by Rae, Alicia
“Any of those sound perfect. Book one today for a month getaway,” he responded in a heavenly tone as if he loved my every touch.
“A month?” I questioned while my hands paused. “We can’t be away for a month!”
“Please keep rubbing,” Kyle murmured. “And yes, Lily, I’m taking you away for a month—without your laptop and without my cell phone. It’ll be just you and me.”
Well, damn, how do I argue with that? “Okay,” I caved happily.
“Lily Ann Tidsdale! Get your ass out here!” Brooke yelled from the living room.
“Shit! I’m a few hundred bucks in the hole!” I shrieked, noting how she had even said my middle name. Then, I gave Kyle one quick smacking kiss before jumping off his lap. “Gotta go, sexy alpha. I’m in trouble!”
“What was all of that about?” He laughed.
“Tell you later. No more time, or she might pick out the most expensive ones on the rack!” I said. I flew out of the room, knowing he had no idea what I was going on about.
I made my way back into the living room and sat down on the couch next to Brooke.
“I thought I was going to have to come in there and drag you out,” Brooke teased.
“No need for dramatics.” I snickered. “Alright, now, back to wedding planning,” I said while picking up my glass of wine from the table.
Brooke and I talked until midnight, passing around different ideas about my upcoming big day. I felt the building anticipation blossoming inside me as I was one day closer to becoming Mrs. Kyle Madison. By the time we were finished, the wine bottle was empty.
Kyle’s side of the bed was empty as I awoke on Saturday morning. I frowned at the thought of him working on the weekend. Things must be really chaotic at work.
I sat up and noticed a note on top of his pillow.
I smiled affectionately at his note. Fourteen days! Damn, that is coming up quick! I felt like there was still so much left to do.
I hopped out of bed and strode into the bathroom to take a shower. After washing up, I walked into the closet to pick out my clothes. I settled on a knee-length gray cotton skirt and a light pink floral top. I grabbed a pair of black flats off the floor, knowing that I had to keep up with Brooke, Abbey, and Kate while shopping today.
Brooke was already dressed and sitting on the couch with her laptop balanced on her legs as she steadily hammered away at the keys.
“Hey now, you’re on vacation. It’s against the law to work on those, you know,” I chided in good spirits.
“Says the woman who hasn’t taken one day off in three years,” Brooke retorted with a smirk.
“You may be right there, but now, I’ve come to see the light,” I said while making a bowl of cereal. “See? I’m taking today off.”
“Don’t get your hair in a ruffle,” Brooke snorted, closing her laptop. “I’m done.”
“Good.” I laughed. “Are you hungry?”
“I already ate, Lily,” she chortled. “When you’re used to getting up at the crack of dawn with a baby, your body doesn’t remember how to sleep in.”
“That stinks,” I said with wide eyes.
“Yeah, it does,” she said while joining me in the kitchen. “So, where to first?”
“Dresses,” I answered. I reached for my phone on the counter. “I just need to check with Abbey and see if she wants to meet us or if we should pick her up.”
I swiped my phone open to text her.
Hey, Abbey. Do you want us to pick you up? Or are you going to meet us somewhere?
I strode over to the table and started eating my Frosted Flakes as my phone beeped with Abbey’s reply.
Pick me up, so the three of us can ride together ;) Kate said she is going to meet us at the bridal store. Ready when you are!
“We are going to pick up Abbey on the way,” I said to Brooke. “And Kate is going to meet us there.”
“Sounds like a plan. I just have to put on my shoes, and I’m good to go,” Brooke replied.
I sent a quick message to Abbey.
Sounds great! Be there in thirty. ☺
After I finished eating, Brooke and I made our way to the car.
Let the shopping adventures begin.
“This one is it!” said Abbey as she twirled around in the floor-length black silk dress. It had a pearl pin that held the gathering of dress to the left side. The elegant material flowed flawlessly down the curves of her body.
I laughed at her. “That’s what you said about the last three dresses,” I retorted, now knowing that Abbey had a fashion fetish, just like Brooke and me. I turned my head to Brooke. “What do you think?”
