Well...here's mine:

My Red Dress
My girlfriend and I were ecstatic when we won a party at our favorite dancing spot in the early spring of 1990. It was about a year after my divorce. The parties were held from 6-9 P.M., before the regular Tuesday night singles dances. The “winners” got to invite 100 guests for music, dancing, a nice buffet and two glasses of champagne. Between us, we were able to scare up about 50 friends who could go out on a week night. We thought we died and went to party Heaven.

As the co-guest of honor, I was out to impress. I shopped for two weeks and finally found the perfect dress. It was fire-engine red, long, low cut, had a ruffle that flared out at the bottom and rhinestones on the shoulders and down the front from the waist to my left knee. I had absolutely no panty lines that night.....

A cross between Cinderella and Lady and the Tramp, I greeted our guests and played bell of the ball. It’s amazing how wearing a special dress can make you feel like a whole other person.

The party was going well. The food and the music were great and the guests seemed to be enjoying themselves. I had the disc jockey introduce me just before playing Lady In Red. A gentleman took the hint and asked me to dance. Dipping and twirling, we glided across the dimly lit dance floor looking like Fred and Ginger.

Eventually, I made the necessary trip to the powder room with my entourage. We fussed and primped and after a reasonable length of time, walked through the small bar between the ladies room and the main ballroom. My daughter and sister kept trying to get my attention. (As I said, it wasn’t easy finding friends who could go out during the week.) I rambled on about how wonderful the party was, ignoring their futile attempts to shut me up.

Just before we reached the door that led to the dance floor, my daughter yelled, “Ma, stop!” The others were laughing hysterically as I stopped short and asked impatiently, “What?” They were trying to tell me the ruffle on the bottom of my stunning red dress, the one that made me feel so elegant and gorgeous, was neatly tucked up inside my pantyhose. I came within inches of making the most unladylike entrance of my life.

Though I have long since put it out to pasture, I will always remember that night and my beautiful red dress.

Louisa