Five Dollar Dresses

JEREMY

“All I’m saying is, your bachelor party is in the mountains. No cell service. No people. No Herra. She’d never find out,” I raise an eyebrow, making my case to my soon-to-be brother-in-law. We’re currently sitting in the café at my job and he’s now staring at me like I have two heads.

“Are you serious? She would kill you. Then she would kill me, and then hide our bodies in the snow where no one would find us.” I hide my smile. He really does know my sister.

“Alright, what if we just hire one for me then?” I joke, grinning mischievously and Aiden laughs.

I’m having lunch with him on my break from work, so that we can confirm the details for his bachelor party next weekend. He decided he wants to stay at a cabin in the mountains so that he can visit them-- apparently it’s on his bucket list-- and while I have no idea why he’s chosen that, I don’t judge. My role as best man is to just listen and show up.

“Herra wants to know if you’re bringing anyone to the wedding, she told me to ask.” This makes me frown. Herra’s only inquiring about my dating status so she can try and set me up. I shake my head. No way in hell.

“You know if you tell her no, she’s just going to try and stick you with one of her high school friends.” I grimace. My sister’s friends are nice and all, but they’re just that-- my sister’s friends.

“You could always ask someone you know. Just to get her off your back,” he suggests, taking a sip of his coffee.

“I don’t have anyone to ask.” I shrug, ready to move on from this topic.

“What about her?” Aiden nods his head in the direction behind me. I turn to look over my shoulder and I see Stella Alexander sitting a few tables away. As soon as she makes eye contact with me, she averts her gaze and returns to the book she’s holding. She frequents the bookstore I’m a manager at, and is always studying or reading.

“No way man.”

“Really? Because she’s been staring at you for the last fifteen minutes.”

“I know her, but she is a no go. Okay, that’s my best friend’s little sister.” Not to mention her brother would slit my throat without a second thought.

“Well, looks like it’s Kitty or Angela for you,” he jokes, trying to hide his amusement.

“Anyways...No. Strippers. What about a hypnotist? But in lingerie?” I ask him.

When my break is over, I head back to work. It’s slow for a Monday, but I figure most kids are probably deep in a textbook right about now. Finals week started this morning and most students are either in the library right now, taking an exam, or in their dorms studying. Stella is one of three people in the entire store right now.

I glance over at her and notice that she’s moved from the table in the café, to the young adult, fiction section. She’s sitting at a table and holds a set of flashcards in one hand while she studies one in the other. I decide to walk over to say ‘hi’ and to ask how her classes are going.

She doesn’t look up when I approach, but her entire body stiffens, and she suddenly looks tense.

What is that about?

I sit down in the chair across from her and by now she has to know that it’s me, but she still hasn’t looked up from her flashcards. I frown. Is she upset with me? I wonder if it has to do with the fact that I outed her tattoo to her father and Hendrix. I don’t think that they should’ve reacted that way. Especially since Hendrix got away with a lot worse, at ages younger than Stella is now.

“If this is about the tattoo, I’m sorry.” I finally break the silence and wait for her to respond. She finally glances up at me from her flash card. Her large, brown eyes look confused and her skin flushes a deep pink.

“What? I-I’m not mad about that.” Now I was confused. If she isn’t mad at me, why is she acting like this? Did she just want to be left alone?

“Really? Because you’ve been here for the last two hours and haven’t even come over to say hi.”

“Hi.” Her voice is quiet and her cheeks blush an even deeper shade of pink. I suddenly fear that I’m making her uncomfortable, but I don’t know why. I’ve only known her pretty much her entire life.

“Are you ready for your finals?” I ask, trying to make conversation. This is getting awkward and I’m beginning to wonder why.

“Um. I-I. Um... Yes.” She says ‘yes’ like a question.

“Are you okay?” Suddenly, I’m concerned that she isn’t in the mood to talk because something has happened. She doesn’t speak this time but gives me a nod.

“Alright. Well if you don’t feel like talking, is listening okay?” She nods again and I offer her a smile.

“So, my sister is getting married in a few weeks and her fiancé’s bachelor party is next Saturday. He, uh, chose to go to the mountains and rent a cabin. Why? I have no clue. But anyways, so at lunch today, I suggested that I hire a stripper...” I trail off and wait for her to give me some form of non-verbal acknowledgement.

She giggles. “What did he say?”

“She speaks!” This elicits another giggle.

“He said that he values his life and he’ll pass. See, I think he’s being a little dramatic. There’s nothing wrong with one pre-wedding lap dance.”

“I agree. Nothing like a five dollar dress and fake tits to make you appreciate the fact that your woman is nothing like her.”

I laugh. That was actually funny.

“So now that your father and brother aren’t around. What is your wild college story, besides the tattoo?”

“There is no wild story and the tattoo is actually in remembrance of my mom. She used to call me Stella Luna, like the book. So, I got a bat on the back of my neck.”

I smile at her explanation. Her and Hendrix’s mother was so special. I probably spent as much time with her as I had with my own mother. It’d been hard on Hendrix when she passed and I imagined it had to have been just as difficult on Stella. She’d had to navigate womanhood while living in a house full of men. I decide she’d done a good job though. She’s gorgeous and had grown up long-legged and busty.

My two favorite things.

I frown and quickly push those thoughts from my mind, shifting my focus back to the conversation.