(26) Embarrassed
"Seriously this is a bad idea! Remember when I was kidnapped and held hostage by lunatic vampires?" I screeched and saw Rosalie wince at the octave level of my voice. I also saw her roll her eyes so far back, I hoped her eyeballs got lodged there permanently.
"Bella, you're being ridiculous!" Alice jeered and put her hand up to wave away my rational fears as if I was being overly paranoid for no good reason.
"Am I Alice? Am I?" I mocked knowing that would annoy her and folded my hands across my chest.
"Wow, I've never met anyone who had such an aversion to clothing before!" Rosalie exclaimed bitterly and was jolted from her silent position in the back of the SUV.
"Ha, ha, very funny! I got an idea Alice you go inside and just pick whatever you want. I'll wear anything. It's not like I'll have a choice anyway." I replied and leaned against the seat not bothering to disguise my contempt for shopping.
"I would Bella, but everyone is getting down I'm afraid. The men need outfits too."
"Fine, I'll go only because Edward is going too!" I huffed and motioned for Edward to let me out of the car.
"I am not going to relish this excursion either. Although we do need to look proper for your surprise." Edward murmured and held my hand when I exited the car.
Alice clapped her hands and boisterously followed behind me. We walked in the mall and I felt the blast from the air conditioner. Alice walked right smack in the middle of the mall and closed her eyes. She smiled and turned to us. She directed the men to a clothing store opposite from where we were at and the rest of the girls followed behind Alice. A young woman with a stroller hit the back of my legs.
"Oww." I whispered annoyingly glared at Alice. She patted my arm and gave the young lady a slanted glare narrowing her eyes. The young lady hurriedly moved past us to the food court.
"Here we are!" Alice announced and I saw the words Nordstrom's displayed in huge letters. Well at least it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be! I could deal with Nordstrom's at the very least. We walked past display counters and purses that were locked in those cases. Purses were actually locked away! They must be super expensive. I didn't doubt that the Cullen women owned a few of those purses.
Alice found the junior's dress section and everyone left to peruse the dresses. I stood next to a wall of sunglasses and picked up a pair of huge white ones. They looked ridiculous! I turned over the sunglasses and noticed the price tag. Yikes! I hurriedly reached up to put them back where I got them. Instead, I knocked over five sunglasses that were perched at the edge of the rack. They tumbled to the floor and I froze panicked. I peered around me. Nobody saw my mistake and I quickly picked them up and stashed them on the bottom of the displays.
I left to find Alice. I saw her and Rosalie by the corner of the section of dresses. Some of the dresses looked too fancy for a simple surprise and other dresses were too provocative. Rosalie was holding a white dress with a slit up the side definitely provocative. Alice had five dresses in her hands and guided me to the dressing room.
"Alice, please just pick one. I'm sure whatever you pick will look amazing." I was hoping my compliment would get me out of playing dress up Barbie.
"Bella, this is important to me. I know that you don't like wearing dresses. I just want Edward to be stunned when he sees you! He is planning a very special surprise. Do it for him." Alice coaxed and I widened my eyes. She was good! I grabbed the first couple of dresses and marched in the dressing room.
I put the first one on that was red with a low neckline that was trimmed in lace. It looked like a dress a Playboy playmate would wear. I don't think so! I didn't even come out of the dressing room. I threw it over the door. "It's too small." I lied.
"Okay, next one." Alice commanded.
I picked up the cerulean dress that had a lace bodice. It was elegant and certainly romantic plus there wasn't any danger of being overexposed. I trudged out of the dressing room and went to the full-length mirror.
Rosalie was in front of the mirror checking her reflection. The white dress was fitted like a glove that emphasized her perfect figure. Suddenly, I felt like a child standing next to a woman. The dress hugged every curve of her body. The slit went halfway up her thigh stopping just short of being too much. I saw Alice come up behind me and adjusted the dress. She pulled it down and it lowered to my chest.
"Alice!" I snapped and tried to pull the dress up higher.
"Oh come on, Bella. For one night try not to look like a nun!" Alice taunted and pulled the dress down again. "That's the way your suppose to wear it. I think it looks marvelous! Perfection!"
Rosalie guffawed and fixed the straps on her shoulders.
"Rose I do admire that white with your skin. Plus it practically distracts the attention from the horrendous streaks in your hair!" Alice taunted and gave a conspirator smile.
Rosalie glared at Alice and stomped back into the dressing room.
"Oh, she deserved that one!" Alice explained chuckling.
I gave up trying to pull the dress up to my neck instead I felt myself instantly liking the dress. It was complimentary to my figure without being overly taut. I liked the way the bottom of the dress was a darker shade of cerulean blue with embroidered flowers stitched on the edges.
Esmee met us at the register and Alice paid for all the dresses. I balked when I saw the price on the register. It was up in the thousands. We hadn't even bought shoes yet! Great shoes! Way to go Bella, I just had to torture myself with that reminder.
After we bought shoes and I argued over the three-inch heel that Alice said I absolutely needed, we left the store. I saw the men sitting at the benches that were attached to the children's play area. Jasper was stiffly standing by the exit to the area cautiously watching the children play. Carlisle and Emmett were closer to the children and laughed when a little toddler poked Emmett's knee with his finger. Emmett pretended to be hurt by the poke and the mother quickly guided the toddler to the giraffe. Edward leaned against the elephant while a little girl climbed up the trunk.
They came to stand next to us. We walked in pairs out of the mall and back to the SUV, dusk was taking over the sky. Carlisle beeped open the doors and everyone filed in. We turned back on the freeway and I wondered how we were going to change for the surprise.
"Carlisle is taking us to the hotel to change." Alice explained and I wondered if she could read my mind. But I think she saw me glancing at the bags. I shrugged and leaned beside Edward ready to take a little nap.
Emmett suddenly laughed and that startled me out of my nap. Not that his laugh was out of the ordinary but because the car was silent until he laughed.
"Edward, you have to tell Bella about what happened in the store!" Emmett chuckled then clapped his hands and roared into giggles.
Jasper started laughing too! Jasper hardly ever laughed only smiled and that was occasionally. I saw Carlisle's eyes crinkle in the rearview mirror and he snorted.
"Shut up, Emmett!" Edward threatened.
"Come on, Edward it was so funny." Emmett responded playfully.
Alice started sniggering and I saw Edward give her a dirty look.
"Tell me, what happened?" I implored then added, "please", for good measure.
"Not in this lifetime!" Edward responded.
"If you don't I will!" Emmett assured and leaned forward from the backseat.
"Emmett I wouldn't unless there's a few things you want Rosalie to know!" Edward warned.
That peaked Rosalie's interests. "Like what?"
"Nothing." Emmett mumbled and put his back against the seat defeated.
"Edward please tell me. I won't laugh I promise." I vowed.
"It's nothing." Edward muttered.
"If it's nothing then you can tell me." I reasoned.
Edward stared up at the ceiling of the SUV. "Okay, it's really nothing. I don't see the point of bringing it up. It was so dumb!" Then he hesitated not being able to bring himself to say anything.
"Edward!" I demanded.
