Splendid Fall

Ch.3 Wine

Chapter 3

As if the universe could sense her arrival, the phone on her bed began to ring as soon as Birdie picked it up. She tossed her wet towel to the side as she tightly tied the strings to her bathrobe around herself before checking the ID on the screen.

"Yes?" She said as she placed the phone on her ear.

"We have plans tonight." Adan said on the line.

"I know," Birdie said. "I didn't forget."

"Making sure you didn't."

"Have I ever forgotten before when we had plans?"

"No, but you have been late," Adan laughed.

"I won't be today."

"I don't trust you."

"That seems like a you problem."

"I'll pick you up?"

"No!" Birdie gripped the phone and moved it off her shoulder. "Are you crazy? I thought we already agreed that I would meet you at the restaurant."

"Like I said," Adan spoke slowly. "I don't trust you to show up."

"Can you please get off the phone?" Birdie clicked her tongue. "I'm trying to get ready."

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

"It'll be your funeral," Birdie muttered, earning a laugh from Adan as he ended the call.

Tossing the phone onto the bed, Birdie picked up her wide tooth comb and began to detangle her long silver hair. She grabbed the blow dryer and started on styling her locks, letting them call against her chest with the ends curled out. Satisfied with how they looked, she hurried into her closet and pulled on a mini baby blue silk dress and a pair of white heels with laces that wrapped around her legs. By the time she finished applying mascara and lip gloss, the clock by her mirror showed she was well ahead of schedule.

Birdie stood back and observed herself in the tall mirror leaned back against her wall. She tried tossing her hair up into a bun to eliminate how the silver stood out against the blue of the dress, but having her hair up meant exposing her long giraffe-like neck. Flinging the hair tie across the room, she flipped her hair over and shook it out in hopes of some more volume.

"This will have to do," she said, eyeing herself in the mirror.

The more she stared, the paler she appeared. Birdie grabbed the blush off the vanity along with the brush and applied another layer, making the apples of her cheeks appear peachy and glossy. She whipped the gloss off her lips and settled for a red tint to add some color to her features. When she stood back once more to look at herself, her eyes fell on her neck.

"Why?" Birdie frowned, letting her shoulders slump as she reached up and placed her hands around her long neck. "Why? Why? Why?"

Walking back into the closet, Birdie pulled out the scarves and tried to match one with her dress. She didn't care about the mess she was making as silk and wool scarves fell to the floor around her feet like snow. Unhappy with her choices, Birdie walked back out and wanked open her jewelry drawer.

Very carefully, she ran her hand along the neatly placed necklaces and looked for one dainty enough to suit the dress while also taking the attention away from her neck. She was about to pull out the constellation necklace her great grandma had gotten when something flew into her palm from the back of the drawer.

Birdie hissed as the hot metal burned into her palm, making her arm buzz as if she had just hit her funny bone.

"What in the world?" Birdie muttered as she pulled her hand back and stared at the gold key. "Shit."