As expected, there was a bit of pushback at her suggestion that everyone get a fitting. Especially considering why they were here in the first place.

  "Kate, we're here to get you a dress, not us," Esme protested. "What would we even do with them?"

  Kaitlyn held her ground with equal intensity. "It doesn't have to be a formal dress. You can just get a nice outfit or even a top or something. I just don't want to be the only one going through this whole thing."

  "You know that's what we planned for, right?" Heather pointed out. "Like, we're literally here for you."

  She gave Heather a look of sincere doubt. "Please. Tell me we wouldn't all be trying on stuff if we went to a normal store, too. I thought that was half the point."

  Rachel nodded in agreement. "True. But still… This is a little bit much, isn't it? We can't possibly let you pay for all of it…"

  The girl's gaze wandered around the well-maintained space as though to emphasize her words. Kaitlyn just sighed. "It's really not a big deal, I promise. If anything, you guys would be doing me a favor. If it'll just be me trying stuff on, I'd honestly prefer to go somewhere else. And I don't mind spending the money, either. Call it an early Christmas present."

  At her friends' unconvinced expressions, she continued. "Look. All of you… you're my friends. You mean more to me than you could ever know. I truly mean that. So… it would mean a lot to me if you let me do this one thing for you. If it really makes you that uncomfortable, then you can say no. And either way, I promise I won't make this a regular thing. But just this once, I want to do something special for you guys. Please?"

  It took a moment for the trio to mull over the suggestion. But eventually, after a few shared looks, Esme nodded.

  "...All right," The dark-haired girl said. "Only if you're really ok with it."

  "I mean, I'm not gonna say no to something like this!" Heather beamed in agreement.

  Kaitlyn turned to her last friend. "Rach?"

  "... I suppose It would be ungrateful to refuse after that, now wouldn't it?" A small smile played across her lips. "I don't know what I've done to deserve this, but… thank you, Kaitlyn."

  Her heart swelled in her chest. Evidently, some part of her happiness must have shown on her face, because Rachel giggled. "That being said, I have to admit. I'm more than a little curious about the experience."

  As they reached their decision, Laila addressed the group. "Wonderful. If you'll follow me, ladies."

  The tailor led them toward a mirrored wall with a line of plush chairs and tables set up before it. A group of previously unseen assistants bustled about the area, each bearing an assortment of tape measures, pins, and fabric swatches in their arms. As Laila ushered them all into seats, she began handing them each binders.

  "We'll start by identifying a few style directions that you'd like to hone in on. Feel free to mark anything that looks interesting to you, even if you don't think it would quite fit you personally. You may be surprised at what kind of magic we can work. In particular, I'd suggest that you take a look at this section here, Miss Kaitlyn…"

  With that, all four girls were swept into a whirlwind of garments, fabric, and frills.

  After reviewing the catalogs of examples and picking out a few, they were each set onto stools and subjected to all sorts of measurements and follow up questions about their preferences. They also looked through the store's libraries of cloth to narrow down their options further. Throughout it all, the girls stood and sat alongside each other, sharing their picks or asking for advice as they went.

  Kaitlyn initially found herself overwhelmed by the whole endeavor. Did she have a color preference? What about cut? Formal dresses usually made her think about longer gowns, but exactly how long did she actually want it? Should it be the same length all around, or variable?

  The reference pictures certainly helped to keep her from drowning in all of the different possibilities. It was much easier to pick a few things that looked nice rather than design her own dress from scratch. It also let her quickly identify a few things she didn't like.

  Big, voluminous frills and lace were right out the door. The same was true for particularly bright colors. While she was certain the tailors could make a garment that would be the center of attention at any event, that wasn't exactly what Kaitlyn wanted. Especially not in this case.

  I'm already going to feel out of place as is. No need to draw even more attention to myself.

  After a while, the initial onslaught of questions, decisions, and measurements slowed down as a host of example garments were produced for each girl to try. They rushed back and forth between the nearby privacy stalls and the mirror, showing off the dresses for all to see. Naturally, each piece was accompanied by a chorus of feedback and excitement.

  "What do you think?" Esme turned in front of the mirror, a sleek black cocktail dress hugging her figure.

  "Ooooh, get it, girl!" Heather cheered her on.

  Rachel peeked over as an assistant gathered up some fabric on her own dress—currently a cream-colored piece whose sequins resembled a mermaid's scales. "The design definitely suits you, sweetie. I kind of liked the color of the last one better, though?"

  Laila nodded from where she arranged another garment on Kaitlyn. "Agreed. Black works on you quite well, but your complexion works better with pastels and the like. Darker colors can make you look a little washed-out if you're not careful."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  "Hmmm…" Esme spun to examine herself. "I do like the design, though…"

  "Not a problem!" One of the other assistants pulled out more fabric samples. "Let's start with that as a base, then…"

  As they hashed out details, Laila stepped back and took in Kaitlyn. "All right. What do you think?"

  Turning toward the mirror, she took in her own reflection. A long, strapless blue gown hugged her torso and hips, its silky folds shimmering every time she moved. A long slit along the front allowed a portion of her leg to peek through when she walked.

  It's nice, but maybe a little too ambitious for me? I've come a long way in confidence, but maybe not that far.

  "I like it, but… It feels a bit too revealing." She pulled the top of the dress up a bit. "I'm also kind of afraid it'll fall off."

