ETERNAL LOVE

by Linda Hanson

“I swear these dress sizes are not accurate.” The woman tugged on the designer wedding gown.

“Can I bring you a size four?” Zara's eyes bulged watching the woman tug. She wondered if tears to the dress came out of her meager salary. She wanted to kill the old hag. For three hours, this client tried on designer gowns with complete accessories. Zara exhausted every compliment she knew to encourage a quicker sale.

“Bring me the Wang in a size two.” Daffodil flashed her smile.

Before she fetched the next gown, Zara approached her boss. “It's an hour past my lunch break. Could Sasha assist my customer?” Zara looked at her lone coworker wandering the shoe display currently without any client.

Mrs. Luv flinched and pulled open a drawer. “Eat this.” She handed Zara a miniature candy bar. Then the owner shoved a canister of disposable wipes at her.

Zara ignored the offer. She regretted not requesting this day off from work. Usually the holiday was a slow day in bridal stores. Flurry of activity to purchase gowns came after February 14. At the rack of gowns, she found the size two Vera Wang gown. Carrying it back to her customer, she regretted her decision to remain with the Luvely Bridal Shop chain for another year. Her plan to avoid Daffodil backfired. Everyone in the industry heard of the woman's reputation but the old lady's history was never to visit the same store twice. Forcing a smile on her face, she knocked on the door.

“I'm ready.” Daffodil called.

Zara slipped into the dressing room to place the gown on the hanger trying to avoid the almost naked body in her personal space. What she wanted to do was strangle the woman with the white netting dangling from the back of her head. All she needed to do was yank it off, wrap it around her neck and pull to end this nightmare. And the stench in here was aggravating her allergies. Zara reminded the woman twice not to light up her cigarette in the store.

“It will be so romantic to receive a proposal on Valentine's Day.” Daffodil held out her left hand admiring her naked ring finger. “I notice you are wearing an engagement ring. When is the wedding?”

“This June.” Zara took the headpiece Daffodil handed her. While the woman looked slight, Zara noticed her musculature as she moved. But if she was quick, Zara was certain she could use the silk sash hanging over the door to pull around the lady's neck.

“You have a gown for your day?” She ran her tongue over her scarlet red, plumped lips.

“We're having a ceremony in Hawaii . No formal bridal wear.” Zara regretted her admission immediately. Mrs. Luv already warned her twice that sharing her personal choice did not promote the store goods. “We're having a ceremony with all the pomp and circumstance in September,” Zara lied. “When my brother has leave.”

Placing both hands on her bony hips Daffodil asked, “Have we met before?” She scrunched her jade green eyes peering at the young girl.

“No, Ms. Hunter,” Zara lied again. “Are you still considering the off the shoulder, lace-up corset with the silver beading accents over the white organza skirt and the cathedral train you tried on earlier?” She hung up a gown on the rack. “I have the sweetheart neckline, silver and crystal embroidery with the tulle overlay outside on a hanger. Here is the Wang gown you asked to try on.” Zara gathered the discarded gown from the floor in her arms trying to hasten out of the cramped quarters. While she proceeded towards the door, she felt a firm grip on her right bicep.

“I do believe we've met before. Was it in this very store?”

Zara's quick intake of air surprised her. Turning to her customer, she forced a smile. “We have thousands of patrons, but I don't remember our meeting.” She gripped the gown in her arms tighter. “Should I bring the allover silver-beaded princess gown with the deep scoop neckline you admired?” Zara tried releasing her arm from her customer's grip. “Or are you still interested in the sleek satin sheath with the detachable train and that band of Swarovski crystals circling the bodice?”

Daffodil relaxed her grip on the girl's arm. “How long have you worked at this bridal shop?”

“Really, Ms. Hunter. Perhaps you recognized me from a local restaurant. My face is quite common.” Zara forced another smile. “So I've been told.” She opened the dressing room door. “Shall I bring the other two gowns then?”

“No, but bring me the headpiece I admired with the freshwater pearls and the satin handbag with those white feathers.”

“Yes, Ms. Hunter.” Zara sighed as she pulled the door closed. She had not taken care of Daffodil when she came in last year but she had been in the shop. Beatrix had handled the sale last year whispering complaints to her about the woman for the five hours she spent in the store. Her coworker was so disgusted; she walked off the job and never returned. Her boss later suggested to Zara that Beatrix must have taken off to California to live with her fiancé.

While hanging the discarded gown on a hanger, Mrs. Luv approached. “Sell her the most expensive gown. If you lavish compliments on her, she will buy the one you suggest looks best. Don't use the word seductive though.”

The bell on the outside shop door rang. “Who's this?” Mrs. Luv whispered.

Zara noticed Sasha walk up to the giant man to offer her assistance. Then her coworker pointed in her direction. The man intimidated Zara not only because of his size. The glare on his face caused her to shudder. Turning to her supervisor, Zara said, “I want my lunch break, now!”

“Take care of your customers.” Mrs. Luv slunk between the racks of gowns heading for the employee lounge.

“You are assisting my mother?” He extended his right hand. “Klark.”

