Wanderlove Part 11

Dakota offered to do my hair for me, but I refused. I couldn't take the risk of her touching me again. I tried to do it myself, but because it was so long and thick, my handiwork ended up looking like a catastrophe. Thankfully, Miriam walked in on me, mid-catastrophe, and clicked her tongue. "Oh no, little girl. Here, give me the brush."

Miriam chose to pull my hair back and then she pinned it up into a fancy bun. I smiled, impressed.

"Thanks, Grams."

It was nice, the aura of femininity. I never had much experience with it while traveling with my father. Now that I thought about it, I wondered how Lina always managed to look so gorgeous on stage. My Auntie Zetta would often help by sewing Lina's costumes, but apart from that, Lina did everything else on her own without any female guidance.

Since I was ready and dressed before anyone else, I decided to put on a pot of coffee. Afterwards, I peeked into Miriam's room and I saw her sitting at her vanity, curlers in her hair.

"Come in," she called out.

"I just wanted to know if you cared for some coffee." I slowly walked into her bedroom. She glanced up at my reflection through her mirror.

"Well, look at you!" she exclaimed, whistling. She turned from her vanity and then looked me over from head to toe.

"You look beautiful, Lo. That dress is simply stunning."

"Thank you." I smiled. "Dakota bought it for me."

Miriam tilted her head. "Well, she always had good taste." She winked at me. She began to pull the rollers from her hair, one by one, letting the short mahogany curls spring free. "And yeah, I could use a mug of coffee. I'm sure it will be a long night. No sugar and fat free milk."

I nodded. "Be right back."

While preparing Miriam's coffee, (which didn't even look drinkable due to its lack of real cream and sugar), Annika walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, Anni," I greeted her.

"h.e.l.lo," she said. She wore a daring black dress, the decolletage practically cut to her stomach.

"Wow," I said. "You look amazing."

"Thanks," she replied, drumming her fingers against the counter top.

"Do you want some coffee?"

"No." She moved towards the wine rack. "Coffee just isn't going to do the trick tonight." She removed a bottle of merlot from its slot. "This is what I need."

She smiled. It was almost a wicked smile, in a way. I wondered if something was wrong with her. The memory of last night flashed through my mind and I remembered she had left the house to speak with Gabe just as I had come inside. I thought maybe their conversation was the cause of her strange mood. It seemed reasonable, considering she hadn't seen Gabe since their break-up.

I watched as Annika slowly poured the dark red wine into a gla.s.s. She held the gla.s.s up, gesturing a toast. "To you," she said, before taking a drink.

I tried to laugh, but it came out awkwardly. "Okay, then. Um, cheers to me."

She downed the entire gla.s.s before refilling it with more wine. I quickly left the kitchen to bring Miriam her coffee, wondering what the deal was with Annika's bizarre antics.

By the time Dakota and Miriam were almost ready to leave, I found myself alone with Annika in the kitchen again, waiting.

She sat there in a daze, circling the top of her wine gla.s.s with her fingers. I silently sat across from her on a stool at the island. Every now and then, I caught Annika staring at me. Her gaze seemed. . .almost menacing. I don't know, maybe I was imagining it. Then again, I had also thought the same thing about Molly- and that suspicion had proven to be right.

But this was Annika. Sweet, docile Annika. It just wasn't like her.

"You know, I had a dream about you," Annika mentioned.

"Really?"

"Well, it was really more of a nightmare, I suppose."

I held my breath, waiting for her continue. A lull had grown in the room and Annika seemed to be staring into s.p.a.ce, her eyes blank of any emotion. When she didn't say anything, I impatiently asked, "So, what happened in the dream?"

She turned her attention back towards me. "You were abducted." She said the words without any feeling or emotion. Her expression remained blase even as I let out a little gasp.

"Don't worry," she said. "Your true love will search for you. He proclaimed he would not rest until he found you."

Startled, I asked, "Anni, is this one of those dreams that comes true? Do you ever just have regular dreams?"

She stared at me intently for a moment, as if she were looking right through me, lost in her own little world. And then she suddenly came to, smiling widely. "It was just a dream, Lola. Not a premonition."

A chilling tremor ran through me, enveloping me in coldness.

Did she mean what she said?

I forced myself to brush the terrifying feeling away. She couldn't possibly mean it. I didn't even have a true love.

"Anni, can you start the car up?" Miriam shouted from upstairs. "I don't care if the Constantins' house is next door. I'm not walking in heels."

"Sure thing," Annika replied and stood up from her seat. She moved towards the sink. I a.s.sumed she was taking her wine gla.s.s there to be left for the wash.

Everything seemed to happen right at once.

Annika suddenly lost her footing and tripped directly in front of me. The contents of her gla.s.s flung at my chest, splashing across the front of my silver gown.

"Oh, my dear," Annika said. "I'm so sorry."

My jaw was left hanging open in shock.

The stain slowly expanded as it settled into the silky fabric. It was a vibrant contrast against the sliver- a bright crimson red.

