Lover's Roulette, (Forever and Always #6)

by Todd, E. L.

  “I need your opinion.”

  “Babe, you would look amazing in a damn chicken suit.”

  “I still want you to be there.”

  “I want to be surprised when I see you walk down the aisle, more beautiful than the setting sun. And you have your family there to give you some feedback.”

  “But they are family. Of course they’ll say I look nice.”

  “Ask Cortland. He’ll tell you if you look hot or not.”

  I looked for a train of anger in his eyes but there was none. I was surprised by the look.

  He grabbed my face and kissed me, slipping his tongue inside my mouth. I was aware of his mother nearby, but since Sean didn’t care, I didn’t care. He pulled away. “I’ll love anything you pick out. Just get what you like. Besides, I’m going to rip it off anyway.”

  I blushed, knowing his mother heard that.

  “I love you, babe. I’ll see you when you get back.”

  “Okay. I love you too.”

  He opened the door and ushered us out. We walked down to the street toward Cortland’s car. Cortland left the driver’s seat then walked around the car, opening the back door.

  “You ready, future Mrs. Preston?”

  I smiled. “I think so.”

  Cortland looked at Diane. “Hello, Mrs. Preston. I’m Cortland—a friend of Scarlet’s.”

  She smiled. “Call me, Diane.”

  “Diane, it is,” he said with a smile. He held the door open. “After you.”

  She got inside and scooted over. I got in beside her then Cortland shut the door. Cortland walked around and got back into the driver’s seat.

  Monnique turned around and smiled at us. “Hello, I’m Cortland’s girlfriend, Monnique.”

  Diane’s eyes widened when she looked at her. I knew she recognized her from my lesbian video.

  “Uh, hi,” she mumbled.

  Monnique raised an eyebrow, unsure what was happening. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too,” she said.

  Monnique gave me a look, wondering what the problem was.

  Since I was forcing myself not to care about what Sean’s mother thought, I just decided to be honest. “She saw the video of us making out in Vegas and she hasn’t processed it yet.”

  Cortland suddenly swerved on the road then corrected the wheel. “What?”

  Monnique glanced at Diane. “Oh.”

  “Sean had the video on his phone and she saw it on accident,” I explained.

  “That’s awkward,” Cortland said with a laugh.

  Monnique cleared her throat. “Diane, I can assure you it was just a mistake. It didn’t mean anything.”

  “I’m sure,” she said.

  Cortland stared straight ahead and kept his eyes on the road. Monnique turned around and remained silent. To say it was awkward was an understatement.

  Cortland cleared his throat. “Anyway, Ryan and Janice are meeting us there.”

  “Okay,” I said. I looked out the window and watched the buildings flash by. It had just rained the day before so the streets were still wet. The concrete was a darker shade than it normally was. I didn’t bring my jacket because I knew I wouldn’t be wearing it much anyway.

  “How are you liking Seattle?” Cortland asked Diane.

  “It’s nice,” she said. “A little wet.”

  “I heard Connecticut has some bitter winters.”

  “Yes, but the summers are beautiful.”

  “I like the constant coolness. I hate being so hot that I’m sweating all the time.”

  “I love it,” she said.

  “Is there anything you’d like to see while you’re here?” he asked. “I wouldn’t mind giving you a tour.”

  I was thankful Cortland was such a gentleman, taking the burden of her visit off my shoulders. I could push her onto him if I really wanted to.

  “Actually, I’m leaving tomorrow, but thank you for the offer,” she said with a smile.

  I could tell from her tone that she already loved Cortland. I wasn’t sure how she felt about Monnique.

  Cortland pulled over until we stopped in front of a small boutique shop.

  “I thought we were going to David’s Bridal?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “Ryan told me to meet him here.”

  I raised an eyebrow, knowing something was up.

