Edited 2019

AN: Nothing really important to say tonight so on to the pretty dresses.

Disclaimer: They are not mine as you well know.

Chapter 28

I woke up the next morning, rearing to go. I was extremely excited. The day just flew by and I was walking out to the parking lot with Amelia before I knew it. We had arranged for her father to pick us up. Gran would be meeting us at the boutique. Tara, Lafayette, and Holly would be taking her Buick that was passed down from her uncle. The triples would be meeting us there later, after stopping at home first.

Our destination was Miroitement et Brillance. It was the primer dress shop in northern Louisiana, owned by designer Ms. Sophie Anne Leclerq. Best known for her pageant and prom dresses, she made the most beautiful dresses around. Ms. Leclerq also had a shop in New Orleans which was exclusively couture wedding gowns. She had perfected her craft while studying fashion at the Istituto Marangoni in Paris. If I was going to find the perfect dress, it would be in her shop.

Before long, Mr. Carmichael pulled in front of the French doors to the little boutique, parking alongside the curb. Gran, waited for the three of us in her car, having beaten us to the shop. The three of us stepped out of the vehicle, at the same time Gran emerged from her car. Ms. Leclerq swung the beautiful white French doors open, greeting us.

"Bonjour, Monsieur Carmichael. This must be your lovely daughter Amelia and her friend Sookie." She said, a slight Parisian accent embedded in her voice. It must have developed after her time spent in France. "My lead assistant Andre said that you were increasing your party. Would you like to wait for them to get started?" She beamed at us, beckoning the four of us inside.

"Yes there should be six more arriving shortly but only four need dresses. Two of them are the girls' male friends." Mr. Carmichael answered taking a seat on the velvet-covered day bench that ran along the east wall of the shop, underneath the huge window that was covered in lace curtains. Somehow such a large man looked kind of silly with such a feminine backdrop.

"Very well. But girls in the meantime, would you like to look around and pick some things out. It will help me to know what style of dresses you are looking for." She said turning her attention to us.

Amelia squealed in agreement. She grabbed my hand and pulled me off towards the prom section of the shop. The only difference between the pageant and prom dresses was the amount of glitz on the dress. Where some of the prom dresses had beading, most of the pageant dresses looked like a Swarovski crystal factory had blown up, on them. Amelia began pulling dresses off the walls and racks left and right. Not even two minutes had passed and she already had a dress in almost every color and style in her arms. "Sookie look at this one!" Amelia was now holding a giant fluffy white dress. I almost died. It was the dress from my dream.

"No way on earth is that thing going anywhere near me. It looks like a dead polar bear." I whispered. Really though, it looked like the icing from atop a cupcake that would have tasted sickeningly saccharin. No way could I wear it, it was just too strange of a coincidence with my dream.

"I like it but if you think it is that bad I will put it back." She said quietly before reassuming her assault on the racks.

I was taking my time, looking at each silhouette of the dresses. I found one that I loved right away. It was a white gown and unlike the one in my dream, it was beautiful. The bodice was pleated silk and the skirt had a sheer overlay of fabric, which I thought was chiffon. It looked wonderful on the hanger but I was nervous as to how it would look on me. It looked like one of those types of gowns that wouldn't look as appealing on a frame such as mine. Having a large chest, rounded hips, and a shapely posterior, I did not always look the best in such a delicate gown. When I would shop for dresses in the past, I almost always got a ball gown. I felt like I could hide some of my curves in the fullness of the skirt. This dress not anywhere near as full, it was safe to say the dress was fairly streamlined. I also found a glittering red dress. Again it was not a ball gown this one was more of a mermaid style dress. The band of rhinestones around the middle and down the back would definitely accentuate my shape though. What I loved most about the red dress was the bow in the middle of the back.

I turned around, hearing the chime from over the door, announcing the arrival of a new customer. It seemed that Tara and Claude had good timing. Now that everyone was here the real fun would begin. Sophie Anne and her assistants talked to each of us, finding out what our individual tastes were. Since the shop only had two changing rooms, two of us would be trying dresses on at the same time. Amelia and I went first. The first dress Amelia came out in was a peacock printed gown which flowed when she walked. I tried on the red dress and a sad frown took over my face. I had expected it to make my bust and butt look huge, but I was still disappointed. When I came out of the dressing room Gran just shook her head.

Lafayette's reaction sealed the dress's fate. "Girl, when did your butt grow two sizes?" Embarrassed, I fled back into the dressing room, barley hearing Tara chastising Lafayette for his choice of words. The next dress Amelia came out in was a short black and silver number. Silver beads at the top of the dress led to black feathers, making up the rest of the dress. It looked like a modern-day flapper dress. I tried on the white on next. It was not bad but I didn't get much of a reaction from anyone.

