Dates and Dresses

“That was it? That was the whole date?” Molly asked me through a dressing room curtain. She came out and showed me a striped maternity top she was wearing, complete with a fake belly underneath.

“Aren’t you creeped out by the detachable belly?” I asked.

“No, I’m not. It makes sense, and stop changing the subject,” she said, looking at me like she might bite my head off. Sarah strode up behind me with a polka dot dress the size of a school bus and handed it to Molly.

“This is cute,” Sarah said. “Plus, you love polka dots.”

“Nothing this big will ever look cute on me,” Molly said into her hands. Then she groaned, closed the curtain and said, “He didn’t call you? Or kiss you?”

“No and no,” I said. “Besides being awkward in the office, I’m sure everything will be better. I’ve had this dumb crush for two years and it’s nice to let it go.” I slumped down and looked at Molly’s feet. “Besides, it’s not like it was true love or anything.”

Sarah cocked her head to one side and looked at me in this funny way. “Speaking of that, have you called Ian?”

Molly’s head poked out of the dressing room curtain and she looked at me in the same funny way as she asked, “Have you?”

I shook my head as I looked up at both of them, and I saw a look pass between them. “Maybe you could go see him. In Portland,” Molly said.

“Are you crazy? He left and moved 150 miles south just to get away from me. I don’t think he wants to see me.”

“You’d be surprised,” said Molly. “You have no idea how much I’d like to see Chris.”

“But…but…you two broke up. You must hate him for what he did.”

“I don’t,” she said. “I’d really like to talk to him. I mean, I’m going to have to talk to him soon about the baby, but I’d really like to just talk to him, you know? Just hang out. I bet Ian feels the same way.”

“You don’t know how he sounded when we broke up,” I told her.

Suddenly Sarah looked at me and said, “What if we went on a girls weekend together to Portland? Beer, doughnuts, Powell’s, pedicures. It will be so much fun! And all you have to do is tell Ian you’re going to be in Portland and would like to stop by and say hi.”

“Why do you two want me to travel out-of-state just to say hi to some guy you didn’t even seem to like all that much?”

“Sometimes I can be an idiot,” Molly said. “Especially about boyfriends.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“She means she was jealous as all get-out when you were hanging out with Ian every single night and so she hated him,” Sarah explained . I couldn’t help but notice her huge smirk directed at Molly.

“Jealous?” I turned to Molly, completely confused.

“Yes, but if you go and talk to him, maybe….maybe you two could work something out.”

I shook my head again. “I don’t think that would be good. We’re not the right fit for each other.”

Molly stepped out in her polka-dot muumuu, looking prettier than anyone with a fake belly strapped to her should look. She pulled me up and then she shook me by the shoulders until I was laughing so hard the sales clerk gave us a stern look. I quieted down and then Molly said, “You don’t think you’re ever good enough for the good things in your life. When are you going to learn that the only way to get what you want is to actually TAKE IT when it comes along?”

And just then, right as Molly was finishing up her pep talk, my phone buzzed with a new text. I took it out and glanced at it and I couldn’t help but smile.

“What is it?” Molly and Sarah asked at the same time, and before I could answer, they had taken my phone from me while I shrieked and tried to get it back.

“Stop! Stop! That’s private!” I yelled as the store clerk was now trying to unleash some serious Force lightning on us like she was Emperor Palpatine.

“Are you serious?” Sarah said, dropping the phone. She handed it back. “What are you going to do?”

“I know what you’re going to do,” Molly said in a lower voice. “You’re going to call Ian and tell him you want to see him this weekend.”

“But–but–” I started as Molly put up her hand to silence me.

“No sass!” she said while smiling. “Pregnant ladies must be obeyed! You’re also going to have to do something about this guy, because I think you were wrong. He’s got it bad for you.”

“I don’t know if I can face Boss like that again.”

“Seriously, girl, the only way you’re going to get over either of these guys is to face them.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Then I glanced at my phone again to read over Boss’s text one more time. It said, “Can I take you out to dinner tonight? I’d love to see your beautiful face again outside of work,” and I couldn’t control the happiness that was bubbling up all over me.

I texted back, “That would nice,” and was rewarded immediately with a time Boss was going to pick me up tonight with instructions to wear something semi-formal.

“Intriguing,” Sarah said over my shoulder.

“Expensive,” said Molly.  ”Maybe we should buy something while we’re at the mall?” Sarah added.

“Only after she texts Ian about next weekend,” Molly said. I looked at her and she said, “Seriously. NOW. Pregnant lady rules.”

I picked up my phone and nervously tapped out a message to Ian.

I didn’t hear back from him, so I did the only thing I could do. I went to Forever 21 and bought a frilly yellow sundress to wear on a date with his big brother.

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