A Fairy Good Fit (Fairy Dust #2)
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“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” - Roald Dahl
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Lauren eyed herself critically in the mirror, turning slowly to each side. Who would have thought she could actually wear a bikini again? She hadn’t worn one since middle school. After her mother died, she had sought solace in food and the result of that comfort was being the fat girl throughout high school. She had been snubbed and teased for four solid years. Once she entered college, she made a promise to herself. While all her new friends were partying, eating tons of junk food, and packing on their “freshman fifteen” she had dedicated her time to running track, eating healthy, and saying goodbye to nearly seventy pounds. The transformation had been tremendous and she had never felt better in her life. Yet when she looked into the mirror, she still saw that overweight teen staring back at her. She turned all the way around again and sighed.
Truly there was no fault with her form. Her arms were toned, her tummy taut, and her legs muscular enough to be firm but still curvy. Her breasts felt way too exposed in the triangle tie top and she made a mental note to look for bottoms that had actual sides instead of skimpy ties. Overall, the hot pink and white dotted pattern popped against her newly tanned skin and complemented her dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Undeniably, this bikini was made for her, and her body was finally made for it, but was she ready?
She hummed an old tune her mother had learned from her mother and sang to her when she was a child… “She wore and itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polka dot bikini…” Glancing at the price tag, she needed to be sure she would wear this because it was pricy for the amount of material she was actually getting!
“Is everything okay in there, Lauren?” Zack checked in. He really would like it if Lauren would model her choices for him. He had watched her for almost a year now. When she first started shopping at Hollanders, he had thought she was an exceptionally pretty girl with a timid personality but he had not anticipated the beautiful woman who had emerged from a shy cocoon. He just had to get the nerve up to ask her out. He mentally chastised himself for not doing is sooner because now she would just think he was doing it because she was thin. That definitely was not the case.
“Yes.” She answered hesitantly. “I’m just having trouble deciding. The blue one is not quite the right shade and the red one doesn’t fit well, but the pink one is perfect. It’s just I’m not quite sure…” She trailed off. What was she unsure about?
“Why don’t you come out here and let me help you decide? I’ve worked here almost four years now and I’ve become a pretty good judge of women’s clothing.” His tone held a smirk. “As much as any male can.”
“Well…”
“Oh come on. I will give you an honest opinion.” He offered.
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” She countered. "I think I'll just pass. I usually just sit on the beach in shorts & a T shirt."
“That would be like displaying a work of art in a paper bag. You’ve worked so hard, Lauren. I’ve watched your metamorphosis. Please don’t go back to your old habits.” Zack countered, remembering the bashful girl in a baggy shirt and jeans asking his opinion. “Have I ever steered you in the wrong direction? And just remember, I won’t be working here much longer. I’m almost finished with my degree and graduate soon. I practically have a job as a mechanical engineer at Volkswagen.”
Lauren took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. She had never shopped at a store like Hollander’s, but seeing Zack had kept her coming back. He had always been nice to her and had never made fun of her size or lack of style. He was helpful and had a good eye for fashion, something odd for a guy in his course of study. He had always explained how he had landed that position. It wasn’t so different than the design of anything else, a car, a house, a piece of furniture. The lines needed to flatter and flow. Colors needed to complement the canvas. He had a talent. And soon she would probably never see him again. Who was she kidding? He was probably already involved. Blinking back a lone tear her focus shifted on the sparkling puff balls hanging from the ceiling everywhere. All of them were a silver color except one. It was pink. She smiled a little bit as she compared herself to that one lone pink puff. The oddball.
A tiny fairy in pink fluttered in place to keep from being seen by the human below. Her work was cut out for her, but she knew she could help Lauren. A deft flick of her wand sent a spray of glittery dust over Lauren’s face. The force of the delivery caused the puffy ceiling decor to dance and sway. The fairy grabbed onto one of the puffy decorations, straddled the string and swung overhead like a little trapeze artist. Let the show begin!
Lauren felt a spray of dust fall from the darned decorations and rubbed her eyes. They shouldn’t put such things up in a public area. They were just dust collectors! Rubbing her face, she grabbed the white sheer beach cover up and pulled it over the bikini. Peeking out she spied a well-lit triple mirror. She would be able to critique herself from every angle in a larger area than her current cubicle. Padding out in bare feet, a moment of cold dread ran down her spine when she heard the ominous click of her dressing room door. Frantically, she pulled on the handle. It had locked behind her! All her things were in there! Her clothes, her shoes, her purse. She eyed the situation for a minute. It wasn’t one of those half doors, but a full louvered door. She couldn’t crawl under. It was too tall to climb over. “Crap!”
“What was that?” Zack called in.
“I’ve locked myself out of the dressing room.” The handle refused to budge.
“No problem. I have a key. Is the coast clear so I can come in?”
“Sure. I’m the only one here. And I’m covered.” She pulled the swimsuit wrap tightly around her body.