Zara complied. Her hand in his was like a bleached rice grain in a bowl of vanilla ice cream. “Let me seat you in a chair near the dressing room.” She flinched at the pressure he applied to her hand before she withdrew it. Leading him to the upholstered tapestry chair, she forced herself to concentrate on which gown was the most expensive. She needed to encourage a quick sale acknowledging she was guaranteed one. As Klark sat, Zara waited for the chair to break from his weight but it held. She knocked on the door gently, “Your son is here, Ms. Hunter.”

Daffodil opened the door, stepping out to model her current gown. “What do you think?” She put both arms out to her side, palms down, with her fingers extended, staring right at Zara.

Calculating in her head if it was the ten thousand dollar gown or the eight thousand, she realized she no longer cared because she would put in her notice as soon as Daffodil walked out the door with her purchases. “Perfect. Your beloved will not take his eyes off you during the ceremony or celebration. I guarantee.” Zara took a step toward her, “Here is the headpiece you requested. Shall I help you place it?” Handing her customer the feathery handbag, Zara stepped behind Daffodil to reach for her stepstool in order to achieve the proper height to place the headpiece.

“I can do that for you,” Klark said.

Zara held out the headpiece for Klark to take from her. Instead, he lifted her by the waist holding her at the proper height. While she held her breath, actually, she could not breathe from the grip on her diaphragm, Zara placed the pearl adorned comb on the eggshell dyed hair of Daffodil. Once her feet were back on the ground, Zara managed a weak smile. “A vision of grace and beauty.”

“Retrieve a pair of the ivory satin crepe shoes with the cutout detail and pearl trim I admired.” Daffodil pointed to the shoe display. “Size six. You wear a size six too?”

Zara nodded before hurrying to the shoeboxes to search for the requested pair. Her customer appeared satisfied with the gown she currently wore. As she bent over to pull out the proper box of shoes, she noticed Daffodil talking to Klark. While she returned to her customer, Zara watched Klark leave the store.

“I've decided this is the gown.” Her voice an octave lower than five minutes prior, Daffodil put both hands behind her back, jutting her silicone breasts forward.

“Did you want to put the shoes on?” She held the box open but the glare her customer gave her made Zara want to take one of the shoes and poke the heel in the woman's green eyes.

“Wrap everything!” Daffodil commanded. “You shall help me carry the purchases to my vehicle.”

Relieved her torment was now over; Zara quickly packed up the box of shoes and the silk-feathered handbag. While she carefully placed the last gown, the twelfth one the woman tried on, she audibly sighed as she zipped the bag.

“Is the headpiece in there, as well?” Daffodil held out a wad of cash.

Zara stared at the ten crisp thousand dollar bills. How was she to know if they were real? Customers always paid with a card. Glancing around the store, she noticed Mrs. Luv had not returned from the employee break room and Sasha was also not available. Zara rang up the purchase. Handing her customer from hell the receipt, she lied. “You will truly make a beautiful bride.”

Minutes later, Zara followed Daffodil to her car. When the old lady popped the trunk, she thought I could push her into it, let her rot.

“Just put the shoes and bag in there.” Daffodil said with her arms full of the gown.

As Zara leaned over to put the bag in the trunk, she felt a knock on her head.

Later, when Zara opened her eyes, she tried to scream. Facing a mirror, her eyes bulged. She wore the bridal gown she sold to Daffodil hours earlier. Attempting to scream again, her own mouth was stuffed with netting and the silk sash she planned to wrap around Daffodil's neck covered her lips. On the sash was painted scarlet red, plump lips. As she cried, black rakes appeared down each side of her face.

“Mother!” Klark shouted.

Zara turned her head to the right to see the giant man lounging at a desk in front of a computer screen.

“This face will never do for our beautiful Valentine bride.” Daffodil started wiping Zara's face with a piece of sandpaper. “I suggest you stop ruining your make-up.”

In the mirror, Zara noticed drops of blood staining the designer gown.

Holding her left hand out, Daffodil admired the gold solitaire. “Marcus should have given me a ring. I wouldn't have accepted a diamond this small.”

Staring as she took off the ring, Zara watched the woman dispose of her future as she must have done to Beatrix. The ring beneath her own on the gigantic hand was the one she recognized her coworker flashed in her face constantly bragging about the cost of her diamond. Horrified, Zara counted eleven rings on the upheld molded middle finger of a fisted hand.

“This ring here on the bottom, this is the one I purchased for Marcus.” Daffodil gave the ring a spin. She studied her diamond watch for a minute, calculating. “Snap her neck in an hour. I want her buried before midnight.”

“There's a Luvely Bridal Shop in Houston .” Klark pointed to the computer screen.

“Another franchise.” Daffodil lit a cigarette. “I prefer warm climates in February. How did we manage to visit the same store twice?”

“It will be easier to dig in Texas .”

Blowing smoke in the girls face, she said. “Doesn't matter now if I ruin the dress.” Daffodil laughed. “You should be grateful. You will never be hurt by love.”

Zara coughed. Tears rolled over the raw skin. Choking, her body shook as Daffodil scraped her last tears away.