“Graham and I are going to build the arch for the bridal fair. He offered to buy the materials for it, and I started to protest, but then he said to let him do it as a thank-you for what we’ve done for his girls.” Mitzi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cut herself a big chunk of blue cake. “I couldn’t say no.”

“Then it’s not a date?” Jody squealed.

Mitzi groaned. “I don’t think so. Do y’all remember Rita?”

“Skinny, short, and blonde hair.” Jody nodded.

“A gold digger,” Paula answered.

“Exactly.” Mitzi picked up a fork and started on her breakfast cake.

“So?” Jody asked.

“Short and small is what he’s attracted to, and he probably has trust issues, so it can’t be a date,” Mitzi answered.

“If he kisses you before you leave, it’s a date,” Paula said.

“I agree.” Jody headed to the refrigerator and removed a takeout box. “Y’all can have dessert for breakfast. I’m heating up a bowlful of leftover spaghetti and meatballs.”

Mitzi polished off the last of her cake and carried the plate to the trash can. “I’m going upstairs to make myself decent. Maybe I shouldn’t even bother. God knows I won’t be able to shrink myself down to a size six by any means. I’ll be down in half an hour.”

“The girls will probably show up in a few minutes,” Jody reminded her.

“I’ll hurry, then.” Mitzi zipped into the bathroom, took a quick shower, and returned to find another message, this time from Dixie, saying that her dad would meet them at the party store with a truck to help carry heavy stuff.

“Well, that changes whether or not to use a curling iron on my hair,” Mitzi said as she rushed through applying makeup, threw outfits on her bed as she discarded one after another, and finally changed twice—all in half an hour.

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Paula stood back a few feet and looked at the four plus-size mannequins lined up before them. Did she really look like the size-eighteen one when she was naked? She avoided mirrors when she wasn’t dressed, so maybe she did. She cocked her head to one side and decided that her breasts were smaller than the mannequin’s and her butt a good deal bigger.

Mitzi put in her two cents. “I vote that we get a bald one so we can change her hair color with wigs. The one with the preformed hair looks a little weird.”

Paula stepped back and studied them. “I like the idea of changing out her hair color, too.”

“Agreed. That way it looks more real,” Jody added. “What do you think, girls?”

“Why do you need a second one?” Dixie asked. “The one at the shop is fine.”