  Cortland got out of the car and opened the door for Monnique. Before he could get to our side, we were already out of the car. We walked to the entrance and stopped in front of it. I could tell just by looking at the place that everything inside would be ridiculously expensive. I had more money than I needed, but I didn’t like spending it, saving it for something actually important.

  “Why would Ryan tell us to meet him here?” I asked.

  Cortland shrugged again then opened the door for us. “After you, ladies.”

  Diane smiled at him then walked inside. Monnique and I followed behind.

  Monnique leaned toward Cortland’s ear. “Careful. You’re going to make Diane fall in love with you.”

  He smiled. “She’s pretty foxy.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him.

  “But she ain’t got nothing on my big booty ho.”

  She smiled. “That’s better.”

  I rolled my eyes then came into the lobby. Ryan was already standing there with Janice. He was wearing slacks and a collared shirt—the most dressed up I’ve ever seen him. There was a sticker over his breast pocket that said Maid of Honor.

  I smiled at him. “What’s this?”

  “We are getting your dress today.”

  I looked at the sticker then returned my gaze to him, a questioning look in my eyes.

  Janice handed him a veil that said bride on it. He placed it over my head, a smile on his face. “I’m your maid of honor, right? Let’s get this party started.”

  I smiled. “I never thought I would see you wear nice clothes.”

  “Well, take a good mental picture.”

  “I should take an actual picture because I suspect this will never happen again.”

  “You got that right. You’re lucky we share a genetic inheritance, otherwise it would be jeans and a sweater.”

  “I think you love me,” I said with a smile.

  “Let’s not get carried away.”

  A woman wearing a black dress with a set of pearls came over to us. “Let’s begin,” she said with a clap of her hands. She had a perfect posture and a perfect smile. I already felt inferior. “This way, Ms. Sisco.” She walked away and led us into a private room with six mirrors. There were beautiful chairs for everyone to sit in.

  She pulled out two bottles of champagne and six glasses.

  This was way too fancy for me. I was expecting something simple. “Ryan?”

  “I picked out a few for you,” he said as he walked to the rack. “You’re a size two?”

  “When did you become gay?” I teased.

  He scowled at me. “I may have had a little help from my lady.”

  I leaned close to him so no one would hear. “Ryan, this place is too nice.”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Ryan, I can’t afford any of these.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said as he placed his hands on my shoulders. “Now change.”

  I decided not to argue since everyone was standing there. “I don’t know what I like.”

  “Are you a girl or not?”

  I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know the different styles or anything like that.”

  “That’s why I’m here,” the worker said. “My name is Becky. I apologize for not introducing myself before. I’ll be here to help you. Just tell me what you like and don’t like. And please help yourself to the champagne.”

  I knew I was going to need it.

  Ryan grabbed a dress off the rack. “Let’s start with this one.”

  It was a sleeveless dress that had gray buttons along the backside, along with a complicated looking string tie.
r />   He walked into the dressing room and I followed.

  “Are you staying?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “You really think you can get it on by yourself?” He laughed. “And I’m your maid of honor. I’m supposed to help you.”

  “I thought you were totally dreading this?”

  He smiled. “I’m honored that you picked me, Scarlet.” He closed his eyes and turned around. “Now get it on and I’ll help up with the back part.” He crossed his arms over his chest and faced the corner.

  I stripped down and got it on. But he was right; there was no way I would be able to get this tied by myself. I was flexible, but not able to fix the buttons or fix the tie on my own. “You can turn around.”

  Ryan faced me then worked with the back, buttoning all the buttons and fixing the tie.

  “I can’t believe you figured that out.”

  “I’m not as stupid as you think,” he said with a smile.

  “I never said you were stupid.”

  “That’s not what I hear every other day.” He tightened the string. “Okay. What do you think?”

  I looked at myself in the mirror. “It’s fine.”

  “So, that’s a definite no?”

  “It’s nice.”

  “I’m not a girl, but I know that isn’t the reaction you should have when you find the right wedding dress.”

