Missy could be blunt, almost to the point of cruelty, but what were friends for if they couldn't tell you the cold, sometimes difficult truth? I agreed with her. I had been under pressure to get married to Russell, but once the marriage was done, I could have gotten out. I could have gathered my things and plucked up the bravery to leave, but I never did. I always knew that he was unfaithful, but not even that was a good enough reason for me to get out of it. I didn't want to talk about it now. It was all in the past. He was dead now and I had to deal with his mess, but I wasn't dead. I was still alive, I still had a future, and I had to make sure I was going to be secure.
“Well, I'm not married anymore and I don't miss him. It was a mistake, you're right, but I'm not getting those years back. I am choosing to focus on the future and what's to come.”
“Bravo. That's the way to do it. In fact, you and that friend of yours should arrange another date.”
I shook my head. “I'm heading back to Belshire today. Last night was the full extent of our reunion.”
“What? Already”
“Missy, I told you I was only staying one night. Don't act shocked.”
“But it's not fair. We were supposed to spend last night together, but you ended up leaving and coming back at God knows what time. We’ve hardly spent any time together.”
“You know I have responsibilities back home.”
“Surely, they can wait just one more night.” I cringed. “Please, just one, just one more night.”
“No, Missy.”
“Come on. What do you even do out there all on your own? You need some excitement before you go back to that stodgy, old place.”
“I said no.”
“There's a party tonight,” she said, not missing a beat. “We can even leave early if you want to, but you have to come. Just spend some time around people your own age and have some semblance of a social life for one night of your life before going back to the estate. Come on, it'll be fun. You need it.”
I sighed. Missy had both determination and time on her side. She would wear me down, whether it took ten minutes or an hour. I gave in telling her I would go.
“One night,” I said. Missy smiled and clapped.
“You're going to love it.” That was probably true. Once I got over the fact that I was supposed to be at home and finally loosened up a bit, I probably would manage to have a good time. I barely knew what that was anymore, which was probably a sign that I needed more of it. It was just difficult to let go these days. I guess that was what Missy was for.
One night. I’d forget about everything for one night and then tomorrow when I went back to the country, back to the estate, everything would be back to normal.
That evening, after spending the day together shopping, seeing a matinee and going out to eat, we got ready for the party. Missy’s closet was completely out of this world. The items inside it must have been valued in the hundreds of thousands of pounds. Dresses, bags, shoes, any beautiful luxury items you could think of was beautifully stored and displayed in her opulent walk-in wardrobe. I knew that there were flats in the city that were smaller than her wardrobe. She insisted on styling me for the party. She worked in fashion, so I trusted her instincts but I needed more information. She had insisted so hard on my attendance at this party, so I wanted to know why.
“What kind of party is this by the way?” I asked.
She handed me a dress, red with a low top, knee-length, and no sleeves. I tossed it onto the ottoman, a little too cocktail hour, not really party appropriate.
“It's a birthday party.”
“A birthday party? Whose? Do I know them?” As much as I had agreed to go, I was less keen on going to a party for someone that I didn't know.
“Oh yeah, you do. It's Dirk. Dirk Baker. Do you remember him?”
I started laughing immediately. Dirk, Missy and I had all gone to the same boarding school. She had had an enormous crush on him.
“I didn't realize the two of you were still in contact. Wait, do you still... no, you couldn't possibly.”
“It was Missy's turn to blush. Well, why do you think we have to look phenomenal tonight?”
I laughed again. “Missy, you look amazing in everything, it's going to be fine.”
“It's been years, do you realize how important it is to look good? I don't want to look like I let myself go.”
“You couldn't look like that if you tried,” I said, trying to calm her down. She was pulling dress after dress out of the rack and tossing each one down frustratedly. “Slow down. How do you think you're going to get a dress if you're not even looking properly?”
“Are you here to help me or just make me more stressed?” she asked. She stalked over to the still unpacked shopping bags that we had brought in with us after today’s spree and started pulling the clothes from them. It was so rare to see the posed, sophisticated Missy in this state that I couldn’t help but rub her nose in it.