The fairy overhead knew it was time to intervene once more. Another direct shot of sparkles bounced from the lock on the dressing room door and struck Zack directly in the chest near the heart. The force caused the silver puff balls to dance to and fro.
Zack felt a jolt akin to a light push as he entered the dressing room. Maybe he should have called a female co-worker, but that seemed senseless to disturb her break. He was right there and had the key and the opportunity. He smiled reassuringly at Lauren as she struggled to keep herself hidden as he fiddled with the dressing room door. It was stubbornly stuck. As his attention was focused on the task at hand, his brain barely registered the slamming of yet another door.
Lauren yelped, turning loose of her death grip on her cover up and grabbed frantically at the exit door to the dressing rooms. It too had slammed shut and was locked. “Oh no! What are we going to do?” Alarm sounded in her normally calm voice. Her vision was drawn upward and the silver puff ball decorations were swinging wildly. The lone pink one was still there but she could have sworn it was in a different spot the first time. “Zack?”
Pulling with all his might, his efforts against the exit door were futile. “I don’t know what’s going on around here, but when I’m found in the women’s dressing room with a customer, I’m toast.” He stated grimly. “This was a foolish move on my part.”
“It’s not your fault. I’ll tell them. I would hate for you to lose your job that way. A blemish on your work record might affect your future career.” Lauren calmed as she put her foolish worries aside and focused on something real. Sh
e was not the only one with issues in life.
“I appreciate your concern, Lauren. I really need to keep this job and keep my record clean. I can’t lose my opportunity with Volkswagen in this economy. I need that job and income. My sister needs has special needs.”
“Oh.” Lauren quietly muttered.
“She lives with me in my apartment. She’s... special. She has Down’s Syndrome. I have taken care of her since our parents were both killed in a car wreck. The social workers wanted me to have her institutionalized but I just couldn’t put her away in some remote government run care center. I want her to live somewhere nicer. I want it to be a positive experience for her.” His brown eyes reflected love yet sadness. “I have found an assisted living community specializing in Down’s, and she qualifies for care, but there is a monthly co-pay. Until I have a better job, I cannot move her there.”
“It will happen, Zack. It will happen. What is her name?”
“Susie. I call her my Susie Q and she has been my muse for women’s clothing for the last two years. I help her pick out her outfits every day, and I buy her things from Hollanders because she likes them. She relates their clothing to the commercials she sees on TV of all the young people having fun. It makes her feel like one of them. It’s the least I can do.”
So his secret was out. He wasn’t involved with a significant other. He was involved with family. He was a rare man indeed. Lauren smiled. “I would like to meet her someday.”
“It would make her very happy. Since we are in here baring our souls, I’ll just tell you before she does: She knows a lot about you. Lauren, since met you, I felt you were special. You are sweet, kind, sincere, and beautiful. I’ve watched you from afar and cursed myself for not having the courage to ask you out. What woman wants to go out with the guy who had a retarded sister?” There. It was out. “But will you go out on a date with me and Susie anyway?”
“And who wants to go out with the fat girl, I can counter your statement. I’d be honored to go out on a date with you. What do you suggest?” His offer was too sweet to refuse.
“If you haven’t noticed, you are no longer the ‘fat girl’ as you put it, but if you’re truly interested, Susie likes to spend time around the pool at our apartment complex and she likes pizza.. How do you feel about pizza and swimming?” His eyes crinkled at the corners and his smile was apologetic. “It will be the perfect opportunity to try out that new swimsuit.”
“I love pizza and swimming. I think it’ll be fun.” Her answer was honest.
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been surer in my life. I’m surer about the pizza and swimming than I am this bikini.” She slid one side of the cover up over to model her attire. “What do you think?”
“You know what I think. Sold!” He moved in close and traced her jawline with his finger. “You are a very special woman, Lauren Perth.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “You remembered my last name? Have you been stalking me?” She teased.
“Only if I thought I could have gotten away with it.” He shot back. “Wow.” He sat down on the bench in the room. “I’ve never told anyone my life story in five minutes. It’s almost embarrassing.”
“Zack Quinton! What is so embarrassing about that?”
“Hey. You know my last name? Are you stalking me?”
She stabbed a finger at chest. “No, dummy. It’s on your name tag. And I think you just want your commission tonight!”
Reality came rushing back as a rapid succession of knocking rattled the exit door. “Is everyone okay in there?” Zack’s co-worker was back from break.
“Yes. I’m okay.” He yelled through the door.
“I’m getting the door open right now. It has a clothes hanger wedged in it holding it shut. How did you get stuck in there?” The co-worker questioned.
“The door just slammed and was stuck.” His attention was on Lauren who had managed to get her dressing room door open. She held a finger to her lips and slipped inside, quietly closing the door behind her.
“There. You’re free.” The door popped open to reveal the bustling clothing department. “There were some kids running through here like banshees. The left as quickly as they came. They must have pushed you in when they slammed the door. Kids and pranks.”
“No harm done.” Zack stated. “No harm done.”