Getting Ready for the Ball

 It is a dangerous thing, to be all alone with your thoughts, but I sat on the balcony, reviewing this past week: stressed out at starting at a new school, surrounded by piles of paperwork and supplies to organize in my new office and surrounded by many new people to meet and that I still have to meet. Is it any wonder that I have not taken time to prepare for the ball?

And then, I thought, the ball? Why should you go to the ball? Surely, at your age, it is time to make way for the young people to enjoy themselves. Perhaps you are too old to go to the ball. What is your purpose when your life is already half over, when your youth is already behind you. Why was I feeling so old?! Oh, it is clearly so dangerous to be all alone in thought!

I thought of Cinderella and her fairy godmother and Sleeping Beauty had three fairy godmothers! Why dont I have a fairy godmother? Oh, it would be so grand to have someone who watches over me, someone who can wave her magic wand and in a poof of smoke, I am transformed into the belle of the ball. Is being the belle of the ball still possible at my age?

And then I thought, you dont have a fairy godmother, because you are a single independent woman, and a single independent woman is capable of doing more on her own than the Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty women of that time. 

So I am still sitting on the balcony, trying to decide if I should go when all of a sudden, the phone rings. "Do you have a date to the ball yet? he asked, because I would love to show you off." It was Richard Gere. Awww, you can only imagine how I blushed!!!!! "I'll be right over," he said.

I was still sitting in the balcony when he arrived.

He yelled at me from below, shaking his head. "It's just like you to wait until the last minute, Win. Come on, let's check out the limo."

                                

I hadnt used the limo since the 2nd AOL Anniversary. It needed an oil change and a good wash and wax. We pulled it out of the garage and took it for a spin. It was still working pretty good, so we took it in to get serviced.

                       

I thought Richard was going to stay with the car, but he surprised me when he said he was going to take me shopping. "So let's go see what we can find; shall we?," he asked. "I've got plastic!"

I told him, "Well, I already have a Whiting and Davis gold mesh clutch that I want to wear, Richard. I rarely get to use it, but this is a special occasion. Marilyn Monroe had one just like it except that hers was really worn, because she attended so many special events." I took out the clutch and I showed it to him. It is gold mesh with a rhinestone clasp. It has a salmon lining with a tiny mirror in the inside pocket. "Oh, I like it, he said! It will be a good start." Here is a picture of the clutch.

         

I have never had a man help me to decide what to wear. I tried on so many dresses. I thought for sure that he would tire out, but no. There he sat, waiting to see what I looked like in every single dress. We finally decided on this dress. It is a modern twist of the white dress that Marilynwore in the Seven Year Itch. It is not a long formal, but it is dressy enough for this special event. Besides,Richard couldnt take his eyes off of me when I came out from the dressing room! That said it all. Very simple, very elegant, and flowing enough for the dance floor.

                                 

I fell in love with my dress, but I needed something girly underneath to lift and enhance my curves, so I got this while Richard wasnt looking. It's always a big confidence builder to wear something sexy that nobody knows about. The stockings I chose are in an almost nude color and they are cut to reveal the toes, because I wanted to wear a sexy strappy sandal.

                                  

OK, what's next? Shoes! I need shoes, Richard. We looked through so many of them. We were surrounded by so many boxes that I thought I would never find what I wanted. Then, out of the blue, he asked: How about these?

                                         

And then, he did a very First Knight gesture that made me gasp. He knelt down before me. He took my foot in his hands and he placed my foot into the shoe. He looked at my foot, and then, he looked up at me with that adorable Edward Lewis look. Then he took the other shoe and put it on my other foot. My legs were trembling from his touch. My face was smiling. "I love the little things you do," I told him, and then I got up to look at the shoes. They are a pale gold color, pale enough to blend into the color of my skin. They have rhinestones across both bands and they matched beautifully with the clutch. I got up and walked around in them and they felt comfortable enough to dance all night in them. "They're perfect, Richard!"

"Yes," he said, "but you will need a manicure and a pedicure to show off your pretty shoes and your pretty clutch." So off we went to the beauty parlour. Once again, I thought he would take me and leave me there, but no. He sat there so patiently, making sure they sucked up to me. :::giggle:::

I asked him if he thought I should wear my hair up. "You have such pretty mermaid hair," he said. I think you should wear it your way, but jazz it up a bit with more shine and more defined curls. So as I had my hair conditioned and prettied up, a manicurist did my nails. I asked for an American manicure on my hands and feet. An American manicure is a bit softer than a French manicure and looks more natural, but the white lines are visibly there like the French.

  

With our shopping over, I turned to Richard and I said: "Thank you so much for helping me today, Richard. I was thinking of not going to the ball tomorrow, but you changed all that. I am looking forward to sharing this special event with you. I look forward to seeing all of my J-land friends there. Thank you so much for making me feel like a Princess today!" He smiled as he gently touched my face with his hand, and then he bent down and kissed me on the cheek. "Thank you for making me feel like a Prince," he said.  "I'll see you tomorrow!"