"Miss Sookie I think the trouble we are having is in the style of the dress. I will pull another one in a full ball gown and one in a slimmer silhouette. " I just nodded at her, internally frustrated that I hadn't found anything that I liked on me. "Do you have a color preference?" Andre asked me ushering me back to the changing rooms.

"Not really but whenever I did pageants I would have a blue or white dress. They always looked really nice with my tan." I answered with a shrug.

"Now I remember you, dear. You use to come in here looking for pageant dresses. I wonder if we tried a dress with some more sparkle. I have a few dresses in mind so go back in there and wait. I will be just a few minutes." He instructed as he walked out towards the main room. When he came back he had a silver dress that could rival a disco ball with how the light reflected off of it and a blue ball gown that was almost the color of my eyes. He also had a one-shoulder green Grecian style dress that would glide over my curves. Lastly, he had a vibrant purple dress in a less drastic trumpet it just skimmed in under the hips. "I think that one of these might be it. Let's try the green one first." He said handing it to me. Once I had it on he helped me zip up the side.

"Not bad," I murmured to myself. Thankfully, the gliding of the fabric made my curves look soft and feminine rather than if I had gained ten extra pounds.

When I walked out of the dressing room, Claudine jumped up and smiled. "If you don't take it, I want to try it on." I laughed when Claudette's face fell.

"No fair! I was going to say the same thing." Claudette whined. We all laughed at the pair.

"Girls we have several dresses in this style. I am sure we can find one that would suit both of you." Ms. Leclerq cooed trying to appease them both. Amelia had changed again but this time, her smile was so big that I was sure she had found the dress she wanted. It was a dark blue number, almost black, and reminded me of the actresses from the old Hollywood era of glamour and natural beauty. It had long sheer sleeves that were bejeweled. It made her look stunning.

"Daddy, I want this one, but I like the other two too." She said sashaying over to her father.

"I suppose I will just have to get all three then, won't I?" Amelia jumped and hugged her father then went back to the dressing room to change. Andre steered me back as well and we put me in the purple one next. The taffeta of the dress caught the light in just the right way so that I shimmered when I walked.

"This one is lovely, Sookie. The color reminds me of one of your old pageant dresses." Gran said blotting her eyes with the handkerchief Mr. Carmichael handed her. Amelia, Holly, and Tara were off on the other side of the shop looking. Claudette and Claudine were looking at the Grecian style dresses with the help of Ms. Leclerq

"I like this one but there are two more back there I want to try," I said turning around in front of the mirror so I could see my back.

"Well get with it doll! I want to see these other dresses you think are better." Claude spoke up for the first time. I rolled my eyes at his bossiness. I went back to the dressing room and with some help put on the silver one. The fabric was like liquid silver, sliding along my skin in such a wonderful way. It was the sexiest garment I had ever worn. Heck, it was the only time in my life where I thought I could possibly even be sexy. When I came back out Claude whistled. "That was more of what I was expecting for you Sookie. You look lovely."

"I think I want to see this last dress before I make up my mind," Gran said. I knew she did not want me to get the dress by the sound of her voice. She always had me pick less glitzy dresses for pageants. And the fit of the dress wouldn't have appealed to her either. I entered the dressing room for the final time, slipping into the blue ball gown. I loved it on me even more then when it was on the hanger. I walked back out into the salon beaming.

"If your face is anything to go by, I think that this one is the one," Andre said returning my smile.

"Oh… Sookie that is the one your eyes just pop." Gran said whipping away more tears. I knew right then that this was the dress. I twirled around once in the dress, watching in delight as it floated around my frame. Claude rolled his eyes at me while the others giggled. I knew I looked like a little girl twirling around like that, but I couldn't help myself. Andre brought the dress out and put it with Amelia's dresses. The rest of the appointment went by quickly. Tara decided on a beautiful pink dress with a sweetheart neckline, the color making her dark skin look even smoother and more luscious than it normally did. Claudine did end up with the green dress I had tried on much to Claudette's chagrin. Claudette herself found a dark blue dress that had a high waist which was belted in shiny silver rhinestones. Holly's choice ended up being a purple ball gown, with the same neckline as Tara's dress but with an embellished bodice. Mr. Carmichael surprised us all by paying for all the dresses, though everyone tried to protest. Gran suggested that we would go looking for shoes over the weekend. All of us departed having said our goodbyes and chattering about what a wonderful time we had.

Gran and I pick up a few pizzas on the way home because neither one of us felt like cooking. When we arrived back at the house Jason and Eric were in the living room watching, coincidentally, The NeverEnding Story. Gran and I joined them, eating dinner in the living room in silence. After dinner, I competed the minimal amount of homework I did have before going to bed early. I really wasn't the shopping type of girl, so the hours that we spent in the store had exhausted me. That night, my dreams were kinder to me. I envisioned myself dancing in my new dress, spinning underneath the stars and a flying furry luck dragon named Falkor.