Brooke glanced down at dress number five—a slim-fitting black gown with one ruffled shoulder strap and a flower in the center of her waist. “Damn, I can’t decide either,” she chortled. “I think we tried on too many.”
Kate opened the door to her dressing room, wearing another gorgeous black dress. It had a higher neckline than the previous dresses, and the material pinched just below her breasts. It ran seamlessly down her round belly to her feet.
I smiled softly at her. “You look beautiful, Kate.”
She beamed brightly at me. “Thank you, Lily. I really like this one, too,” she said, glancing down at the gown. “It kinda makes my baby bump look less…big.” She laughed.
“I think that one works perfectly for you,” I said reassuringly.
I gazed over at dress number three that was hanging over the side of another mirror in the dressing room. It was also a stunning knee-length black gown that had hugged the girls’ curves perfectly.
Damn, they are all gorgeous.
“Maybe we should each wear our favorite. You know, Lily, it’s very modern for bridesmaids to wear different styles nowadays. I think it would add great diversity to your wedding,” Abbey said while twirling in the mirror again.
That could work.
I imagined them walking down the aisle to stand up in front of our family and friends. I could picture each of my bridesmaids in unique dresses, showing their individual personalities.
“I like that idea,” I replied, feeling as if I had dodged the indecisive bullet. “That way I don’t have to pick. So, it’s up to you ladies which dress you’d like to wear to the wedding.” I winked.
“This is my vote.” Kate beamed.
“Sweet!” Abbey hooted. “I pick this one,” she said, gesturing to her gown.
“Well, shit, that’s not fair!” Brooke snorted. “Now, I still have to choose between these two!” She motioned between the dress she was wearing and the one hanging across the room. Then, she placed her hands on her hips.
My eyes twinkled with amusement. “Sounds rough,” I teased, crossing my legs as I sat in the chair.
This was going to take Brooke a while. She hated picking only one item when it came to any clothing.
“Shush!” she said while pointing her finger at me. Then, she directed her attention to Abbey. “Alright, newbie, this is a test of your shopping skills. You pick.”
Abbey’s mouth opened as her eyes rapidly danced between the two dresses. “Um…shit,” she said, raising her hand to her chin while she pondered. “I guess I have to vote for dress number five, the one you’re wearing, so we all at least have matching floor-length dresses.”
“I think I agree with Abbey,” Kate chimed in, nodding her head in thought. “That way we all have diversely styled gowns, but they’re all the same length.”
Brooke let out a pleased grin. “Good point!” she cheered. Then, she turned to face me. “I like these ladies. They can stay!” she added playfully.
“I’m glad you think so.” I snickered and rose to my feet.
We lucked out with none of the three girls needing any alterations to their bridesmaid dresses, so they were able to take the ones right off the rack. The consultant even steamed them while we checked out.
“Alright, ladies”—Kate smiled while sounding exhausted—“you three wore me out. I better head back
to my house and put my feet up for a few hours before Ryan gets home from work.”
“Okay,” I said, walking forward to hug her. “Thanks so much for coming.”
“No problem, Lily. Thank you for letting me be a part of your wedding. I know we have met only a few times, but I look forward to getting to know you more in the future,” she said kindly.
“Me, too,” I replied.
Abbey embraced Kate next. “See you later, sweets. Take good care of my baby niece in there,” she said while pulling back to glance at Kate’s belly.
Kate chuckled. “I will,” she responded to Abbey. Then, she turned to Brooke. “It was nice to meet you.”
Brooke smiled fondly and nodded her head in agreement. “You, too. I’ll see you again at the wedding, and congratulations on your baby.”
After saying good-bye to Kate, we made our way to four different shoe stores before Brooke and Abbey finally settled on a pair they both liked. Both women claimed the silver silk sandals with only a one-inch wedged heel would be adorable for the ceremony yet still be comfortable for dancing.
