Chapter 22 Shopping Trip

“Stupid moron,” Anna screamed out loud in the leather interior of her Land Rover even though she wasn’t sure who she was screaming at. She slammed her hand on the steering wheel as she realized she was crying. She had always felt like she wasn’t good enough and the constant barrage from Melissa, May, and Isabel had beaten her down. Her insides felt raw.
She wiped angry tears from her eyes. She didn’t really want to talk to anyone, she wasn’t sure if what she would say would make sense so she switched her phone off. She turned off into the downtown area and found the first available spot. She laid her head on the steering wheel realizing she had driven the miles without realizing where she was going. Shopping had been her excuse but now she knew she needed to get out before she did something she would regret, or go to jail for.
Anna locked her car and began to walk aimlessly. She realized that she’d spent her whole life trying to impress someone. Whether it was her aunt and uncle, Isabel, or John’s family. It seemed like she was never impressive enough for anyone but John. Anna saw herself in a shop window and realized that she wasn’t sure if she ever had felt good enough for herself.
“Everything I own is something Melissa would wear. When did I become such a suck-up?” Anna shivered because she really didn’t like Melissa. Sometimes money made people better but sometimes it revealed their worst traits. “What has it revealed about me?” Anna wondered as she met her own eyes in the glass.
“When did I lose myself, and how do I find myself again?”
Anna wandered the downtown thinking about her closet of clothes that didn’t really feel like her. She was tired of trying to please everyone else, she wanted to find something that screamed Anna. Anna stumbled on a crack in the sidewalk and stopped outside of a small shop with a beautiful coral oval sign that read Minx in white letters. She looked at the items in the window and realized that it was time to see if she could find herself again.
She pushed open the door and smiled immediately. The light airy space had an open feeling that welcomed you in. White couches sat at intervals around the store and Anna felt at home immediately.
“Welcome to Minx,” a friendly voice called from the counter as a petite blonde with glasses and an easy smile waived. “let me know if I can help.”
“Thank you,” Anna said with a smile in return as she walked toward a rack of dresses displayed in the middle of the store. It had been so long since she’d really considered what she wanted to wear that it felt weird. A part of her wanted to decide whether the outfits were appropriate.
“No one decides that except me,” Anna muttered to herself as she flipped through the racks. She passed over light blouses and capris before catching sight of a beautiful ombre blue dress displayed on a mannequin under a spotlight. Anna felt like Indiana Jones going for the treasure as she stepped toward it. The heart-shaped top went from light to dark blue and the dress was sprinkled with silver beads that made it look like stars. It screamed Anna.
“Can I help you?” a nasal voice asked at her elbow.
“I’d like to try this dress on please,” Anna said with an attempt at a smile.
The snippy dark-haired saleswoman pursed her lips and looked at her raised an eyebrow. “This dress has hand-stitched beading and is a limited edition, are you sure this is what you are looking for?”
“Are you asking if it’s what I’m looking for or if I can afford it?”
The woman straightened her tunic nervously. “It is very expensive and for a very formal occasion.”
Anna opened her purse and pulled out her black American Express card. She casually waved it in front of the woman’s face and thought about it. “I think I will decide what I’m looking for.” The woman sputtered and tried to apologize but Anna walked away toward the kind-looking employee standing at the counter.
“Can you help me try on that dress?” Anna asked the blonde with a smile.
“Let me show you to the dressing room.”
Anna tucked her card away and followed the employee. She thanked her and stepped inside. She slipped it on and stepped out to look in the mirror.
“It’s beautiful,” Anna murmured as the kind saleswoman gasped as she stepped out. Anna’s red hair was a perfect foil for the ombre shades of blue in the dress. The hand-sewn beads gleamed like starlight and Anna knew it was perfect. John would love taking it off of her.
Anna smiled and turned to the saleswoman when the tag caught her eye. Twelve hundred dollars the tag read and for a moment Anna felt woozy, this would have fed her and her mother for two months when she was a child. Anna pushed the feeling down and reminded herself that the abused girl from the trailer park was gone.
The woman standing in front of the mirror deserved this life. Anna turned to the saleswoman and smiled. “I’ll take it.”
“If I were you hon I would make sure her card is good before you wrap it up.” A snide voice said from behind her.
Anna turned and scowled at a voice she’d never hoped to hear again.
***
John drove quickly around the area looking for Anna’s land rover. He had no idea where she’d gone but he needed to find her. The look on her face as she’d left the house had said it all, she was at a breaking point. John tapped his fingers and then pressed the on star button on his vehicle.
“Thank you for calling On Star, how can I help you?” A kind voice asked almost immediately.
“I need to find my wife’s car, I’m afraid she is in trouble and she’s not answering her phone.”
John gave her the pertinent information and after a few moments of haggling and begging, they tracked the car to an address in downtown Asheville. John thanked them and turned toward the address. He pulled in moments a few moments later parking behind the land rover. He sighed in relief when he looked in the store and saw Anna dressed in the most beautiful dress. He wanted to go to her but then stopped cold as he saw two very familiar people approach her.
“Well, Hell,” John said as he watched the woman circle, Anna, like a shark.