative. The dress definitely reflected her personality.“What color is it?” I asked Pyla as I felt the material. “Lavender. I thought it would look good on you,” she replied. “I’ll try this one on, too.” “Really? You don’t have to if it’s not your style.” “I look forward to trying it, Pyla. Thank you for helping me with my dress shopping.” Pyla nodded. She handed over the dress. I took the dress Gemma offered as well. It wasn’t long before the sales associate came back. “I have a few options for you. I see your friends have picked out a couple of other options. I’ll get you set up in a changing room if you want to give those to me,” she said. I nodded and gave her the dresses. Gemma took my arm and led me to the changing rooms. We still had to pretend like I couldn’t see anything, even though my magic made it so I could see some things. It was a small hassle, but I didn’t mind. It gave me some time when I didn’t have to use my magic and that was less of a strain on me. Gemma left me in the changing room and I heard the door close. Pyla and Gemma were waiting for me outside. I quickly used my magic to help me see so I could change. It was nice not to have to feel around for things. As I slipped out of my clothes and into the lavender dress, I couldn’t help but admire the soft material against my skin. The dress was simple yet elegant, and I felt like a princess in it. I twirled around in the room, the skirt of the dress flared out around my legs.It was beautiful, but too modest for me. I knew it would be a no, but it was a beautiful dress nonetheless. Opening the door, I went out to where Pyla and Gemma were waiting. “What do you think?” I asked them. “Wow, Carmen... it’s... umm... well, it’s elegant. Definitely, but...” Gemma waffled over what she wanted to say. “It really looks older than you. I’m sorry, Pyla, Carmen is still in her early twenties and this makes her look like she’s in her forties.” Pyla gave a small smile. “It’s alright, Gemma. I understand what you mean. It was just an idea. Carmen, what do you think of it?”I thought about it for a moment. The dress was beautiful, no doubt about it. But Gemma was right, it wasn’t really my style. “It’s gorgeous, Pyla. Thank you for picking it out. But I think I’m looking for something a little more... me.”She nodded. “I understand. Let’s see what other options might work for you.”Heading back to the changing room, I was definitely appreciative of Pyla’s efforts, but it really wasn’t a fit for me. It gave me an idea of what she liked, though. Gemma and I had been planning to get a dress made for her for her birthday. Not one for her to wear on her birthday, exactly, because it could end up ruined when her troll brain took over, but as a gift once she was done with her whole coming-of-age situation. This dress showed that we were on the right track with what we had already been planning. We were running low on time and Gemma said we had to get it started soon. There was a party for the first day of spring in the fae lands. I wanted Pyla to be able to have a dress like what she wanted. I couldn’t really do much, but Gemma said this would be the perfect way for us to get an idea of what she liked. Of course, Gemma wouldn’t be happy with a dress like this. I was betting she would listen to what Pyla liked and disliked about the other dresses before she took the final design to her aunt. We already got Pyla’s measurements when she went with us to do dress shopping for the wedding. I had them measure all of my bridesmaids, the ones who were there, for the dresses. Pyla had been unsure of the bridesmaid dresses because they were more revealing than what she normally liked to wear. I was betting Forrest would love it, though. I slipped out of the lavender dress and put on the black dress Gemma picked out. It really did cling to my body, just like it seemed it would earlier. Thin straps held the top up. The material was light and it felt like I was barely wearing anything. There was a cut from the ankle up to the hip on one side. This was a very sexy dress and I didn’t think it would be a great idea for a formal event. Even though I determined that, I still went out to show it to my friends. I heard Gemma clapping, but Pyla took in a deep breath and sighed. She didn’t seem to like it all that much. “Super sexy, Carmen. Damn, your figure is killer in that dress,” Gemma said. “I don’t know if it’s entirely appropriate. You’re going to be around Rock’s colleagues and Forrest said a lot of them are about Rock’s age. I think you might give the wrong impression to them if you go in that dress. Nothing against it, though, it is lovely, but I think you may need to be more modest,” Pyla told me. “What? No, she has to make the men jealous of Rock. What’s the point in having a hot young fiancée if you’re not going to show them off? She needs something sexy so that those old men will envy Rock,” Gemma replied. I couldn’t help but blush at the thought of making other men jealous of Rock. Gemma always had a way of bringing out my playful side. But Pyla had a point I didn’t want to give off the wrong impression to Rock’s colleagues. I needed to find a balance between sexy and modest.“Maybe something in between,” I suggested. “I still want something that shows off my figure but not too much skin. What do you think, Pyla?”Pyla nodded thoughtfully. “I think that’s a good idea, Carmen.”Gemma sighed. “Fine. Go try on what the sales girl brought.” Turning back to the changing room, I smiled. She would pout for a while, but it would be fine. This was a great dress. I liked it, but I was a reflection on my mate. I needed to look like I fit there. Standing out too much might make people think badly about us. Once I was out of the dress, I grabbed the next one off of its hanger and started putting it on. I liked the light and flowy material of the dress. It wasn’t like the material from Gemma’s dress, but it was in the sense that it felt like it was barely there when I put it on. Once it was zipped in back, I could feel the tightness of it on the top. The top was a ruched V-neck and it had loose, short sleeves that were a little flowy. The skirt was an A-line that was loose and fluttered around my legs. The material was comfortable and not too restrictive, even though it was tighter in the top. I liked how it felt. As I stepped out of the changing room, Gemma and Pyla both gasped. I twirled around, letting the dress flow and flutter around me. It was perfect for the occasion.“That’s the one,” Pyla said with a smile. “It’s perfect for the party. You look beautiful, Carmen.”Gemma nodded her agreement. “Yeah, that’s definitely the one. It’s sexy but still modest enough for Rock’s colleagues. And the color is perfect on you.”“What color is it?” I asked. “That color is called ‘ink blue’,” the sales woman answered. “It’s a darker blue with hints of green in it. We also have the dress in burgundy, navy, black, dusty rose, pink pearl, and lavender. Is there a color you would like better?” “This is for a formal event. I think this color will do. I’ll need some shoes and accessories,” I told her. “Of course. If you wait right here, I’ll go get some options for you and your friends can help you pick things out.” With that, I heard her walking away. Gemma and Pyla both came over to look the dress over. I really liked it and I couldn’t wait to hear what Rock thought of it. I knew he would like it if I did. “This is really pretty. Something like this is how I keep my tail from flipping my skirt up and showing everything to everyone,” Pyla chuckled. That was good to know. We’d make sure the back was a lot longer than the front to accommodate her tail. I really hoped she would like the dress. We could get the guys to take us out on a triple date and go to a club or something. It would be a great change of pace. It took about half an hour to find shoes that I liked and accessories for the dress. In the end, we spent a couple hundred dollars and were pretty pleased with ourselves. Next stop was lunch and I think I was looking forward to that almost as much, if not more, than I had been looking forward to the shopping. We headed out of the shop and out to the parking lot. Pyla and I wanted to eat at one of the fae restaurants and Gemma had never tried one before. I was looking forward to it.