Everybody Needs a Little Drama

"The first time I saw Wendy she was all in purple."

I felt a little melancholy, "I was. Bright purple, I wanted to hide in a corner but Amber had other ideas."

Ray continued. "The two of them were against the wall over near the tables." He pointed to the crowded side of the room. "They were having trouble catching the eye of the roving waitress so I went over. I asked if they would like something to drink and they both froze. Haha."

"I remember," I laughed, "My voice was terrible back then, I used to use my finger a lot."

"I brought over two margaritas, I remember the girls sitting in front of you were drinking them." He looked at Nicole, "They were done in about a minute, ha."

"I was ready to go, it was one of the first times I went out as Wendy, and I thought everyone was looking at me, and they were. I had that crazy purple dress on and Amber looked like she was ready for a funeral."

"Ha, that's right." Ray laughed with the girls when I showed them a picture of us from that night.

"Wait." Nicole said, "This picture was taken right here, I see the picture on the wall behind us."

"I made them sit here and keep me company. That was two years ago, I didn't realize they would never leave this spot again." Ray held my hand again.

The girls had more drinks and I had another glass of wine, I felt very sophisticated. I went to the ladies' room and ran into Franklyn on my way back. I gave him a quick hug and he asked how Hunter was. I smiled because Hunter must be real if someone else had asked about him. I showed him my engagement ring.

I sat back down and we clinked glasses with the tall man in Amber's spot, he was getting a little too close and Ray had him move over as he squeezed another stool in and an older woman sat down as a buffer.

"So what happened with Taylor?" I asked the girls.

"Well," Nicole moved closer to me and her voice got a little lower. "She's gone, she transferred, somewhere outside of California."

I shook my head I didn't want to talk about her. "You know, you never told me why you finally came into Claire's in the first place. The three of you have been working next door for years."

Linda turned to us. "That's easy, we had lunch for one of the big wigs who was leaving the firm. We had food and drinks and Ray was the bartender."

Ray came over when he heard his name. "What did I do now?"

"Remember," Nicole asked him, "When we had that party next door that you worked at?"

"Hmm."

"You told us you worked here and we said we wouldn't step foot in a place like this, ha." Ray shook his head. And then Nicole faced me. "Ray said, come and I will save you a spot next to Wendy, like in high school, she is the hot, funny one. You are going to love her and her friend Amber.

I looked at our favorite bartender. Obviously, he was more than that, I could never thank him enough for everything he did for me and Amber. I could have cried but Linda tapped my arm.

"Taylor overheard us and invited herself. She was never our favorite person. I was surprised you two became friends."

I just smiled.

Ray said, "And I got a bunch of new clothes out of the deal." I had given everything to him, that she gave me. There were a lot of clothes. I would never ever need them again.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Nicole reached in her bag and pulled out a check. "Taylor gave me this the day she left. She said to thank you for making life with her parents a little easier. You have to fill me in on a couple of those get-togethers."

"Well, that will be a couple of stories for another couple of nights. When we are drunk, haha." She then handed me the check. "Ten thousand dollars?"

"Yeah, she didn't fill it in, she didn't know your last name."

I wrote pay to the order of: 'Chase County Family Center.' In Nicole's perfect flowing script. I will give it to Amber to send to Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, she would like that. She might even thank Nicole.

***

After Amber got her job at 'The Malibu Hut' I would mainly see her on Fridays when we went to the hospital.

Thursday night I took a picture of my outfit to send to her, while she was already working at her club. She was going to try to meet me at Claire's later, but now I needed her to okay my dress. It was a flowing electric blue mini, it has been in my closet for years and I never wore it out. I think I might be ready to show it off.

Amber called me back, "What the hell is that I thought I hid that in the back of your closet." She said loudly on the phone.

"You did, why no good."

"What color is it?"

"Um," I thought really hard. "Blue?"

"Keep everything in your closet and get rid of that, go put on a little black dress for crying out loud you are a woman, not a smurf." She then hung up and I changed.

I put on a short tight black dress, with my D cup breast forms. A tight corset and nude pantyhose finished off with five-inch black opened-toe pumps. I had on huge gold hoops and my makeup was a little darker than usual. I couldn't wait to show off for Hunter. Hopefully Amber will approve this one. I never wore it out since it was so tight but I think my body looked extra good in it tonight. I took another picture and sent it to Amber.

When she called back I told her, "It's black."

"I know it's black I told you to put it on." She cursed I think, or maybe she was talking to someone. "Nice front, love the sleeveless look. Your hair looks amazing of course. Um, put on that Swiss watch of yours and put on some higher heels. Go put on my seven inchers, the black open-toed ones they are in one of the tubs, you are going to be a diva tonight."

"Really? Okay." I never wore anything of hers, even though we wore the same size in almost everything. I then took another picture and sent it to her.

"Perfect, I gotta go. Amber Tamblyn is here tonight." She hung up, I guess I was ready.

I sat in Amber's puffy chair again putting on my purple watch and filing my nails while wishing she was explaining 'The Art of Eyeshadow' she started the last time we were home together. It was a long soliloquy but informative and I was disappointed she wasn't here to tell me part two.

***

I was sitting in our spots alone, wishing I took up Dan's offer to come in to have a drink with me. I didn't want him to be missing his family. I didn't do alone good but at least I wouldn't have to run into Taylor. Ray was walking over to say hello when he pointed to a beautiful woman on the other end of the bar.

"Wendy, I want you to meet Mila." He said.

"Hi," I called across the bar.

"Hi." She said as she made her way over to us. "I always see you every week hiding over here in some fabulous dress, but I only see you from the waist up." She laughed. She was beautiful, she had long blonde hair, diamond earrings and a short white dress showing so much leg. "You have to show me this one it looks exquisite."

I smiled, I was a little embarrassed, I wasn't used to women noticing what I was wearing. It was my job to notice them. I was so glad Amber made me change.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes, stand let me see what you have on." So I did. And I turned around so she could see the back. It was so tight and I knew my legs looked incredible in it. She told me, "I love wearing stockings too." She then lifted her dress to show me the elastic at the top. "Why don't American women wear these things, they are so sexy." She laughed. "Ooh, and I love that watch."

"Where is your accent from?"

"I'm from Poland I moved here about seven months ago. What are you drinking?" She looked at the empty bar.

"Oh, I haven't decided yet."

She touched my shoulder, "Well I will have what you are having."

I then looked up at Ray. And he smiled at me, "Your regular a Yellowbird Cocktail?"

"Um yes, perfect."

Mila sat at the bar next to me, "Sounds wonderful. Are you here alone?"

"For now," I told her, "I'm waiting for my boyfriend, his name is Hunter."

"Hunter? That is my husband's name." We looked at each other for a couple of seconds. "Imagine it is the same man." She said in her sexy eastern European accent."

"Hmm, let's see, whoever he comes to kiss first gets to keep him," I told her.

"Okay, that is good plan." We laughed as our drinks were put down in front of us. "I will have to fix my lips then just in case." We laughed and we fixed our lips after we took a sip of my regular yellow drink.

Amber never showed up, but the men did. Amber did a late show at 'The Malibu Hut' that night. They loved her.

***

The End