Welcome to the Queendom

Chapter Twelve

After Nikki chose her dress (a tropical ocean blue strapless dress with the skirt puffed out in ruffles and waves, Brie was next and she settled on a simple (compared to Nikki's) dark purple strapless with a slightly puffed out skirt and the mid section heavily beaded much to the chagrin of her sister.
"Alright, Chelsea, you're next," Nikki said, shooting Brie a final annoyed look.
We had been here so long trying to find the right dresses for Nikki and Brie that I forgot I was included in this as well. Linda pulled me to a very spacious back room. There was only one full length mirror occupying the far wall, but the wall opposite it was filled with different colored dresses in clear plastic bags. Linda gestured to them with a swing of her arm.
"Knock yourself out," she said.
I rubbed my hands together before rummaging through. All the dresses were very bright and pretty and definitely will make you stand out in a crowd, but they weren't really me. I sighed.
"Something wrong?" Linda asked as she walked up behind me.
"I don't know what to chose. I can't really see myself in these dresses."
"Thats because you're not a risk taker. I know what you're thinking, 'These dresses aren't really my style,' but how do you actually know? I mean, how could you if you've never tried them on?"
I considered this because she had a point. "I guess you're right."
She grabbed a dress from the rack and even though I couldn't really see the details it was the color of dark blood. "I think this will bring out the light highlights in your hair," Linda commented, thrusting the bagged dress into my arms.
I looked down at it for a moment before shrugging and letting her help me into it.
I examined myself in the mirror. It was strapless with the top being peppered here and there with silver beads but the strap around the waist was clumped together in them to make a little belt. The skirt was extremely puffy, ruffles and waves flowing all around me. Linda was right, it did bring out the lights in my hair, but it also made me feel like a princess of some kind. I giddily smiled into my hand.
"Are you ready to go out?" Linda asked me.
I enthusiastically nodded before pushing through the curtains. Because I hadn't picked out shoes yet, my bare feet padded against the carpet and I had to lift my dress just the slightest so that I didn't trip. I stepped up onto the stage and looked at Nikki and Brie for confirmation.
"I love it!" Nikki beamed as she ran her hand over the skirt.
Brie nodded in agreement. "You look great."
"You should totally get it," Nikki said.
"I will," I assured her. "But," I held up a finger, "only if I'm allowed to wear Chuck Taylor's with this dress."
Nikki blinked at me in confusion, but as for the rest of the girls, they didn't even flinch.
"Chuck Taylor's?" Nikki asked. "With that?" she gestured toward the dress. "But...." I raised my eyebrows pointedly and she sighed in resignation. "Fine," she caved.
Linda clapped her hands together. "I'm going to go get my alterations kit," she said before making her way back into the back room.
"While she's fixing you up, Brie and I will go to Nazar's and pick up some jewelry. We'll be back in a little bit," Nikki explained as she grabbed her purse and tugged Brie behind her. I was left alone on that stage with Linda's helpers going back to their other tasks. I turned around to face the floor to ceiling mirrors and examined myself in different angles. If I had a choice, I would never take off that dress and I never feel that way about gowns. Usually I'm ready to introduce them to the floor as soon as I step foot through the door, but today's different, this dress is different and I found myself wondering if Dean would like it just as much as I. That's when I stepped back a little. Why would I care if Dean liked it or not?
"You really do look beautiful in that dress." I turned around and saw the lady that had walked in a couple of hours ago. I didn't know she as still here. She gazed at the dress longingly. "I always wanted a daughter so that I could dress her up like this, but I got a son instead. Not that I don't love Jonathan or anything, but that boy gave me so many wrinkles at such a young age." She shook her head and smiled sadly. "As soon as he turned 18 he was gone and I never spoke to him since. It's been 10 years."
I frowned and took a closer look at the lady in front of me. She reminded me so much of Dean. Same hair color, same bluish-gray pupils. Her jaw wasn't as chiseled as Dean's, but when she smiled, a little dimple showed on her left cheek. I titled my head to the side a little.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just babbling away and I haven't even told you my name." She outstretched her hand for a shake. "I'm Daniella, you're Chelsea, right? You work for WWE."
I let my hand drop to my side after I shook hers. "Yeah," I replied with a smile. "You're a fan?"
"Sure are," she said. "My son's a friend of yours."
I could tell my eyes were the size of saucers. "You're Dean Ambrose's mom?"
"Yeah," she shyly confirmed. "And let me just get this out in the air. It's not a coincidence that I ran into you here. I figured that maybe you could help me, since all Jonathan will do is run away from me. Tuesday was an example."
I frowned. "You were at the La Taza Tuesday?" I asked and she nodded. So that's what freaked him out, but why? It wasn't an ex girlfriend. He lied to me and after that little speech I gave him yesterday. It's like he threw all of that out the window. He doesn't trust me enough to tell me something that involved his past.
She fished something out of her purse and handed it to me. It was a scrap piece of paper with her number on it. "I know he deleted my number and I switched numbers not too long ago. Do you think you can give this to him?"
"Of course," I said. "Did you call him Tuesday, too?"
She nodded again. "I can't believe he said those things to me. I'll admit that I wasn't the best mother, but I certainly tried." Those were her final words before she disappeared out the door.
"Alright love," Linda sung as she came out into the open area again with measuring tape around her neck and a kit the size of a dresser draw in her hands. "Let's fix the skirt of this dress up."