Miriam and Dakota both appeared in the doorway of the kitchen at the same time. Both of their expressions seemed to match my own: completely horrified.

"What happened?" Miriam asked.

"I'm afraid I tripped," Annika said innocently. "It was an accident." Her voice didn't seem to hold any real remorse. In fact, she stayed even-toned.

Dakota's eyes seemed to sparkle with anger as she glared at her sister. "Her dress is ruined, Anni."

As soon as I got a hold of myself, I grabbed a towel to wipe the residue from my chest and face.

"I said it was an accident, Kota," Annika snapped back.

Miriam began to soak a towel in some hot water with soap. She stood before me, lifted my dress and began scrubbing.

"It's no use," I pointed out the obvious. "It's red wine. I don't think it will come clean." Miriam stopped scrubbing and looked up at me. Her brown eyes scanned the length of the stain.

"You're right. There's no way it will lift."

I sighed softly. "You all should leave now. You'll be late for the party. I didn't really feel like going, anyway."

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Annika asked.

"Anni!" Dakota hissed. "We are not just leaving her here."

"Really, it's fine," I said.

Dakota appeared to be torn. She was looking forward to this party and I really didn't want to ruin her night just because I could no longer go.

On the other hand, Annika just stood there with her arms crossed, staring outside the window, as if she were bored.

"Go on, you two," Miriam ordered. "I'll take care of Lola. Both of you go on ahead."

"I'll go get the car," Annika informed everyone. Then she left the house, without a backwards glance.

Dakota stayed behind. "I just feel so horrible," she said. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Of course. Now go." I smiled brightly, hoping it would put her at ease. She eventually left, although reluctantly.

I turned back to Miriam. "You too," I told her. "I'm not ruining your night, either."

"You won't," she promised me. "As long as you can change quickly enough."

I angled a brow, like she was speaking madness. "Into what, exactly? A t-shirt and shorts?"

"Come with me." She left the kitchen abruptly and headed up the stairs. I followed her curiously.

Miriam opened a storage closet in the hallway and began rifling through the clothes inside. It appeared to be mostly winter wear, which I was sure were rarely used. She eventually found what she was looking for, pulling a garment bag loose from where it had been hanging.

She then made her way into the guest bathroom, turning the shower on full heat.

"It will probably need to be steamed," she explained.

Finally, Miriam unzipped the bag and pulled out one of the loveliest gowns I had ever seen.

It was old Hollywood glamour, cla.s.sic and beautiful.

"It was your mother's," she told me. "They matched her eyes perfectly. Since yours are the same color, I'm sure it will do the same for you."

I nodded in awe. The blue of the gown was the exact color of a deep blue sapphire.

"It's lovely, Grams," I said. "It looks like it could have been bought in a store yesterday."

Miriam steamed and pressed the gown for me. When she finished, I removed my stained gown and quickly changed. My mother's dress was cut in a mermaid style. In a ruched material, it wrapped from the top of my bust down to my mid-thigh in one-inch sections. The material slightly loosened at the thigh, creating a pretty silhouette, which draped to my feet. The material clung closely to me. I realized it must have meant that my mother had the same shape. As I mused over this, Miriam entered the room from behind. "She was slightly shorter than you, but apart from that, about the same size."

"She had great taste," I mentioned.

Miriam held out the silver high heels I had been wearing earlier. And then she handed me a long, silver beaded necklace that sparkled in the light. "The necklace is mine. It should help the shoes to match."

"Thanks, Grams. It's perfect." But my smile faded as I thought of Annika.

"Annika doesn't want me to go tonight, does she?"

Miriam's lips tightened into a straight line. She didn't seem prepared to answer my question.

"I'll talk to her," she said, then turned to leave. "Let's skidaddle. We're late enough as it is. I don't want to miss the bacon-wrapped scallops."

"Why?"

"Because they're absolutely scrumptious."

I crossed my arms, stubbornly. "Why doesn't she want me to go?" I held her gaze, determined to get an answer out of her. Her shoulders drooped. I knew she finally caved when I heard her long sigh.

"I think she might be jealous of you."

"Jealous?" I asked, incredulous. "Why on earth would she be jealous?"

"Think about it," Miriam suggested. "Her ex-fiance showed up last night to save you like you were some damsel in distress."

I paused for a moment, confused. "But I was the damsel in distress. At least it looked that way to him," I pointed out. "Gabe was only being. . .nice."

"She may not see it that way."

"Well, that's ridiculous. Gabe is almost a decade older than me."

Miriam shrugged. "Girls often behave moronically when they're in love."

I considered that. "Yeah, I suppose," I agreed. In truth, I wouldn't know because I'd never been in love. At least- I think I never had. I suddenly found myself wondering if I'd ever fallen in love in a previous life.

"Come on," she said. "Try not to think about it. Annika will get over it, no matter the reason she's decided not to like you. Though she certainly didn't act like it tonight, she isn't a horrible person."

"You're right," I conceded. "And soon enough, she'll see I don't want to steal Gabe from her."

As we walked outside, I found myself questioning if that last statement was entirely true.

THIRTEEN.