Weathergirl

[Alana]

"Oh, I don't know. I thought it might be a nice dress to wear on the weekend."

"I DON'T WEAR---" I said, a little too loudly. People were looking. I lowered my tone, and hissed at her, "I don't wear dresses on the weekend! I'm not working on the weekend!"

"Well, you might have a hot date with some cute guy."

I could see she just wanted to get a rise out of me. Probably still mad about what happened that morning. I wasn't going to react.

"Anyway," she said, "it doesn't matter. The word has come down from on high. Mr. Harper wants to try you out in some more girly dresses, to see what the viewers think."

"More girly? What the hell do they want out of me, pink lace?"

"Say! Pink lace! There's an idea! I think you'd look darling in a pink lace dress! You'd be adorable!"

"I didn't mean---"

"Now, now. Not another word. I know a place downtown where there's a pink lace dress that'd be just perfect for you. We can charge it to the station. Grab your purse and let's go."

I could see there was no point in arguing. I got in her car, and we went to the dress shop she had in mind.

When I tried the dress on, I could see that it at least covered up my legs a bit more, so I wouldn't feel so exposed. She paid for it, and we went back to the car, me still in pink lace.

"How does it feel to own your first pink dress? It must make you feel like a real woman."

"Sure," I said. I didn't feel much like talking.

"Could I borrow it some time?"

"Of course."

"It's great having a girlfriend like you I can borrow from. It's such fun to share each other's dresses."

"Yeah."

By the time we got back, there wasn't much time for me to prepare. It wasn't too long before I found myself in front of the green screen again, waiting for them to throw it to me for the weather report. Just before they did, I looked down at myself in my pink dress.

[Alana]

I still couldn't believe I was doing this. A grown man in a pink lace dress. What if someone found out about this? What if my father found out? This was so humiliating.

And then they introduced me, and I picked up my pointer and went right into the weather report. They had warned me they were doing a cute little joke graphic about the end of the world coming. I went along with the joke before we got into the real weather report.

[Alana]

That damn skirt was so tight, I couldn't take a full stride in it. But I kept smiling, and didn't show my frustration.

[Alana]

I remained at the green screen as we went into the commercial break, which was only two minutes and a few seconds. I saw Mr. Harper coming over to me during the break. Whatever he had to say to me would have to be said fast.

"Hello. I just wanted to come down and tell you how beautiful you look in that pink dress. I see you took my suggestion about wearing something a little girlier."

I was getting less nervous around him as I got more confident, but I still didn't like the way he looked at me, constantly checking out my figure. I put my hands on my hips and said, "Funny, I didn't get the impression it was a suggestion."

[Alana]

He smiled, and desire kindled in his gaze. I realized I'd been so busy flirting with the camera that I couldn't turn it off right away. I was flirting with him without really intending to.

He said, "Have dinner with me tonight, April. Your boyfriend doesn't have to know."

"Is that an order, sir?"

"Of course not."

"Then my answer remains the same. I promise I'll tell you if I ever break up with my boyfriend."

"But---"

"We're coming back from commercial, now. They'll expect me over at the desk. Goodbye."

I left without another word.

[Alana]

It made me feel good to have an excuse to leave immediately and not have to put up with any more of his nonsense, an excuse he couldn't argue with.

The next morning I got up and looked through my dresses, trying to decide what to wear that day. No one told me not to wear girly dresses any more, so at least I didn't have to walk around all day feeling like a hoochie mama in a short dress, with the men staring at my legs as I tried to tug down my skirt in embarrassment.

I picked out an orange and white dress with a full skirt. I wouldn't have to hobble around all day in a tight dress, feeling like my legs were tied together at the knees. I have to admit, it did feel kind of sexy to wear, feeling the skirt brush against my hands as I walked.

The men didn't stare at me quite as much at work, which was fine with me. I was almost comfortable in that loose-fitting dress. When it came time to do the weather report, I flirted with the camera, as usual.

[Alana]

There was an important story about a typhoon hitting the east coast. We sometimes covered national weather stories, if they were important enough. Unbeknownst to me, the crew had rigged an air hose nearby. I couldn't see it there. So as I began to seriously report this story, all of a sudden I felt my skirt being blown in the air, revealing my slip to everyone watching!