Our last stop was at Nordstrom to make good on my promise to buy Brooke a new pair of shoes. To some, it might have seemed over the top to spend such an outrageous amount of money on a pair of shoes for a friend, but it was my way of thanking her for flying all the way out to California to see me and for being in my bridal party.
Now, I only needed to find Abbey and Kate a gift for being my bridesmaids. I had no idea what to get the two of them. Our friendships were still so new, and I really didn’t know what they liked, other than clothes and shoes, but I wanted to find something special for each of them. After all, we would be sisters soon.
I frowned slightly as my chest constricted with a sharp pang, knowing my parents and my sister, Annie, would not be with me on my wedding day. Annie should have been trying on dresses right alongside Brooke, Abbey, and Kate with my mom watching over both of her daughters.
I shunned the thought away, accepting that my parents and sister would want me to celebrate this special time. I knew that they would always be with me in my heart, especially on my wedding day.
By the time we returned to the car from our last and final store, we had to carefully arrange all the bags in the trunk and backseat while making sure we still had enough room for us to fit inside.
“I think we got it,” Abbey said while sitting down with wary precision. “Hurry! Shut the door before something moves!” she cried out before laughing.
I closed the back door quickly, hoping that nothing would fall out. I opened my driver’s side door and slid in while Brooke sat in the passenger seat.
“Thank God it all fit!” Brooke laughed. “Next time the three of us go out, we might need to rent a bigger vehicle!” she chortled.
“That’s for sure!” Abbey chuckled from the backseat.
I started the car and turned on the cool air, so we wouldn’t roast from the high humidity today. “Alright, ladies, I think our successful day of shopping calls for a round of drinks on me. Sound good?” I asked.
“Excellent,” Brooke purred while putting on her seat belt. “You read my mind.”
“I second that,” Abbey called from the back.
“Okay, just let me check with Kyle,” I said while pulling out my phone.
Girls and I are all finished shopping. We had a wonderful day! Going to treat them to a round of drinks, okay?
Abbey and Brooke started making small talk while I waited for Kyle’s text.
Glad you had a great time, beautiful. Go have fun. See you later tonight.
I texted him back while being thankful that the hot car was starting to cool off before I broke into a sweat.
Will do. Love you. XO
“Alright, ladies, good to go,” I said while setting down my phone in the cup holder. I slid the gearshift into reverse. “Let’s find ourselves a good bar nearby.”
“And food before my stomach eats itself,” Brooke added.
“Turn left up here!” Abbey shouted from the back. “There’s this great place about a mile from my house, and they have excellent food, too.”
I happily followed Abbey’s directions since I had no idea where to take us anyway. We only had to cross a few intersections before I pulled into the parking lot. I glanced around to see if my surroundings looked familiar, but I came up empty-handed.
After we all got out of the car, we strolled up to the door. It was still early, so we did not have to show our identifications to enter. The waitress kindly led us to a booth that Abbey had asked for because she was too exhausted to balance on a bar stool. Brooke and I had agreed, feeling the same way.
Brooke ordered a large platter of chicken strips, and then she asked us what we would like to drink before the waitress could even walk off. Brooke was definitely famished, and she was one of those people no one wanted to mess with when she was hungry because she would clip the person’s head off in a tenth of a second. The waitress returned with our drinks.
“Wow!” Brooke exclaimed after taking a pull of her beer. “The three of us shopping together is like an explosion. We rocked it,” she added with a grin.
“Yeah, we did.” Abbey winked at her. “But I’m going to suffer big time tomorrow for doing all that shopping in heels.”
I laughed before taking a sip of my cocktail. “That’s why I wore flats,” I said, lifting my leg in the aisle to give them a peep.
“Smart thinking!” Brooke chimed in. “Oh, I almost forgot!” She glanced between Abbey and me with excitement. “The hubs and I are flying in the Thursday morning before the wedding, so I was thinking we need to take Lily out for her bachelorette party that night.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea.” Abbey beamed, and then she shifted her gaze to me. “Does that work for you?”
