A Woman in Search Of...

After lunch she showered, changed clothes, and went to Century City Mall to look at different clothes styles. Cindy once mentioned Judy’s as the best store for popular stylish clothes. She searched the mall and found the store. Wendy walked around inside until she came to a section with hot pants. She held up a pair and realized she couldn’t have worn these even two months ago. With the inches she dropped and with her diet and exercise, maybe she’d give hot pants a try. Wendy walked to some blouses to try on. She returned to get three different colored hot pants she hoped might work with the tops.

“May I help you?” a saleswoman asked.

“I was trying to decide what tops went best with each pair of pants.”

The saleswoman perused what Wendy was holding. “Good choices. Maybe try them on to see which ones you want,” the woman suggested.

“Thank you, I will.”

In the dressing room Wendy first tried on brown cotton hot pants with a white top. “I like them,” she said aloud. She looked in the mirror, turned to the left and to the right. She smiled. They weren’t short, short hot pants, but her thin legs looked good in them, so she would be comfortable if people stared at her. She tried on another pair…too tight. The third pair was good. After trying on crop tops, she decided she looked okay with the ones that hit slightly below her waist, so she decided to buy a navy one as well as a white one to go with a pair of new navy hip hugger pants, she grabbed before coming into the dressing room. After leaving the dressing room she walked around and took bleached and stonewashed flared jeans. She returned to the dressing room and loved them all. She left the store loaded with packages and enthusiastic about her purchases.

She stopped at Leed’s Shoe Store and bought a pair of black, over the knee boots, and some shorter white ones. Boots were new to her wardrobe.

She returned home and tossed the packages on the sofa. She stood for a moment until her mind zoomed to Brad’s house. She hoped by seeing the house and picturing him there, she could picture herself standing next to him. She called Cindy to confirm when she was picking Wendy up…forty-five minutes.

The time gave Wendy a chance to unpack the purchases. She took all the clothes and matched up what she preferred. She could get five outfits when she mixed them. After putting everything on hangers she pushed her pantsuits to the rear. The new clothes stood in front.

The drive to the Pacific Palisades home along Pacific Coast Highway was beautiful. The sand on the beach looked smooth, and the water calm with only small ripples in the waves. There were people sitting on blankets or standing next to the water edge. Cindy and Wendy chatted about Marty, Brad, and The Shade House. As they approached the area near Brad’s house, Cindy told her, “It’s three houses down. I think we’d better not park too close because he may be home and if he walked out and saw my car…you know, I’d feel like shit.”

“No problem.”

The house stood at a side angle from where they sat with no front look to see.

“What do you think Wendy?”

“Wow, it’s much more inviting than I thought it’d be. I see what you mean about the patio area overlooking the beach. He looks straight out from the patio with the beach and the ocean as his backyard or is it the front yard?”

“No, it’s the backyard, the front has the pool.”

“In the center is a very small fire pit with space for a small dish or drink along the edge. You can’t see it but there’s a Jacuzzi to the far right of the table.”

“I’m impressed. Great look and a view to die for. You’re so lucky.”

“Thanks.” “I can picture you standing near the edge of the patio with Brad and a drink in hand, just like I said.”

“Oh, shit, he’s there, duck down. I hope he doesn’t look this way. I’d never be able to explain why we’re here. I mean it would sound asinine.”

“Don’t flip out.”

“Wendy, can you look up a bit and see if he’s gone yet?”

Wendy slowly lifted her head in time to see Brad’s back as he moved into the house. “It’s clear. We better split.”

“For sure.”

They drove toward Wendy’s laughing about how silly they were. They grabbed an early dinner and talked about the adventure they experienced. Both agreed it was a hoot, especially since they didn’t get caught.