The next day, the family had woken up early for the fitting. And while Sharmaine did not look forward to it, she did look forward to potentially meeting her past friends. The old maid bid them goodbye as they left the building, moving among the pathways and buildings in one clean motion.
They arrived in front of a flashy boutique decorated extravagantly; the seemingly real precious gems shone as the sun hit them; the big window provided the shop a display panel of recent clothing lines worn by the faceless mannequins. As soon as they entered, a little ring was heard from the bell mounted on the door.
"Welcome, my fellow visitors!" a man said, walking to them in an exaggeratedly elegant manner. He had this obnoxious voice that roared through the silent shop.
Iris smiled with her eyes closed. "Thank you for having us. I hope we weren't too late for the scheduled appointment."
The man declined. "There is no problem. The fabulous, fabulous gowns made with the finest materials are already here. I must say, it is very costly."
Iris laughed. "Oh my, if the dresses are worth my time, I might just consider to pay you double."
There was a momentary pause before the man, in his fifties and clad in black and white, lead them into a room dazzled with precious gemstones. The authenticity of said stones were undefined, regardless, it left Sharmaine mesmerized.
The room was circular; it was lit with floor LED lamps and surrounded with varying sizes of gemstones; at the center were two gowns that promised luxury—it looked and felt expensive. Sharmaine's eyes made their way to the awfully glimmering dress on the headless mannequin. It was elegant and sexy at the same time. Most parts were see-through—it was like a living sexy-Cinderella-dress.
The other dress beside it was equally beautiful, though not as much as the former. It was black with skinny straps and deep V's all made from lace. The silk train started from the waist that draped all the way down. It was revealing, sexy but somehow conservative for a youthful woman like Iris. As time passed slowly, the man announced the price of the gowns. The man smirked before saying that both cost 60 million.
"S-sixty million?!" Sharmaine murmured, slightly take-aback by the price. These sequences of events just felt... nostalgic as if it had happened before. A brief memory flashed by. She saw a mannequin with an all-white dress and a price tag with blurred numbers. Her head ached as her center of gravity suddenly shifted.
Merry was startled as she held her shoulders. "M-Miss, are you okay?"
Everyone in the room turned their attention to Sharmaine. When Sharmaine snapped back to reality, she sighed and giggled. "Ah, pardon. I just felt dizzy all of a sudden."
Iris laughed in sheer amusement. "Oh my, my dear daughter was merely shocked by the sixty million price tag. Let her rest for a moment, Merry, before we can try them on."
Merry nodded as she led Sharmaine in the lounge area.