Sweet Thing

Date Night

Lupe

Mami was talking in circles and fluttering all around my room like a little peach-colored butterfly who'd just been released from captivity. She didn't know exactly where she was going or what she was searching for, but she seemed happy enough to spread her wings.

"Lupita," she sang, "I just can't believe my little girl is going on a date!"

She vigorously pushed aside shirts and dresses and sweaters hanging in my closet and turned back around to grin at me regularly, like clockwork. Me and Quan were only going to the movies and out to eat. It wasn't all that big a deal, but it was the first official date I'd ever been on. Since Valentine's Day, I hadn't had a weekend off work, and this was my first to spend with Quan. She'd usually just drop by during my shift to feed Kembe or spend my break with me, but now we could be alone officially like lovers would be.

"I'm so glad that we'll finally get to meet the Infamous Quandra that you're always talking about. You know your eyes light up when you talk about her or even think you hear her name."

"I know, Mami, I just can't help it," I replied. A flash of yellow flew across my room and landed on my lap. I held it up in the air to get a better look and I glanced over at Mami. "I can't wear that dress, I'm way too dark for it. I only have it cuz Aunt Marta gave it to me as a gift."

"Nonsense, Lupe, you're not too dark for anything."

I laid the dress behind me and shook my head. I told her, "No offense, Mami, but you don't know what it's like being too dark for stuff. You're almost the same color as Luz and Carmina. I got all my color from Papi's Haitian side."

My mommy muttered something in Spanish, but I didn't understand her. She let the issue drop and continued raiding my closet for date night. I loved to dress up as much as the next girl, but I wasn't sure that all this was necessary. Quan knew how I dressed already, and she had already done a thorough inspection of almost all of my clothes the last time she came over. She especially got a kick out of the outfits I'd kept from my elementary school days back in the Bronx.

"Perfect!" Mami exclaimed. "You must wear this, Lupita, it's just perfect on you." She handed me the short, red dress that I'd bought over a month ago and beamed at me as if she could picture me in it.

I took it and felt the fabric again. It was a simple blend of cotton and spandex to make it feel soft but stretch. The dress was one of my favorites, too, although I had never found a place to wear it to. It was a skater dress that stopped just above my knees with short sleeves and a heart-shaped opening in the front to show off a little bit of cleavage. As I watched myself move in it from all sides, I realized that it really was the dress for tonight with Quan.

Mami clapped her hands and embraced me from behind. She chanted, "I love it I love it I love it!"

"Thanks, Mami," I murmured. My attention was on how I looked in the fiery red vestido. The color seemed to set my skin ablaze and simultaneously soften all the hard angles of my body. Nothing else I had made me feel so pretty.

"On to makeup, hm?"

"Yeah, but I wanna try red lipstick this time. To match with the dress and everything." Mami grinned at me like we were conspirators. Papi would probly go crazy if I ever left out like that, but I didn't care. I felt fierce and flawless and fine.

After about twenty minutes, Mami was putting the finishing touches on my evening outfit. The little blush brush gently fell across my cheeks only once or twice on each side and my lips were painted the reddest of reds. Mami even offered to straighten my hair for me, too, but I declined. It was looking particularly manageable for once and I was content to leave it in its natural state.