9
…
Cathy
Cathy sat next to the window in her room, peering unto to the streets again. There weren’t many pedestrians around. Cathy clutched the fund raiser invite closer to her fingers. It was tomorrow and she wasn’t so sure anymore if she should go for it. ‘What if my parents come to it or my brother? They would start paring Max and me together, for gods sake!’ Cathy thought.
Cathy was about to look away when she saw Mina crossing the street. Cathy looked at the clock in her room. It was 4pm, Mina was on time for their shopping spree which was going to be on Forest Glen street.
In no time, Cathy ran into the hall and caught Mina walking in silently.
“You’re on time!” she jumped with joy.
“Just like I promised” Mina winked.
“Alright so everything is ready, we just have to leave”
“Ya sure, just let me change my clothes” Mina walked into her room and within the next few minutes she came out in her causal jeans and frilly top.
They got into Cathy’s car and Cathy drove to Forest Glen.
“So just to be sure about tomorrows plan, the fund raiser is at 9 am at this beautiful castle, of this cute school guy you were crushing on called Max but then you met a guy called Carter and now you don’t care about Max but your nuts about Carter although you’ve only met him once, properly, yet you’re going for the fund raiser where you might meet Max, where possibly your parents might attend pairing you and Max up which might totally embarrass the geebies out you.” Mina took in a deep breath, “And to add to it all, you invited me as your plus one to the fundraiser and after that your parents want you to get a friend, which is obviously going to be me to their place for dinner!”
“Yup that’s the gist, the only problem is, I don’t like Carter, I barely remember him” Cathy lied.
“So you don’t like Carter or Max?” Mina was getting confused.
“No no, I hate Max’s guts, I like him if he likes me, he’s not that bad, and as far as Carter goes, he’s a stranger, a total stranger!”
“Oh god this is confusing. Okay so Carter is out of the picture right?” Mina confirmed.
“Totally! He’s a stranger!”
“Alright. Now I have a different question for you” Mina turned to look at Cathy while she was still driving.
“Shoot” Cathy glimpsed back at her.
“What if you don’t have a friend to take to your parent’s dinner?” Mina bit her lips.
“What do you mean? You said last night you would!”
“Well, I have news, I got promoted!!” Mina clapped excited.
“WHAT! That is superb!!” Cathy exclaimed.
“Ya, and tomorrow’s a Saturday. The fund raiser is in the morning till late afternoon. I’m in charge of the entire branch now, my boss is expanding and he needs my help with selecting the new staff for the other branch plus the restaurants always packed Saturday nights, so I can make it the morning, the dinner is the problem…” Mina fidgeted with her fingers.
“No no no no no, this can’t be happening, I promised my parents! I can’t go their alone! My parents are crazy!! ”
“I know, can’t you take someone else? It would be really nice if you could. I could maybe ask my boss if it’s alright if I don’t come in tomorrow, my boss seems like a great guy, probably single and he’s quiet hot, anyways I can try getting out of work but in case I can’t at least I warned you.”
“What a jerk!” Cathy was getting angry, “Dumping all that responsibility on you before a Saturday. Are you sure he’s not single but lonely? I mean what kind of guy doesn’t have plans Saturday nights?!”
“Hard working men?” Mina wasn’t helping.
Cathy gave her a death stare and Mina immediately apologised. “I’m glad at least you came today and didn’t ditch me for the fund raiser. I guess I can convince my parents for dinner or the worst thing could be to go alone and listen to my brother crack jokes about what a loser I am.”
“I didn’t say entirely no for dinner, I just gave you a warning. I’m sure something will work out in the end” Mina patted Cathy’s back as she stopped the car outside a small boutique.
Cathy awkwardly noticed the hill with the beautiful house where the fund raiser was going to be held the next day which was just a couple of blocks away, opposite the shop they were going to enter. It was surely a beautiful, white house and Cathy had to choose a perfect dress for tomorrow.
After pointing the house out to Mina, both the girls grabbed their purses and entered the dress shop.
“I’ll start looking here” Mina pointed out to the right corner and Cathy walked over to the left.
There were so many dresses, gowns and formal wear, so many colours and so little time to select the perfect outfit.
Cathy liked a few white gowns and then a few red ones. Mina helped point out that she should buy something simple yet elegant but that combination was not possible in the shop they were in. Cheap dresses didn’t go with elegant quiet right. There was either an extra bow somewhere or the dresses material was too tacky. Some materials did not match with the colours they came in, while the others were too plain to wear to a high - fi fund raiser.
It wasn’t soon enough that Mina suddenly got a call while Cathy was trying on a dress in the changing room.
“Hello?” Mina picked up the phone.
“The Chef’s called in sick. He sent a replacement but it’s not working very well Mina. Boss is out and we need your help! It’s Friday night for heaven’s sake! Please come in for an hour! I beg you Mina” the co-manager yelped at Mina.
