As I stood perfectly still doing my time as a mannequin, I continued my conversation with Alice and Rosalie.
"So, UV sunblock won't work to stop the sparkling of your skin in the sun, how about other lotion options?"
Alice shook her head as she stood on a stool working on my jacket's shoulder seam. "Anything thick enough to work makes a person stand out, and feels disgusting. It would have to be something unnoticeable out of the suns ray's but still block the ray's when direct light hits us. But at least no artificial light makes us stand out so far."
Rosalie added to the conversation, "We have heard of a vampire who is working to understand just what spectrum of light makes our skin shine. But he isn't having much luck so far." She turned her head toward Alice, "Alice, I am not sure I approve of the button color. It matches his shirt, but shouldn't they match Edythe's dress color instead?"
"I think it's better to have his suit match him more than Edythe, after all, it's his outfit, and he is not an accessory to Edythe's outfit. The guy needs some individuality."
As they discussed my suit, an idea struck me. "If you can't look like everyone else under the sun. Why not make everyone else look like you?"
This drew their attention. Rosalie asked, "What do you mean?"
"Well, it's just a thought, but could you make a skin cream that reflected the light the same as your skin and brand it with some actress or singer? They love to stand out, and people would quickly follow the trend. That should cover you for a few years, and we all know the trends tend to resurface every 30-40 years or so. If the skin cream was also beneficial to skin health, then it would stick around even longer than that."
Both Vampires were now looking at me with a surprised look. Alice was the first to speak, "That is actually…a really good idea."
"The surprise in your tone of voice is a bit insulting, Sprite." I frowned at her. She just stuck her tongue out at me and then gave me a smile.
Rosalie still looked thoughtful, "The idea has some merit, I would have to think of someone to research it. There are several talents connected to our Agency who could push the product."
The rest of the fitting, I could tell that Rosalie was slightly distracted by the idea I had blurted out. I hadn't spent much time with Rosalie, but I could already tell that she struggled with the segregation from people the most. Edythe explained it as Rosalie's need to be the center of attention all the time, hiding didn't go well with that mindset.
About 15 minutes later, I heard the words I had been hoping to hear for a while now, "OK, Thomas, we are done. I will have this ready for you by Saturday afternoon. Do you want me to have it delivered to your room or will you change here?"
I looked at Alice with a bit of shame, "Just leave it here. Since I don't have a car to pick Edythe up in, we may as well start out here. Besides, I know Esme will want pictures of me and Edythe in our outfits. I wouldn't think of denying her that by having Edythe pick me up and going to the dance from my house. Charlie won't care, and Bella has plans. Oh, I will need a few pictures to send to Aunt Rene, though.
Alice laughed, "You have no idea how happy that will make Esme. Edythe's first dance! I can barely contain myself." Alice's voice reached a rather high note at the end of that sentence.
The girls then left the room so I could change in privacy. The pout on Edythe's face when Alice and Rosalie kicked her out of the fitting room was still in the back of my mind. So, I wanted to get back to her quickly. I was a bit surprised at how easily I had become comfortable at the Cullen house, making my way down the stairs and to the living room without hesitation. Maybe it was because of how welcome everyone made me feel.
I sat on the couch, next to Edythe, and she slid closer to me to snuggle, "Finally. I didn't think they were ever going to let you out of that room."
I pressed my lips to the crown of her head, "So needy."
Esme smiled at our interaction, "Will you be staying for dinner, Thomas?"
"Afraid not ma…Esme. Charlie has been working nights a lot lately, and this will be his first time home for dinner in a while, so Bella wants to cook his mother's Beef Stroganoff recipe for him. She asked me to be there for a family dinner."
I was still finding it hard not to call Esme ma'am, but I was working on it. I also didn't want to go further into what Charlie was dealing with. He was called to the nearby town the other day to help with what he called an animal attack on an oil worker. I didn't want to bring that up during this pleasant atmosphere.
"That girl is so kind and considerate, I just can't wait to meet her. What are your plans for your birthday? I understand it will be a week from tomorrow."
The question caught me off guard, "Umm, I… I don't know just yet. Bella was planning something. Probably just a nice dinner and cake. I am not one to celebrate it much recently." I finished lamely.
Esme looked at me sadly, "I do understand. Well, as much as anyone who hasn't gone through what you did can understand, anyway. But birthdays are about celebrating life, so I do hope you will allow us to give you some small gifts for yours."
I started to panic a little at that. I was beginning to understand how extravagant these immortal, insanely rich vampires could be. "Umm, you don't really need to trouble yourselves on my account. Bella and I have a deal where we give gifts that are handmade or hand-me-downs. Expensive gifts would have been a hardship on our families over the last few years. Besides, it's the thought that counts."
Esme nodded her head. "I understand that perfectly. A house I create and have built is much more meaningful than just purchasing one and giving it away as a gift."
My mind went a little blank there, {House??? As a gift? Surely not, we haven't even known each other for more than a few months yet. It was just a… figure of speech. Yeah, that's all.}
Rosalie then managed to change the subject by bringing up my idea about a skin cream to make humans shine like Vampires under the sunlight, and the previous subject was dropped. Jasper was the first to point out that he doubted the male population would want to sparkle like a disco ball. But it was, at the very least, a plausible explanation if a Vampire was seen accidentally.
Eventually, it was time for me to head home and spend time with Charlie and Bella. During dinner, Charlie let me know that the reading of my mother's Will would take place the Friday after my birthday. But the secretary from the law firm made sure to have it in the afternoon so it wouldn't interfere with the celebration of my turning 18. Charlie laughed about how insistent she was about the timing.
That night, Edythe let me know that she would not be at school next Monday or Tuesday due to the sun. But Alice predicted no issues for the rest of the week or weekend. But where Bella and Edward planned to go would have patches of sun peeking through the clouds, if not blue skies.
"I guess I can ride with Bella those days, but I will miss you."
Edythe snuggled in closer to me, "I like hearing that. I have a few other things to take care of, but I should be back to be with you Tuesday night if that's okay."
"Of course," I told her. But my mind was starting to wander, as again, my lack of vehicle had me relying on others. While the idea of being a 'Kept Man' was somewhat appealing, it was also just a bit humiliating. I think it's time I start looking for a car. I am mechanically inclined enough to get a fixer-upper, so it shouldn't be too hard. Besides, I could rely on my 100-plus-year-old mechanic to help me out. I knew how much she enjoyed working on cars. I wonder if I could find a roughed-up diamond we could polish together.
From what I have heard, nothing tests a relationship more than working on a mechanical project together. I do seem to remember a few arguments with Rene and Phil that started because they were working on the same project. I slowly closed my eyes and allowed myself to fall asleep, holding on to Edythe.