The Popstar & Me

Chapter 30 - To All The Dresses I've Loved

Chapter 30

Much to the relief of my wardrobe woes — Fang texts me he's sending me a guy named Teddie to help me pick out my dress. Fang is avoiding the paparazzi right now, but he'll pick me up before the party next Thursday. I meet up with Teddie on Saturday morning. Lana comes with me because my mom doesn't want me meeting up with a strange man alone, even if Teddie is a reputable high-end, luxury personal shopper who has been featured in Caixin Global Magazine. Of course, I don't tell her about Teddie because doing that would mean telling my mom that I'm dating Fang Yao and the internet is trying to kill me.

If my mother knew the full extent of what was going on here, she would insist I go home immediately. Luckily, Lana doesn't care that I don't want her telling her mom (or my mom) about Teddy. From the moment I met her, she exuded the impression of being a girl with secrets of her own.

Lana and I take a cab over to the showroom. She looks bored and picks at her nail beds. By not, I've noticed that she's never really alive until Zhang is in the room with her. I feel guilty about the kiss I shared with her boyfriend even though it meant nothing.

We make polite small talk about the sweltering summer weather. The moment I meet up with Teddie in front of a luxurious showroom on Nanjing Lu, I feel at ease. 

Teddie looks nothing like the intimidating vision I had imagined after reading his interview about Eastern style. For one thing, he's wearing a Louis Vuitton Bandeau as a hairband. He's also sweating profusely in the heat despite his casual dress. He's wearing a tank top that showed off his proud man-boobs. 

It makes me instantly less terrified about showing up to try his haute couture with a layer of sweat all over. I had showered before I left my apartment, but the late July heat in Shanghai shows no mercy. Teddie makes me feel further at ease when he greets me in English. Of course, he gets many clients from overseas. Speaking a client's preferred language is his job.

I feel embarrassed that I need him to do such a thing, but he tells me it's no big deal. This shopping experience is all about me and my vision of what I want to wear to the gala. I gulp. My vision? In my mind's eye, I see a vision of the cheapest sequined tank top at Forever 21. I wonder what Teddie would say if he knew.

Before we head to the showroom, Lana excuses herself. She agreed to meet up with Zhang today for dinner, and it turns out he's showing up early. "It's okay if my boyfriend joins us, right?" Lana asks. I nod.

I go into the building with Teddie while Lana waits. Despite looking like an office building from the outside, inside, it is bright and airy like a Parisian Atelier. There are orchids and black reflective countertops.  In the air, there is the faintest smell of jasmine.

Teddie leads me to a spotless, lambskin, white leather couch and offers me a binder of pictures.

"Many of these pieces are very delicate, and some of them are made to order," Teddie explains. "Since you need a dress by Thursday, we might have to settle for a dress that we already have in our storage area. In the future, we can have your gowns custom made."

I want to snort. There is no future to speak of. I'm not cut out for this, not even if I am dating Fang Yao. I thought he was going to take me shopping at the Chinese equivalent of Neiman Marcus. I nod politely as Teddie shows me the first entry in the binder. It's a dress by Chanel, which features real flowers preserved and sewn into the silk fabric. Of course, that is a dress that is so fragile it can be worn only once. Cinderella's ball gown probably had more longevity.

Yeah, that's a dress that costs more than my entire college tuition. I nod and sip on the sparkling water Teddie's assistants bring me like I do this all the time. I'm so nervous I don't even have time to ask for my water without ice cubes. My mom always told me never to drink anything with ice cubes in Shanghai if I don't want to be sick for a week. It's okay. At this rate, I need to train my immune system to fight harder if there are fangirls looking to cough on me to give me the flu around every corner.