“I’m half an hour away, it might take time, is there no way you could do this without me?” Mina negotiated.
“I’ve been trying since an hour. We need you; Carter sir has an important dinner with the accountant tonight along with his parents. It’s important!”
“Carter? Bosses name is Carter?” Mina was taken a back a little.
“Yea! Don’t tell me you didn’t know that!”
“I actually didn’t, I just knew Sam’s name, anyways never mind, I’ll be on my way!”
“Good, good” he said and cut the call. Mina was in a pudding now. She didn’t know what to tell Cathy, she couldn’t tell her to stop shopping and drag her with her, and neither could she leave her all alone in this area although she knew it all her life.
“How’s this one” Cathy walked out of the changing room, in a pink gown with a huge bow near the neck.
“Tacky” Mina responded, “I – I’m sorry I have to go, trouble at the restaurant” she looked really sad.
“Already!” Cathy pouted.
“I don’t know what to do. I have to go, but I can’t drag you with me or ask you to stop shopping”
“Look, I’ve lived here since I was born, I think I’ll be fine. You should go and take my car with you. I can handle myself”
“No no, I’ll take a cab” Mina felt too obliged.
“It’s impossible to get a cab here. I’m telling you take the car, it’s seem like it’s a huge emergency”
“It is” Mina looked helpless.
“I’ll manage everything. BYE!!” Cathy pushed Mina out of the door and waved her goodbye. Mina hesitated a little but she finally agreed and left. Cathy got back to hunting the perfect dress for herself. It seemed even more difficult without Mina there. The receptionist or the boutique owner wasn’t bothered. All she did was chew some gum and file her nails. She spent another hour in the silly boutique and finally decided she would rather wear something from her wardrobe then look like a fool tomorrow.
Tired and with wobbly feet, Cathy walked out of the shop and decided to maybe grab a bite near a small hotel close by. She decided it shouldn’t be too close to her house and so she kind of went the opposite way, closer to Max’s house, hoping she might run into him. There was a decent café there. She ordered a mushroom cream soup and started to drink it quickly. Cathy always believed that she could manage on her own, like those pretty girls in movies but it was lonelier than she thought, sillier than it looked and the more she thought about, the more she thought what a looser she was.
A table close to hers were filled with couple of girls eating pie together. Every time they laughed aloud Cathy thought it was about her, she thought they might be cracking jokes on her.
“Stupid bowl of soup” Cathy muttered to herself. It wasn’t getting over quickly and to top that it was too hot to just sip it in one shot. The only way, Cathy thought, she could get through this was to maybe take out her phone and text Mina or someone while she ate alone.
“Cathy?” she heard a man call out her name.
Immediately hoping it was Max or someone she knew, she turned around just to catch a glimpse of him and to turn back ahead and close her eyes in misery and hopelessness.
With no shame, he pulled out a seat facing her and smiled at her.
“What are you doing here” Cathy sighed.
“I live her, pretty close by, you know”
“Of course I don’t! Eating here alone like me?” Cathy hoped.
“Actually was taking a takeout for an important dinner tonight”
“Oh I see” Cathy muttered sipping her soup.
“Are you alone out here?” He asked her.
“I wasn’t before you know, came here to shop for a dress. My brother recommended me this place because I used to live here too. I couldn’t find anything elegant in my budget and my friend who was with me had to leave because her job needed her” Cathy explained with pride. She didn’t want him thinking she was some lonesome girl with no friends or family.
“Oh, I’m sorry” he cringed. Cathy was surprised he genuinely felt bad.
“I still can’t believe I’m seeing you here, Carter”
“Me neither” Carter smiled cutely. He couldn’t contain his happiness. Guess destiny and faith both were with him when it came to being with a girl he liked.
“I was speaking about you earlier today, I told my friend I might never see you again” Cathy admitted wildly.
“I was… I was actually… thinking about you today” he smirked.
“You were?” Cathy was shocked.
“Um, ya. You need a dress right? Well, why don’t I help you get one maybe in a good budget? There’s this place I know nearby. What say?”
“Oh no, I don’t want to trouble you. It’s obvious someone must be waiting for you” Cathy pointed out to the two bags of dinner he was holding.
“No, I mean I do have dinner plans but it’s purely business. This is food for four” Carter admitted.
“Ah okay, I thought you had a date with some plus sized girl, but yet I don’t want to owe you one, I mean if we keep meeting like it’s our destiny, I won’t be able to repay you”
“You think too much Cathy, why don’t you just come with me and let me help you. There might be some guy you would want to impress and I have an excellent choice when it comes to class” Carter looked at her with confidence.
“Fine” Cathy didn’t argue.
“That’s a smart answer” he folded his hands in victory and leaned behind.
Cathy completed her soup and then gathered her phone and purse and followed Carter. He had his BMW waiting outside for him.
“Nice car” Cathy gave Carter a naughty look and got inside his car.
