I figured a couple of hours of Isaac sitting outside of dressing rooms would have him gone quicker than my cousin Bobby when I say the word "tampon". I'd just ask him a couple times if I looked fat in these jeans. That always drives guys nuts.
Unfortunately, he seems to have spent way too many hours with their stylist, and when I asked if I looked fat in a cute pair of jeans (which I thought my butt looked pretty good in) he said I was trying on the wrong style for my body shape. Then he proceeded to pick out a pair of dark blue jeans that made my legs look a couple feet longer and several inches slimmer.
"Wow,"I said, examining myself in the mirror."I never knew you were gay."
Isaac shrugged."Zac thinks he looks fat in everything. So, I borrowed Jessi's Seventeen."
I had to admit, he had good taste. I bought the jeans and in the next store we entered, I proceeded to let him pick out stuff for me to try on. He'd been doing pretty well until he brought me a slinky, pale green dress.
"Ike, I'm not a dress kind of girl,"I protested.
He smiled, still holding it out."Just try it on."
****
"For the last time, I'm not coming out!"
I could hear Isaac's sigh."Leigha, if you're not out here in five seconds, I'm coming in there after you."
He wouldn't dare, I thought, then decided he would. I came out.
The dress was bias-cut, which basically means it drapes over your hips in exactly the right way. The color, which I've never worn anything of before, made my skin look much more tan than I actually am. All in all, it was perfect.
"I think we have a winner,"he said, smiling in a way that made me just a tiny bit nervous.
I shook my head."No."
"Excuse me?"
"I can't afford it."I stepped back in the dressing room and took off the dress before I got any more attached."It's just too expensive for me."I came out with the dress safely back on it's hanger.
"Okay."Isaac took the dress out of my hands and started walking away. Towards the checkout counter.
****
He bought it. He actually bought me that amazing dress. He was being so sweet I let him buy me lunch.
"Penny for your thoughts."I looked up to find Isaac staring at me from across the table. I guess I'd let my mind drift for a little too long.
I put my fork down."It's gonna cost you more than that."
He slid a quarter across the table.
I decided not to lie."I was thinking about when we first met,"I said softly, moving the quarter between my fingers."You were the only friend I made the entire time I was in New York."
"I never thought of myself as your friend."His expression looked different somehow."A friend would have called me."
I cringed. He'd slipped his cell phone number in my pocket when we said goodbye. I slowly opened my purse, and pulled a slip of paper out, setting it on the table between us.
"You kept it?"The surprise in his face was evident.
"Yeah."
****
The ride home was quiet. He didn't pry, and even more surprising, when we got back Marcella didn't say anything about being with Isaac.
I didn't sleep that night. Instead, I lay there in the dark, staring at my ceiling. Too many things I had tried to forget were going through my mind.
A noise from outside caused me to look out the window beside me bed and I saw Isaac outside, sitting on our front porch.
Against my better judgement, I pulled on a jacket over my duckie pajamas and went outside.