  “I wish Sean was here,” I said with a sigh.

  “If he’s anything like me, he isn’t going to care. If Janice wore a batman costume, I wouldn’t care in the least.”

  “A batman costume? You would probably think that’s awesome.”

  “Well…yeah, that would be pretty cool, but that’s not the point. Sean will like it. Pick something you want.” He opened the curtain. “Now let’s go.”

  I sighed. “If I’m not going to get it why do I have to show everyone?”

  “Stop being a brat and come on.”

  I walked out then stood on the small rise. Ryan stood next to me just in case I fell.

  “It’s beautiful!” Diane said. “I like it.”

  “It makes you look flat,” Janice blurted.

  “And that’s saying something,” Monnique added.

  I laughed as I looked down at the front. “So, that’s a definite no. I know Sean wouldn’t like that.”

  Diane closed her mouth and looked uncomfortable.

  Cortland shook his head then opened Monnique purse, pulling out a pile of papers. He handed them out. “We’ll do a vote.” He held up his paper, which said, ‘no’.

  I laughed. “I feel like a mule for sale.”

  “You look like a mule,” Ryan teased.

  I glared at him. “What happened to this being my day?”

  “I never said I wouldn’t stop picking on you.”

  Cortland raised an eyebrow, staring at my chest. “Where did they go?”

  “I get it,” I said as I turned around. “This isn’t the one.”

  Monnique and Janice drank half their champagne and put it down.

  “Ryan, get me a glass,” I said.

  “Now you’re bossing me around?”

  “Ryan, would you please get me a glass of champagne?”

  “That’s a little better.” He filled a glass then brought it into the fitting room.

  I drank half of it then handed it back to him. He took a drink and put it on the table in the corner.

  “Okay. Let’s try this one,” he said he placed it on the rack.

  It had sleeves that were made of a thin fabric, almost see-through. It was pretty but seemed too conservative for me.

  Ryan turned around and closed his eyes. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  I changed and put on the new dress. It had a zipper in the back I couldn’t reach. “I need help.”

  Ryan turned around and pulled the zipper up. “What do you think?”

  I stared at myself then I shrugged.

  “Another no.”

  I walked through the curtain and my family looked at me.

  “I think it’s cute,” Janice said.

  “But it doesn’t look like Scarlet,” Monnique said.

  “I think it’s lovely,” Diane said.

  Cortland held up his sign. It said, ‘no’. “It covers too much skin.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m getting married, not going to a strip club.”

  “Well, I’m going to be bored on your wedding day, then,” he said sarcastically.

  Diane’s eyes widened but she didn’t say anything.

  I didn’t care what she thought about me and my family. I would never tell them to act differently around her. They could say whatever they wanted to. If she had a problem with it, she could deal with it. “So this dress is another veto?”

  Cortland waved me away. “Next.”

  I sighed then walked back into the room, Ryan picking up the train behind me. He closed the curtain then faced the wall again. I changed and grabbed the next dress on the rack. It was huge. It flared out around my waist and the sleeves fell over the shoulder. I got it on and got lost in the fabric.

  “You can turn around.”

  Ryan came behind me and fixed the zipper.

  “I look like a princess.”

  “Is that good or bad?”

  “I don’t know. It’s just not me.”

  “It’s not bad,” he said as he looked at my reflection.

  “We’ll see what they think.” I picked up the dress and tried to turn around without knocking everything over.

  Ryan opened the curtain and helped me out.

  “I love it!!” Diane said as she clapped her hands. She held up her sign that said ‘yes’.

  Of course she would like it. I looked like a duchess.

  Monnique tilted her head, eyeing me everywhere. I could tell by the look that she didn’t like t.

  “Can you move?” Janice asked.

  “You remind me of humpty dumpty,” Cortland blurted.

  I started laughing and a snort came out. “I can’t get that image out of my head. This isn’t the one.”

  Diane looked crestfallen.

