Talisman
Page 18
Nervously, I unzipped the bag. The lower the zipper fell, the more I trembled. I slipped out the garment and held it up in front of me. There, hanging before my eyes, was the most stunning little black dress I’d ever seen. It had a surplice bodice that cinched in at the waist and then flowed down into several shimmery, cascading layers. It was short, but not too short. The bodice was held by two black beaded straps, which gradually tapered around to the back. A white shoebox caught my eye when I looked down into the bottom of the garment bag. I pulled it out and whipped off its top. Resting inverted, under several layers of bronze metallic tissue, lay a killer pair of black stilettos — the most gorgeous ones I’d ever seen. They were an iridescent black satin and embellished with delicate beads that resembled the ones fashioned to the straps on the dress. And to top it off, they fastened at the ankle with two grosgrain ribbons, each shaped into crisp black bows.
I breathed in a weighty gulp of air, completely floored by Daddy’s surprise.
“Shi? Are you still there? What’s going on?” Katie asked repeatedly after hearing my gasp.
Feeling absolutely elated, I twirled around as I pressed the dress against me.
“Katie, bring every ounce of makeup you can fit in your bag and get over here — Like, yesterday!” I ordered.
“Really?” she questioned.
“YES! You won’t believe what was hanging in my closet! Apparently I have a Fairy God-Father! Just hurry. I’m going to jump in the tub.” As I hung the dress back on the closet door, I noticed my little golden topaz didn’t appear as sparkly in the light of my bedroom.
Maybe I need to shine it up with a quick salt-soaking?
“Katie, does your mom keep any sea-salt in her pantry?” Katie’s mom, Julia Stowell, was one of the best cooks around, and the television at their house stayed tuned to any of the numerous gourmet-cooking shows on the Food Network or the Cooking Channel at all times.
“Yeah. Why?” Katie asked, confused.
“Grab some and bring it over,” I insisted impatiently. “I’ll explain when you get here.”
“Will do,” Katie agreed. “See you in a sec! Bye!”
“Hurry up! Bye!” As I ran down the hall to draw a hot steamy bath, I thought, Never would I have dreamed when I woke up this morning that I’d be this excited to get ready for a dance — even one with a fake-date like Mike Riverside!
Chapter 8