Page 115 of Last Letters to Ara
“I was supposed to go out with Lou, we were going to get tipsy.”
“Bring her.”
• • •
“Whatever we’re doing tonight better be good. We had reservations at the hottest lady bar in Tampa Bay.”
“You can make reservations at a bar?”
“Well, normal people can’t, but I called and let the bartender know what I’d do to him if there weren’t two seats open for us by the time we got there.”
I snort. “He probably hung up and went straight back to work.”
Lou looks at Theo, moving around the kitchen like he owns the place and looks pointedly at me, saying all she needs to with her eyes.
“Something happened. You need to spill.”
“I told you what happened in NYC.” My eyes say back.
“No. You’re flushed, he looks mighty proud, and it smells like sex. Something ELSE happened, and I’d wager it was right before I got here.”
I grin.
“I knew it.” Her eyes confirm.
Switching back to communicating out loud, I decide now is as good a time as any. “Lou, I know it’s my birthday, but I have something for you.”
“Oooo, did you get donuts?”
I snort. “It’s better than donuts.”
She stops dead. “That’s high praise coming from you.”
“I made you something.” I grin and lead her to my design room, opening the door in a dramatic swoop. “I’ve been working on it for… a while.”
Tears form in Lou’s eyes as her mouth drops into a silent gasp. The suit I spent months perfecting for her is now on the mannequin, its full power and beauty on display in the center of the room. She takes a tentative step forward.
“Can I touch it?” Lou whispers in awe.
I smile. “It’s yours. You can do whatever you want with it.”
Lou brushes her fingers delicately over the matching three-piece-suit now fully brought to life, just for her. Though she is only standing next to the cyan-colored suit, her eyes are already shining brighter than I’ve ever seen them. The color couldn’t be more perfect.
“This is the most beautiful material I’ve ever seen,” Lou says in quiet wonder. “What is it made of?”
“It’s called jacquard, which is the design you see, made with a special loom.” I love that she noticed such fine details. “It can be made with different types of materials, but yours is made with a soft, thick satin.”
Lou’s tears begin to fall as she embraces me in a tight hug. “Thank you, Ara.”
My heart squeezes and I feel the moisture starting to pool in my eyes. “Lou, you better stop getting sappy or we’ll be showing up to this concert all red and puffy.”
“Okay, okay.” She laughs, wiping her tears away. “You’re going to have to keep this for me until I have somewhere to go that is deserving of this. No way am I giving someone the chance to spill their drink on it tonight or stuffing it into my closet.”
I smile. “I can do that.”
Lou looks back toward her gift, shaking her head. She runs her gaze over the tapered blazer, the bustier top and flared pants. “Sinful elegance,” she repeats in a whisper. “But, Ara, it’s your birthday, how will I ever get you a gift as incredible as this?”
I realize in that moment how amazing it feels to create something that makes another person feel empowered; to design something which speaks to their soul; to make something which makes them feel like their best self; toeing the line between scandalous and classic.