  We walked back inside and Ryan handed me another dress. It was tight around the thighs and the calves.

  “Uh, I think this is the wrong size,” I said as I looked at it.

  Ryan looked at the tab. “It’s a size 2.”

  I looked at the bottom. “My thighs can’t fit past this.”

  “Just try, fatty.” He turned around.

  I pulled the dress on but had a difficult time getting it past my thighs and hips. When I finally got it on, I felt like the breath was being squeezed out of me. It was tight around my ankles then flared out. I never thought of myself as a clumsy person, but I knew I was going to eat shit in a second.

  Ryan grabbed my arm. “Gotcha.”

  “No, no, no.”

  He laughed. “I would love to see you walk down the aisle like that.”

  “You would have to carry me.”

  “Let’s show everyone.”

  “So they can see me fall on my ass?”

  “I’m sure your mother-in-law would get a kick out of that.”

  “I can’t embarrass myself more than I already have.”

  “What happened now?”

  “She saw the video of me and Monnique.”

  His eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

  “Unfortunately.”

  “How the hell did that happen?”

  “She was using Sean’s phone and she somehow pulled it up.”

  He laughed. “Only shit like that happens to you.”

  “I know.”

  “Wow. So there’s no secrets between you anymore.”

  “She probably hates me.”

  “Well, I’m glad you don’t care what she thinks.”

  “I give up trying to make her like me.”

  “I’m proud of you.”

  “What?”

  “I’m proud of you for not caring about her opinion. Sean obviously doe
sn’t value it. We’re an eclectic group of people, and we say exactly what’s on our mind. If she doesn’t like you for who you are, or how you live your life, who gives a shit. I don’t. I think you’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met. If she doesn’t feel the same way, who cares? You have plenty of people who love you already, even if you are a little lez.”

  “That started off so sweet then turned so wrong.”

  He laughed. “I can’t be that nice to you all the time. It’ll mess up the composition of the universe.”

  I picked up the dress and started to shuffle toward the door. Ryan grabbed my forearm and gave me balance as I shuffled my feet across the floor. I couldn’t even open my legs to take a step. “This dress is ridiculous.”

  “We have to show them so they’ll have a good laugh.”

  “Ugh, I hate you.”

  “I know,” he said as he opened the curtain. He helped me up the ramp then kept his hand on my waist so I wouldn’t topple over.

  Cortland stared at me for a long time, looking at the contours of the dress. “Can you even walk?”

  “No.”

  “It’s beautiful, but you’re going to fall on your ass,” Monnique said.

  Janice just shook her head.

  I sighed. “On to the next one.”

  Ryan helped me down then ushered me back into the room. I went to sit down on the chair but I couldn’t even bend over. When I moved it sounded like I farted.

  Ryan waved his hand away. “What a lady.”

  “It was the dress.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  I sighed. “I give up. This is too difficult.”

  “We’ll find something.”

  “No. I look stupid in everything.”

  “You don’t look stupid. Everything looks good on you, but it just isn’t the right match. I’ll go look for something outside.”

  There was a knock on the door. “I have a few more for you,” Becky said.

  Ryan opened the curtain and took the dresses. After he put them on the rack, I looked through them.

  “I don’t like any of them,” I said.

  Ryan glanced at them. “I’ll go look outside.”

  “That’ll be a waste of time.”

  He shut the curtain behind him after he left. I stood there in my skin tight dress and stared at myself in the mirror. Nothing fit me right. I looked awkward and out of place. I would rather walk down the aisle naked than wear any of these dresses. Sean would probably like that.

  Ryan came back a few minutes later. He held the dress out to me. It was bright white with a textured feel to it. It billowed out slightly, but it was almost unnoticeable. It had a tight fit about it, but it wasn’t too tight. I could actually walk. It was sleeveless and went around the chest. When I looked at it, I felt the recognition in my brain. It was simple, but perfect. “What do you think?”