Authors: Elizabeth Lowe
Surprisingly timid,
Bernie answered, “Me.”
Trying to regain her
calm, Sam repeated, “Who?”
A smidgeon of
confidence raised Bernie's voice. “You know, Bernice.”
“Oh, Bernice, I am so sorry.
How good of you to call.
I have been hoping I would hear from
you.
How have you been?
I really miss not having a friend to share my
thoughts and ideas.
I have been very
lonely.”
Venomous feelings
exploded.
Oh, I bet you have living with
two gorgeous men.
A sarcasm Bernie
managed to sugar coat. “You are I mean . . . well . . . I don't know what I
mean.”
Sam's pleasantry was so sweet Bernie almost
gagged, there were no intentions of becoming her friend, and she didn't want
Sam to be likeable either. “I thought maybe.
Well . . . forget it. I'm sorry I bothered you.”
“Oh, Bernie, please
don't hang up. I need you.
You see Ted
wants me to go to this formal party and I'm scared out of my wits.”
Surprised by Sam's
confession, Bernie added, “You are?”
“Yes, I don't know
what to wear, how to dress, act.
Oh,
God, could you help me, please?
It is
this coming Saturday night.”
Posh etiquette was as far from
Bernie's expertise as the moon from earth, but the need to put forth an image
she possessed knowledge that Sam did not was too enticing. “Well, you see,
that's really why I called.
Brad asked
me to go as well.”
“Oh, how wonderful,
Bernie, I am so glad for you.
Maybe we
can all go together.”
“Ted must not have
told you.”
“Told me what?”
“We are.
I mean, that's what Brad said.
I guess we're supposed to spend time at his
place in Southampton.”
“Ted never said
anything to me.”
“That's typical of
Ted.”
“You sound like you know him well
Bernie.
I need to learn as much about
him as I can.
Maybe we could get
together, get to know one another better before Saturday?
It would mean a great deal to me.”
Bernice silently snickered if she
told Sam what she knew about Ted, she would probably pass out from shock.
“If you really want too, I mean, I guess it
will be O.K.
I'll be over shortly.”
“Fantastic Bernie,
see you then.”
“Great, just great,
she's not only cute, got a great figure, but she's Miss Personality as
well.
I just know I'm going to hate
her,” Bernie sputtered tossing the phone onto the couch.
Elated, Sam quickly picked up her
mess and hurried into the kitchen to prepare a snack.
Thank goodness, a female, she thought,
someone to confide in, my first friend in New York.
While Sam busied herself preparing
finger sandwiches, thoughts wiggled into her mind.
What was there about Bernie that attracted
Brad anyway?
He seemed way out of her
league.
Was it her performance in bed,
apparently, today what you do between the sheets counts?
Men, they are alike, she fussed.
Just as visions of Brad and Bernice in
passions embrace popped into her mind, the door- bell rang.
She dropped a plate.
Bernice waltzed into the room
flaunting a much too short outlandish full-skirted floral dress of burnt
orange, chartreuse, and red, much too bright and bold for her pale
complexion.
She looked artistically
bizarre.
Enormous, weighty, dime store
jewelry draped everywhere.
Iridescent
green eye shadow and dark eyeliner over-powered soft hazel eyes, lipstick the
deep, dark red kind.
Drawing upon the
knowledge, she acquired from the hairdressers and make-up artists attending
her, Sam decided Bernice was going to be a formidable project.
Air stirring as Bernie approached,
brought with it a strong whiff of cheap cologne.
Between sneezes, Sam welcomed her guest.
“Come in, Bernie.
I'm so glad to see
you.”
After offering a quick welcoming
embrace, Sam plucked a tissue to wipe runny eyes and cover another sneeze.
Maintaining a stiff
posture, completely unaware of the obvious, “Bless you,” Bernie said.
Is it allergies or a cold?”
Not wanting Bernie to know the
reaction was due to her horrid perfume, Sam graciously added, “Oh, no!
It's just the city air.”
“It sucks doesn't
it?”
Sam barely managed to
conceal an amused smile over Bernie's colorful language. “Please make yourself
comfortable while I get the sandwiches and tea.”
Isn't that sweet,
Bernie fumed secretly, sandwiches and tea.
She was wasting her time and wishing she had a God Damn beer.
Convinced the visit would be pure
boredom, at first Bernie only half listened to Sam while sipping awful
sweetened tea and picking at all too cute petite sandwiches.
But an hour later she had kicked off her
shoes and joined her host, both curled up on the couch reposed and guffawing at
amusing tales of Sam's life out West.
Surprised to learn of Sam's degree
in clothing design, to be polite, Bernie asked to see her sketches.
Fighting to keep envy at bay, even she, who
had only completed eight years of education, could tell Sam was destined for
success.
In one short afternoon, Bernie
thought it peculiar she no longer wanted to be Sam's enemy.
She had come to realize Sam was sincere,
sweet, innocent, caring, kind, considerate, funny, talented, and sickeningly
beautiful.