  Laila nodded. "Understandable. We can make something in a similar style that feels more secure. However, how exactly we go about doing that is another matter. We can go with standard straps, but if you like the 'off-the-shoulder' look, we can also maintain that with a slightly different style."

  "I… think I'd have to feel it. I do like the look, but I'm just afraid I'd fidget nonstop unless I'm sure nothing will slip off. You know?"

  The tailor chuckled. "We have solutions for that, don't worry. I'll make a note…"

  The woman had convinced Kaitlyn to try a number of things that she'd initially dismissed as too revealing or out of her comfort zone. While most of them hadn't changed her mind, there had been a few—like the strapless dress—that surprised her. Evidently, her preferences were far more flexible than expected.

  "Omigosh, Kate!" Heather called over with an excited gasp. "That one definitely goes on the 'yes' pile, girl!"

  She rubbed her bare shoulders self-consciously. "I dunno. It really feels like too much for me right now."

  "Oh, don't be such a prude, sweetie," Rachel grinned mischievously. "Besides, you need to show off your runner's physique somehow."

  Kaitlyn couldn't help but laugh. "Speak for yourself, Rach. You want to try this on?"

  "Oh, I'd love to!"

  As the fitting ran on, Kaitlyn continued to swap dresses and compliments with the others as they honed in on their final picks. She even felt herself begin to relax, the pressure fading away as she began to actually enjoy the experience.

  This… actually is kind of fun, she admitted to herself. More than I thought it would be. Only because we're all here doing it together, though. I think I'd feel too weird doing it alone.

  It certainly helped that the tailors, being consummate professionals, encouraged their collaboration and took frequent suggestions on what to have their friends try on next. The whole thing made it feel as though the fitting was designed to be a group event, rather than a series of individual ones happening in parallel.

  Esme was right. This kind of thing needs to be done with friends.

  Eventually, they all settled on a final design. Heather, true to form, decided on a lavender cocktail dress that would accentuate her figure nicely. Rachel and Esme both decided on summer dresses in pale yellow and soft orange, respectively—while they didn't have many excuses to wear something formal right now, it would be something that each was bound to use once the weather became warmer. Katilyn actually ended up getting two dresses—one that she could take home today, and another custom one for the work event.

  Once everything was finalized, they thanked the tailors for their help. The assistants busied themselves with tucking away the various garments they'd tried on as Laila led them to the front of the store. "All right. I believe that's just about everything. We'll make sure to call you once everything is ready for pickup. We'll have you try it on and make sure there's no final alterations that you need before sending it home with you."

  The woman nodded toward Kaitlyn. "We should have no problem with completing your piece before your event. The ones for your friends may take a little longer, since they're not rush orders, but I wouldn't expect it to be that much. Perhaps a week or two longer. And please, don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions."

  With a final round of thanks—and an enthusiastic hug from Heather—the group made their way toward the exit. Kaitlyn had already settled the matter of payment discreetly during the fitting. Evidently, Laila was enough of a professional to pick up on her awkwardness about that particular matter.

  It wasn't cheap, but given how much time they spent with us, not to mention how high quality all this stuff felt? Well… I'd say it's worth it. Besides, it's not like I have much else to spend my salary on. We could do this every week for the rest of the loop and still be fine.

  It wasn't likely that she would get an entire wardrobe full of custom designer clothes in the future. As much fun as this had been, it hadn't turned her into a complete fashionista. But she was looking forward to her own dress.

  Heather slumped into the passenger seat of the car with a contented sigh. "That. Was. Awesome."

  Rachel giggled. "Right? I've never done something like that before. It was quite an experience."

  "Same." Kaitlyn slid into her own seat and buckled the seatbelt. Thank you guys for coming, seriously. I don't think I would've ever done something like that myself."

  "Of course, girl! Omigosh, I'm so excited to see the final dress! You gotta have everyone over to see once it's ready, m'kay?"

  She grinned. "Of course. Same with you guys, ok? We'll have to all get together again once they're done…"

  As Kaitlyn pulled away from the shop, already daydreaming about the finished products in her head, she heard Rachel speak up from behind. "So.. what next? I don't know about you all, but I could certainly go for something to eat."

  "Oh! Right." Kaitlyn's eyes flicked toward the clock. It was almost one o'clock already. Evidently, they'd spent even more time in there than she'd realized. "Good idea. Want to grab something while we're out?"

  The question was met with a chorus of enthusiastic agreement. Leaning forward, Heather waggled her eyebrows. "And then… where to next?"

  Kaitlyn's eyebrows rose. "Next? I'm down to do something else, but I figured you all would want to head back by now."

  "I mean, we could, but I've got the whole day free," Heather admitted. "My schedule's squeaky clean!"

  "Same here," Esme chimed in. "Maybe we can look around and see if there's anything else you need? Accessories, everyday clothes, that kind of thing? Heather mentioned that your wardrobe is pretty barebones…"

  Rachel leaned in as well. "She makes a good point. They did give some good guidelines on shoes to look for…"

  Not you too, Rach. Don't tell me they've corrupted you!

  The gleam in her friend's eyes confirmed that she, too, had been infected with the other girls' excitement. Kaitlyn sighed, shaking her head in amusement. "I guess, if you're gonna twist my arm about it… But let's do something a little more low-key this time. Unless your grandpa's nephew's second cousin is a professional cobbler?"

  She gave Heather a pointed look, but the blonde just laughed. "Omigosh, no! Although… my mom might know a guy…"

  The car cruised down the street as the group laughed.