“Better I do it now than on the stage, don’t you think? Unless I don’t have to go on stage? Please tell me I don’t have to go on stage.”
Tammie laughed and shook her head, walking to the clothes rack and getting a garment bag.
“People need to see what they are paying for in the auction, and they can’t see you if you are not on the stage.”
I bit my lip. “But weren’t you measured for these dresses? How is this going to work?”
“We have been sharing clothes since we were twelve, Jade,” Tammie reminded me.
But honestly, we hadn’t done that in a couple of years. Once Tammie got into modeling and started wearing outfits I didn’t have the confidence to pull off, we stopped sharing clothes. I was still a jeans and t-shirts type of girl and spent the day eating more cupcakes than I should.
“I work in a pastry shop, and the closest thing to a salad I see is green coloring.”
Tammie rolled her eyes. “And you also have a metabolism that most people would buy if you ever figure out how to bottle it and sell it. Let’s try this before I get you to hair and makeup.”
I sighed but did as she asked, earning her nod of approval when the dress fit me almost perfectly. She was taller than me, but I would be wearing heels, so the length of the dress would balance a little. Or so she assured me.
“You have all the good luck charm you need right here,” Tammie said, tapping my fist where I was clasping my mother’s pin.
The pin had become a safety blanket of mine over the years, always pinned on the inside of my shirt in case I needed it. It had seen me through exams, job interviews, first dates, and now this. I knew it was a bit silly, but I still felt better carrying it with me the same way my mother had always had it with her over the years.
“Thanks, I won’t let you down. Keep me updated, okay?”
Tammie nodded. “Of course.”
She left me in the capable hands of the makeup artist and hairdresser while she went to the hospital, and I took the time to try and calm down. It took almost an hour to get everything done, and I had to admit that they did an incredible job. I was assigned an assistant to help me with the finishing touches, and as soon as I put on the shoes, I was reminded of why I had been terrified of this in the first place.
“Are you alright?” The assistant asked me, looking concerned.
I wanted to shake my head and tell her the truth, but I couldn’t back down now. Tammie needed this job, and I wouldn’t let her down, no matter what.
“I’m good, thank you.”
She nodded and went through everything that I was supposed to do. It was simple enough, and I took a deep breath as I did a small rerun in my head. My feet protested every second I stood in high heels, no doubt wondering what was going on. I always wore sneakers at work and sandals everywhere if the weather was right, so this was alien territory for me. I hoped everyone wouldn’t see it written on my face.
“You’re up.”
I nodded at the instruction and walked slowly to where I was supposed to go. I held the dress up slightly so I wouldn’t step on it while my other hand held on to my lucky pin.I can do this, I told myself.There is nothing to be nervous about. I just had to smile and pretend like I knew what I was doing; fake it until I made it. Unfortunately, there was nothing fake about the pain in my toes or the nerves I was feeling. A million thoughts were racing through my head, and it only took a second for me to miss my step. I yelped as I tried to find my balance, but there was nothing for me to grab. This was it, what I had been afraid of all along.
“Careful there.”
Strong arms caught me as a lovely scent enveloped me. My savior smelled divine, like a combination of the nicest spices and something else I couldn’t put my finger on. All I knew was that I liked it. It took a second to help me stand properly, and only then did I finally get a look at the man who had witnessed my clumsiness.
I had never understood people who described men as beautiful, but I couldn’t find a better word to describe the one who stood before me. There was just something about the word that suited the combination of blue eyes, perfect nose, and chiseled jaw before me, and it just wasn’t fair for anyone to look that good. And judging by the smirk on his face, he knew exactly what I was thinking. The subtle arrogance I detected took his beauty down a notch, but he had just been my knight in shining – was he wearing sneakers? Very expensive-looking sneakers, but casual shoes nonetheless at a formal event.
“Hi,” I said awkwardly, giving him a very unnecessary wave.
“Your hand is shaking,” he said casually, and I had to look down at my hand, which was, indeed, shaking.
I let my dress go and held my hands in front of me before taking a deep breath.
“Don’t mind me. It’s all part of my presentation. There’s nothing like a little fall to get one ready for the stage.”
The gorgeous stranger smiled then and looked at me like I was partly insane and partly intriguing. I didn’t care what he thought of me since I was so busy assessing him. Like how tall he was (which was very tall compared to my height). He looked like he was about 6”1 or 6”2, with broad shoulders and a great physique from what I could tell from his form-fitting shirt and jeans. The shoulder-length brown hair was perfect, too, like everything on him had been genetically engineered to go together.
“Seems like it’s working out for you,” he replied, his eyes still on me.
“You are the first person to ever say that to me. Thank you,” I said with mock sincerity, placing a hand over my heart.