Secrets of Silver Lake [Book One]

7

After breakfast, I was ushered out the door and into a car. The driver took me into town and I stared out the window wide eyed. The car slowed in front of a massive department store and when the driver opened my door, I had no idea what to expect once I got out. A doorman held a tall glass door open for me and I stepped inside the store. A wave of floral perfume rushed at me and I sneezed. Surprisingly, there weren't any other customers there, which struck me as odd. Soft music played throughout the store and I could see a few employees hurrying about. Just as I was beginning to wonder if I had shown up too early, a woman walked briskly over to me.

"Paige?" she asked.

When I nodded, she smiled. "I'm Diana. It's so nice to meet you! Come with me."

I followed her up two escalators and past numerous clothing departments to the back area. We walked through luxurious looking evening gowns that glittered and sparkled in the light. We came to a small room with a white sofa, a coffee table, a small refrigerator, and tons of mirrors.

Diana guided me in and said, "Can I get you anything to drink? Water? Coffee? Tea?"

"No, thank you," I replied shyly. "I'm fine."

"Okay, well, if you change your mind, please help yourself! There are drinks in the small refrigerator and we can also order you something from our cafe. Make yourself comfortable and I'll be right back!"

Diana was petite and very energetic. She was dressed in a tailored black suit and had her brown hair pulled up into a chignon without a strand out of place. I watched her heels click down the floor as she left and reached over to grab a cookie off a plate that was on the table. I munched on it quietly, looking around and wondering what I had in store. It all seemed so intimidating.

She came back quickly with another employee pushing a rolling rack behind her.

"So," she said and clapped her hands together. "I hear you need a few dresses. One for a party tomorrow night and a few more for future events. Plus, you need some everyday clothes, shoes, undergarments, nightgowns?"

It sounded like such a long list.

"I guess so," I answered softly. "That sounds like an entire wardrobe. It's just so...overwhelming."

She smiled sympathetically. "I'll tell you what. Let's start with the basics first. Anything you don't like, you do not have to get! It won't hurt my feelings. This is about you! It should be fun, okay? I promise I won't push anything on you or try to talk you into something if you simply just don't like it. Deal?"

I sighed in relief. "Deal. Just one question. Where is everybody else?"

She laughed. "Other customers, you mean? Well, technically we're not open yet. We let you in early this morning; it's what we do for our VIP customers. In a few hours the store will open and you'll see tons of customers flooding in."

I couldn't believe it. I had the whole place to myself for a few hours. My excitement must have shown on my face because Diana asked if I was ready to begin. I jumped up and said "Yes!" much too loudly, making us both laugh.

Diana seemed to enjoy it as much as I did, if not more. She was so excited to show me each item she had put aside for me. I tried on everyday clothes first; jeans, pants, tops, sweaters, and what Diana called "intimates". The more things that fit, the happier I got. Contemporary music started to pump through the speakers and I would catch Diana singing along softly as she put together more outfits for me.

"I think you're ready to try on some dresses. What do you think?" she asked.

I nodded excitedly. Diana pulled gem colored gowns of the rack in all different lengths and styles. If I wasn't sure about one, Diana would come stand behind me and show me ways to make it work; pulling my hair up or adding jewelry.