The Bi-State Area

Chapter 52: The Dress

Cassie and Stacey went back to their apartment. Stacey was giddy about going out. She had wanted to have David bring her to that steakhouse, but now that she could go without him, that was fine too.

She had already decided she would be careful in matters with David. Especially after what she did at his house with Dina. She couldn’t help thinking she had really stepped over the line just for a little fun.

"Stace, what was Max talking about earlier? Where did you get kicked out of?"

Cassie’s question brought Stacey out of her thoughts. She laughed awkwardly. Not because of the memory, but because she knew she was still messing around with David while Dina was still suspecting Cassie.

She rubbed the back of her neck.

"It’s nothing. It wasn’t even my fault. They didn’t tell me about the dress code. I was out having a beach day with some other friends. They messaged me about it. I told them, sure, but when I got there, I realized the place had a dress code. I couldn’t go in."

Stacey didn’t go into the entire story, and Cassie didn’t continue to ask. She nodded, saying she understood.

"What are you wearing?" Cassie asked.

At this, Stacey’s eyes lit up. She pulled Cassie into her room.

"He said a cocktail dress, so I’m wearing a cocktail dress." Stacey pulled out a black dress.

Cassie saw it and couldn’t help smiling. The way Stacey had pushed her into the room, she thought the dress would be more luxurious than what she saw.

It was a simple black wrap dress.

"Don’t look at it like that. You don’t know. This dress had the power to make me look drop-dead gorgeous. Don’t look at how simple it is. I turn heads in this dress."

Hearing Stacey say this, Cassie knew she had seen the disappointment in her eyes. She didn’t want her friend to think she had an issue with this dress.

"I’m not saying the dress is bad; I just thought, based on what you usually wear..."

She didn’t need to finish the sentence. They both knew what she meant. Stacey wasn’t exactly a low-key person.

Stacey rolled her eyes. "Fine, don’t think about my black dress. What are you wearing?"

Cassie shrugged. She didn’t have that many clothes. Getting paid this past weekend, she felt good. Even though the money she got from tips and things was split with Stacey, it was still good money.

She went shopping with Stacey and bought a dress she liked. But wearing it to the steakhouse? She wasn’t sure she wanted to.

Seeing her indecisive expression, Stacey once again took her hand and dragged her. This time it was towards her own room.

As they stepped in, Stacey let go and found the dress. She pulled it out and placed it on the bed.

"You’re wearing it. I’ll make sure you wear it," she said forcefully.

"Stace, I don’t need to wear it. I can find another occasion."

"No," she responded. "I’m not sure why you don’t want to wear it, but you look great in that dress. You were agonizing over whether to buy it; now you don’t want to wear it. What’s wrong?"

Cassie sighed. She didn’t know how to explain. She liked the dress. She wanted to wear it; she just didn’t want to be the center of attention.

"It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. I’ll wear it."

Seeing her like this, Stacey pulled her onto the bed.

"Talk. Or we don’t leave."

Cassie bit her lip. She wasn’t insecure about her body, but ever since coming to the city, she had been feeling like an outsider. It had already been two weeks, and she didn’t feel any less like an outsider. Not to mention her job prospects.

She kept thinking about it, and she felt she needed to work hard. There must be something she didn’t do well, and it’s been rolling around in her mind for a long time.

But how exactly should she tell her ultra-confident friend that she lacks confidence?

Cassie saw her waiting patiently for her answer. Seeing she couldn’t get away, she finally responded.

"I feel like I’m pretending to be okay. I’m not as confident as I was when I first came that I can get the job or life I want. So wearing it feels like I’m faking it."

Stacey stared into her eyes, and after a long moment she said, "So you’re being stupid?"

Cassie heard this, and her shoulders dropped.

"Hey, don’t look like that. I’m not saying you did anything wrong," she sighed. "Do you think I have my life figured out? Cass, we’re in our twenties; we should be enjoying our lives. So you didn’t get the job you wanted. Didn’t you apply to other places? Just wait for a call back. Do you think everyone gets their dream jobs?"

"Plenty of people are wishing they had their dream jobs, but you know what I think?"

"What?" Cassie asked.

"I think you should do a shitty job. Do a job you hate. Treat the thing you like as a hobby. Do it on the side, get better at it. Then if you want, make money from it."

Cassie rolled her eyes.

"That’s shitty advice."

Stacey countered. "It’s good advice. If you do the thing you love as a regular job, then you might start hating it."

Waving her hands dismissively, Stacey stood abruptly. She took her clothes off with Cassie watching, confused. She pulled Cassie to her feet and started stripping her. Cassie struggled.

"What are you doing?"

Stacey didn’t waste time. No matter how much she struggled, she still managed to get Cassie’s clothes off.

"Good. It would have been better if you didn’t struggle so much."

Cassie looked at her deadpan. "You were trying to get me naked without an explanation."

"It’s not like you have anything I’ve never seen before."

After saying that, she pulled Cassie towards the bathroom. Cassie couldn’t help the exasperated sigh that came from her mouth.

"I’m helping you unwind; now stop sighing or I won’t help you."