“I think so. Kyle and I haven’t really talked about having parties, but I’m sure he’ll be good with it,” I answered.
“Well, if I know my brother at all, I’m sure Ryan has something up his sleeve.” Abbey grinned. “I’ll work it out with him, so we can plan to have them at the same time.”
“Okay.” I smiled as the waitress arrived with our food.
We all dug in, famished from our extravagant shopping day.
“Oh gosh, this is so good!” Brooke moaned after taking her first bite.
The chicken strips were coated in what had to be the best breading I’d ever had. The appetizer also came with a delicious ranch dressing to dip them in.
“They are,” I added after swallowing a bite.
“So, what are you girls up to tomorrow?” Abbey asked before reaching for another piece of chicken.
“We’ll be recovering from today until I have to fly out at one,” Brooke answered.
“No more shopping?” I teased, knowing I darn well would not survive another day out with her.
“Hell no. I wore myself out today.” Brooke giggled. “I have to recuperate before I go home to my little girl. She is the busiest child I have ever known. Now that she has mastered crawling, I’ll be doomed when she starts walking.”
“Aw,” Abbey said with glowing eyes. “I hope I have a girl to shop with someday.”
Brooke shook her head. “Ava is definitely going to give me a run for my money. She’s already in love with purses and shoes and baby jewelry.”
I laughed. “Just like her mama.”
“Yep, and I’m beginning to think that was a bad trait to pass along,” Brooke said with affection and humor in her tone. “So, what was up with Kyle last night? He seemed really stressed out,” she added after taking a sip of her beer.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess he’s just really busy at work. He’s worked more hours this week than the last couple of weeks put together.” I frowned.
Abbey suddenly had a guilty look on her face, and it piqued my interest.
“Um, Lily…” Abbey started to say, but then she paused. “Kyle’s stressful week at work would be my fault,” she ad
mitted quietly.
“Oh, what happened?” I asked, curiosity getting the best of me. I felt slightly better though, knowing that his change in mood was not something more than work.
Abbey exhaled a troubled sigh and then took a long swig of her drink. She set the glass down on the table with more force than necessary. “On Monday, I was supposed to close a deal that Kyle had trusted me to do by myself. Frederick Adams, the CEO of this company got hotheaded, and thinking he could pull a fast one on me, he tried to lower the price at the last minute,” she said with rage in her eyes.
I had never heard Abbey sound so upset before, so I assumed it must have been really bad. According to Kyle, Abbey was a very hard worker. Today, it looked like her pride had been wounded.
Before I responded, she added, “And poor Kyle has had to work overtime, trying to get it all straightened out.”
“Oh. Well, I’m sure he will set the man in his place,” I said confidently. I knew Kyle would not tolerate any crap, especially when it came to business.
“Kyle said he wasn’t going to settle for anything other than what they had first agreed on. The CEO didn’t take that so well, so they’ve been duking it out for five days,” Abbey said with frustration.
“And Kyle is not one to back down from a fight,” I said more to myself than anyone else.
“Exactly.” Abbey smiled with pride. “I know the guy will eventually cave because he’s in too deep to walk away, but I just feel bad for all of Kyle’s extra work.” She shrugged. “He shouldn’t have had to step in. I was supposed to hold my ground.”
I reached over and patted her hand reassuringly. “We all need help now and again, Abbey. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”
“I know.” She sighed. “I’m trying to let it go, but I can’t help from wanting to smack the fucker.”
My eyebrows rose at her foul language. She was normally so composed. This CEO guy must have really gotten to her.
“You just need to learn how to open a can of whoop ass on him, girl.” Brooke snickered. “If you hang around me a little longer, I’m sure you’ll have tough skin in no time,” she added with a saucy grin.
Abbey threw her head back, laughing hard. “I might have to do that, Brooke!” Then, she suddenly whipped her head in my direction. “Oh, Lily! I almost forgot to ask! What are you planning to do for Kyle’s birthday next Saturday? Mom was hoping to make him dinner on either his birthday or on Sunday.”