Poor Brad or, any man for
that matter, Bernie decreed.
The front Bernie presented so
diligently came tumbling down.
All bark
and no bite, she possessed special qualities that would make her the very best
friend anyone could have.
Bernie was a
careful listener that lent an aura of understanding and concern.
Her light hearted, carefree attitude toward
life, rejuvenating, briefly, Sam wondered if they were the attributes Brad
admired in Bernie.
A thought immediately
followed by her belief male chauvinists rarely looked beyond the flesh.
Self-confidence and poise was all
Bernie lacked, Sam concluded.
She began
visualizing Bernie's mossy brown hair with an auburn tint.
A sleek, tailored, floor length gown cut to
hug her voluptuous body, the barest hint of color to draw attention to her
exquisite milky white complexion.
Some
hews of brown to accent her beautiful hazel eyes.
Indeed, Bernie could be stunning, and Sam was
resolved to prove it.
Using the excuse she needed some
practice, Sam retrieved a sketch of a gown she believed would look wonderful on
Bernie, explaining that it would be a tremendous favor if she wore it to
Keller's party.
Someone might notice and
make inquiries, a break into the designing world she was looking for.
Peppering Bernie with flattery
pertaining to her exquisite figure and flawless, pale skin, Sam asked if she
had ever entertained a modeling career.
Hysterical, Bernie choked on a swallow of tea.
Pressing on, Sam insisted with a few
adjustments to her hair and make-up, she could easily be a model.
The possibilities mulled over
through their light-hearted conversation were electrifying and magical as they
envisioned themselves in business together, Sam the designer, Bernie the
model.
Giggles sprang forth when both
agreed if nothing else; it would be one hell of an adventure.
As quickly as it took to snatch
their purses and jackets, they were off shopping to select material for
Bernie's gown along with the latest state of the art sewing machine.
After all, Brad said anything they
wanted.
To safeguard their secret, they
set up shop in Bernie's apartment.
During the ensuing week, they cut, pinned, sewed, talked, ate, laughed,
and planned their future.
They experimented with their hair, tried on
jewelry, applied make-up, and painted toes and fingernails dismissing all
thoughts of men.
At last, both had found
a friend.
Through it all, Sam became anxious
to see the expression on Brad's face when he saw Bernie, and yet, there was no
feasible reason why, as busy as they were preparing for the gala, that fleeting
thoughts of Bernice in Brad's arms disturbed her.
Ultimately, Bernice conceded she had no
knowledge of the proper etiquette required at such an affair, a confession that
brought Sam a moment of sure terror.
Together they got on the internet to find enlightening information.
Hours were spent drinking wine, reading and
practicing the formalities, each becoming giddy with jollity over their
repetitive mistakes.
With one night remaining, it became necessary for Sam to stay overnight
with Bernie to complete the final changes.
At two A.M. Bernie's dress was finished.
They celebrated by dancing around the apartment to country music and
drinking coke laced with peanuts.
Exhausted, the women slipped into Bernie's bed, both passing out as soon
as their bodies hit the sheets.
Staring at her new friend, Bernie
moodily reflected the last time she had a girlfriend was in high school.
Women like her never kept lasting friendships
with other females.
A pang of resentment
filled her.
Sam had been a reminder of
how much she missed all the crazy, wonderful things women do whenever they are
together.
Sam’s exuberance over her future
with Ted and new career had scratched the surface of the discontentment Bernie
had been hiding for some time.
She
always wondered if something better was in her future.
Possibly working with Sam was the break she
had been secretly waiting for.
Before sleep swept her up, the last
thought rolling over Sam's mind was though Bernie possessed a general lack of
gentility and morals, stripped of her make-up, loud clothes, and bangles, she
was a wonderful, delightful, tender, loving person.
She could only hope Brad had discovered these
qualities.
For some reason she wanted
him to take a closer look at Bernie, or, did she? Each time she thought of them
together the queer feeling deep inside was troubling.
Bouncing out of bed, bright and
early, Saturday morning, over toast they had to gag down due to nerves, the
girls decided to have a dress rehearsal.
Zipping up Bernice's gown, Sam stepped back in marvel.
In front of a long mirror, Bernie stood
dazzled by disbelief at her reflection.
Never did she feel so magnificent, her transformation as though she was
Cinderella.
A snugly fit strapless
black taffeta bodice made her full white breasts seductively bulge over the top
like meringues.
Attached at the waist a
floor length, velvet, form fitting skirt with a slit on the side the length of
Bernie's shapely leg, topped by a large taffeta bow its' streamers ending an
inch above the hem.
Accenting black,
silk, elbow length gloves a single strand pearl bracelet.
Shiny auburn hair swept into a French twist
weaved with pearls.
Normal caked on
make-up replaced with little dabs of color making her face glow with natural
beauty.
Real pearls hung at her ears and
draped her neck thanks to Sam's generosity, a gift from Ted.
Sprayed sparingly on all her alluring body
parts expensive perfume.