The Misfortunes of Lolita

11 | when lolita smiled

THIS IS AN UNEDITED AND SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT VERSION OF THE MISFORTUNES OF LOLITA. I AM PUBLISHING IT IN FALL 2021—PLEASE FOLLOW ME ON IG @/ls.akhter and GOODREADS (L AKHTER) TO STAY UPDATED. I am so excited to share TMoL with you again.

CHAPTER 11

There is a part of me that knows this is temporary. Fleeting. He will leave one day - and the terrifying part is that this doesn't make me want to run from him. It only makes me want to hold on tighter. - Lolita's Journal

"Um," was what Lolita said when Cora handed her the dry outfit.

"What?" Cora asked, and Frank brushed his hair with the towel, leaning on the ledge of the door and folding his arms, the towel hanging from his fingers.

Lolita held the dress in her hands. "This looks like a party dress,"

"That's 'cause it is a party dress. It's the only extra one I brought." Cora was all smiles.

"I don't really need the dry clothes," Lolita said, staring at the white mini-dress. "We're leaving now, anyway." Then she grimaced as little drops of rainwater splashed as she moved her hair back.

"You're not getting my mom's car seat wet, missy." Cora said, and dragged her to the washroom, closing the door once Lolita was inside. Lolita protested behind the closed door, and Cora gave Frank a mischievous grin.

"You're welcome," she mouthed, wiggling her eyebrows, and Frank rolled his eyes.

"Cora," Lolita yelled from inside the washroom. "This dress looks like shit on me,"

"I'm not here," Cora whispered to Frank as she brushed past him, and he grabbed her by her elbow.

"What are you doing?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes this time.

"Frank, are you dense?" she said. "I'm going back to the party. You two... do whatever,"

"You think I brought her here to sleep with her," he blinked.

"Frank," Cora whispered. "No. No. But, I mean -"

"I told you, Cor," he said. "She's -"

"Rain, and a storm, and something different." She said. "I know. I'm sorry."

"She's good." Frank smiled, like the lovesick fool that he most definitely was.

Cora's eyebrows furrowed, her head cocked to one side, and for the first time, Cora looked at Frank in a way that he'd never seen her look at him. "Oh, Frank,"

"What?"

"You're in deep, aren't you?"

"Yep."

"Good." She said. "Treat the girl right, will ya?"

"Um," Lolita leaned just her head from behind the washroom door, her long hair damp and falling free. "And I need help with the zipper,"

"I gotta go!" Cora waved at Lolita, kissing Frank's cheek and leaving him at the doorway as he stared at Lolita openmouthed. To be fair, her expression was similar.

"Did she just leave?" Lolita said, her voice shaky.

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath.

Lolita put one hand over her chest to hold the dress up, and one hand on her back to where the zipper ended, and walked out of the washroom, her lips pressed onto one another. The white dress hugged every curve, every dip and tide of her body, and came up to her mid-thighs, and in short, Frank understood why Cora had been so sly.