Putting the Madge in Danna by Mia Natasha Page B

house frau polyester
dress with the zip front did nothing for her. “Polska.”
    I assumed that meant she was from
Poland.
    “ Fitting?” I asked. It was
kind of like playing that Password game that Mr. Zepkos loves to watch on TV
Land.
    “ You bride?” she
said.
    “ Yes.” I nodded yes too,
to make Margot feel confident. We walked to the back of the store.
“It’s an Alexandre gown. Last name is Elinopoulous, soon to be
Zepkos.” I couldn’t remember if we had listed it under my name or
Zeus’. Zepkos is so much easier to pronounce.
    Margot looked to the front of the store.
There was no one there. If anyone came in, that little bell on the
door would have chimed. It’s not like people steal wedding
garments, or anything. That would be weird. Anyhow, it was getting
late and it hadn’t looked like Margot was expecting another
appointment. I’m sure she would have said so. Instead, she walked
over to face me and smiled shyly before averting her eyes.
    “ I will find dress,”
Margot said.
    She walked into the back room. I followed
the trail of the classical music playing. As I suspected, it was
emanating from a CD player behind the register. Kind of thought it
would put me in a better mood if we listened to the mix Chad Mavis
had made for me, which I happened to have in my giant hobo bag. I
mean, I’d thought I brought it, so I burrowed through, deep inside
past the cosmetic bag full of tampons I always kept there in case
of emergency, and the wallet Zeus had given me at Christmas that
only had room for two credit cards after he had filled the slots
with pictures of him and me at various stages of our bliss.
    When I found the CD, I
removed Mozart’s Greatest and replaced it with the one of Madonna spotted
hits. I didn’t turn up the volume because that would have made me
seem a little bit of a bitch, don’t you think? I didn’t want to act
like I owned the place or anything. Margot had a Madonna look about
her so I thought she would enjoy the mix too or at least offer a
positive comment on its sound quality. I did come there for
positive comfort, after all.
    I bet Margot would have looked cute in
stretch lace and rubber bangle bracelets, especially when she was
younger. She could have won a look-a-like contest. I wondered if
she had ever gone through a Madonna phase. Was Madonna popular in
Poland? It didn’t look like bracelets were Margot’s thing though,
as they would have probably interfered with the preciseness of her
alterations work if she wore them, I guessed, which is why I
suspected she didn’t wear them or any jewelry.
    She was taking a while finding the gown.
Since I was in the back of the store behind the tall round rack
filled with sale gowns, it wasn’t a big deal to slip out of my
skinny jeans and designer peasant top. Wow, I looked a lot thinner
standing there in my red lace bra and matching thong. I slipped the
Candies leather mules back on my feet. I’ve been wearing this easy
on and off shoe for obvious reasons, but mainly because they are
sort of retro, harking back to the ‘80s when Madonna first got her
start. I still felt a little like a fledgling Madonna with my
newbie like-a-virgin fuck status and all.
    Sometimes I wear these old
pink opera gloves that Yaya had given me a few years ago when she
was cleaning out her hope chest. She had worn them at her 1959
prom, but they look like the ones from Material Girl . Obviously, I only
wear them in private. I don’t want people to think I’m a fetishist.
Anyhow, I needed heels for my dress and I didn’t bring the Choos,
seeing as I hadn’t planned on coming there tonight and the Candies
were about the same heel height. You get the picture.
    My gown has a built in padded bra so I
removed the one I was wearing. I didn’t want to forget to do it and
then get all stuck in the dress and accidentally get make-up on it
or something disastrous-like. I stood there in just the mules and
the red thong waiting for Margot to return with my