“Thanks it’s my dad’s” he gave her a genuine answer.
Carter was right, the shop he wanted to recommend to Cathy wasn’t far away but it didn’t look like a shop with the budget Cathy had. It looked like one of those Gucci shops, too expensive and overly elegant. Cathy summed up the guts to walk inside the classy showroom with Carter who was obviously much better dressed than her. He was in his black jeans and a dark blue t – shirt and she was in her raggy blue jeans and an extremely loose white top.
“Carter my budget isn’t 50,000$ its actually just 25$ to 30$.” Cathy whispered next to him.
“Ah! Quisel!” Carter quickly hugged the lady at the reception and she hugged him back. She looked like one of Victoria secrets models. Cathy was immediately getting an inferiority complex.
“Who iz thiz?” The lady who hugged Carter asked him.
“This is Cathy, a close acquaintance; she needs a perfect simple yet elegant dress”
“Acquaintance?” Cathy laughed.
“Donz and Donz” she smiled at Carter. Her accent seemed like she might be French.
“Carter, I can’t afford this” Cathy tugged at his t – shirt near his waist. He immediately caught Cathy’s hand and locked it in his. She felt completely out of place. Why would he hold her hand like that just because she was tugging at him? Cathy could feel her blood heat up with his hands so firmly and intimately touching hers and she was trying very hard not to blush. She even tried uncomfortably pulling her hands out of his when she began to sweat.
“You almost slept over me while we danced at The Bar, holding my hand shouldn’t make you so nervous” Carter turned to look at her with his big blue, ocean like eyes.
“I haev foe’nd the dress” Quisel walked out of some secret room and stood in front of Cathy with this beautiful, extremely light peach dress that had thin strips at the shoulders and a small broche at the waist. The dress had a coral look to it and flowed beautifully from the waist below.
“Try it on” Carter nudged softly and let her hand go.
Cathy was speechless, the dress was spectacular and Carter was being such a prince at the moment.
Without questioning anyone anymore, she took the silky dress with her and walked inside the changing room. “There are freaking diamonds as lights on the ceiling!” Cathy whispered to herself. She tried the dress on and she immediately felt like she was some princess. This was the prefect dress and she knew she would buy it only if she could afford it. Quickly she removed the dress and changed back to her old clothes and came out.
“What’s wrong?” Carter shocked Cathy. He was waiting outside the changing room so he could see how she looked in the dress.
“Nothing, I love it” Cathy smiled faintly.
“Why didn’t you come out with it on?” he was confused and disappointed.
“Why? So you could ogle at me in it?” Cathy joked and laughed lightly.
“Um, maybe” he admitted naughtily.
“Well, it’s great but I can’t afford it” Cathy seemed embarrassed.
“You can’t afford free dresses?” Carter shoved his hands into his pockets and smirked.
“Oh no, you’re not paying for this” Cathy shook her head firmly.
“Oh, no I wouldn’t actually, this shop is actually a friends and she owes me one, I guess she just re -paid me with a dress” he shrugged.
“Wasn’t there any other way she could pay you back?”
“Nope” he admitted.
“I still can’t accept this” Cathy folded the dress and placed it on the sofa in the changing room.
“Too bad thenz, I gess I will haeve to burn itz…” The French women entered the room and looked very serious about the decision she had made. ‘How convenient for Carter’, Cathy thought. “What why!”
“Well, Miss Grende did owe Mrz Carter and he finalle choose the dressz to complete the deal and you no liked it so I willz burn it” she nodded.
“No! Don’t burn it! Carter give it to your girlfriend!” Cathy insisted.
“I’m single” he winked and accepted the dress and asked Quisel to pack it. “This dress is yours, you owe me one now”
“You like people owing you isn’t it?” Cathy squeezed her eyes.
“I actually do” Carter whispered into her ears.
Cathy held the bag in her hand and they got inside the BMW again.
“So home?” Carter asked her.
“Yup, if you don’t mind” she replied. By now she knew Carter was a man of means and he was very stubborn. Arguing with him would be a waste of breathe and time. She didn’t like that about him but she couldn’t do anything after all.
In the car ride home, Carter and Cathy were sitting quietly. It felt slightly awkward but none of them had the guts to ask each other anything.
When the car stopped below Cathy’s house, Carter finally asked Cathy, “Can I have your number?”
“Um, not really, since I owe you one” Cathy giggled.
“Come’ on I practically saved your life”
“That was the risk that came with it” Cathy joked. “How about, letting destiny decide one more time? If I meet you again I promise to give you my number” she smiled.
“Alright, but remember I know where you live” he winked.
“But you don’t know what floor or what apartment number” Cathy very innocently shrugged.
“I’ll knock on every door in that building, just like the movies have taught us men” Carter answered smartly back.
“Hahaha, alright smart ass, let’s see” Cathy waved goodbye and walked inside the building.
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