Calah
It took everything in me not to go back inside and appease my mother, but the truth of the matter is that I’m really not ready to talk to them. I’ll have to apologize but maybe it can wait until tomorrow. I get into the car and turn on some music until I get home. Distracting myself from the drama of my life is not something I’m good at, I obsess about everything, from every angle but sometimes music helps.
Eventually I make it to my apartment, I love my place with its plush sofas and throw pillows for days. It took me months to find the right art piece for my living room, pink flowers, that’s what I landed on but I like it. After I get rid of my work clothes I go into the bathroom and follow Rhea’s instructions to run a bath, I slide into the tub and settle with the book.
Ellamay Bradberry is tired of being under her parent’s thumb so she ventures off to the big city in search of herself. What is this?
The Times I Said Yes… A coming of age tale of a young woman who takes a chance on experiencing life.
I can’t help thinking that Rhea must have been saving this for me so I open the book and decide to give it a shot. Soon an hour has gone by, and the bath has gone cold. I climb out, throw on a robe then lay in my bed, continuing to read. Ellamay Bradberry has adventure after adventure, tempting fate by saying yes to things she would usually say no to. Over and over again I find myself relating to the story on a different level. Rhea was right, this is exactly what I needed to read.
I know I should be getting ready but instead I lose myself in a story about when Ellamay went into the big city for the first time and ordered a beer. The only thing that pulls me back to reality is the loud buzzing that signals someone is at my front door. When I look out the peephole I see Rhea with her arms full so I close my robe tightly and open the door.
“Hi dear, come in,” I smile then step aside, “I do apologize, I was... well, I was reading.”
“See, it’s good right?”
“Yes, here you can put your stuff down anywhere.”
“Thank you,” she says before she empties her arms onto the couch then turns and it’s only then that I realize she looks amazing.
I let my eyes trail down her legs that are on full display, she is short, but tonight her legs look miles long and her dress is loud, gold and in charge, “Rhea! You look…”
“Hey, if I’m going to go out and find a man I have to look the part, now let’s get you dressed up,” she giggles as she shoves some dresses on hangers toward me.
“Which one?” I ask, overwhelmed.
“Try them on, see which one speaks to you…”
“Okay,” I say before a nervous swallow that sounds like a cartoony ′gulp’.
“Hey, and remember, when you look in the mirror you should think, what would Ellamay Bradberry do?”
“She would say yes?” I question, I’m not sure if I’m ready to fully buy into this but I want to try.
“Exactly.”
I head into my bedroom with an arm full of clothes to change. After I dump them on the bed I quickly realize that all of these dresses look foreign to me compared to the suits and sweaters I’m used to wearing. I don’t own anything even remotely like this.
First I go for a black dress but I can’t even figure out how to get it onto my body, it’s actually comical how out of touch with normal things I am. Who designs these things? Where does this strap go?
After I manage to untangle myself from the first one I slip into another black dress, this one has visible sleeves. When I see myself in the mirror I realize it makes me feel beautiful. It hugs every curve, this dress is showing curves I forgot I had. I nervously step out into the living room again, I like the dress but if she hates it I might end up in one of those strappy numbers.
“Wooo! Yas queen!” she cheers when she sees me.
“Rhea, my dear, are you sure about this?”
“What would Ellamay do?”
“She would say yes.”
“Okay, so you’re wearing the dress and here are your shoes,” she holds out some sparkly black shoes with high heels.
“They look, painful.”
“That’s why we’ll just walk to the bar and wait for guys to come to us, don’t worry, I promise…” she smiles and I trust her.
“Yes, okay, yes,” I say, I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince her or me.
I put on the shoes and Rhea just smiles at me, “Perfect, now hair and makeup, let’s goooo!”
After Rhea works her magic on me, she pulls me into the living room and makes me do a twirl.
“Am I everything you envisioned?” I ask apprehensively.
“Yep, perfect, let’s go.”
I follow Rhea out the door trying to convince myself that I’m ready to say yes to things. She called a ride that is already waiting so before I can even catch my breath I’m in the back seat of a car.
“Calah, are you a virgin?”
"OH! Oh? Oh."
Why is she asking me this right now in front of the driver? What would Ellamay do? Uhm..., "I’m not, I just... I guess I don’t talk to anyone about it."
"Okay, and how do you feel about relationships?"
"Wow, I guess I don’t know, the idea of being married and having a family is appealing."
"Okay, so anyone you talk to tonight… no matter how handsome they are if they don’t want a family, down the drain."
"Isn’t that a heavy conversation to have on the first date?"
"Yes and no, we’re twenty-five, it’s time to start getting serious. The kind of men you want to attract will be okay with this type of conversation."
"Rhea?"
"Gosh, trust me, have I ever steered you wrong?"
"You made me go to prom with that Archer fellow and he was peculiar," I shake my head and shiver at the thought.
"I thought you would get along, if you think he’s peculiar then maybe he has some work to do, I’ll pass on the message," she laughs.
"Rhea, where are we going?"
"To my favorite bar, be patient," she grins then grabs my hand and squeezes it.
