Three Weddings and a Dress

by Mary Martinez

  Who would want her lame boyfriend permanently? Conner was… well, Conner, and certainly not marriage material.

  “Miss Bella, I need to find out what to do with you.” Ari paused to throw a look over her shoulder. Maybe she was going nuts. A dress could not crinkle its own satin.

  Shaking her head at her fanciful thoughts, she went in search of her boss. She found the woman in the business office on the phone. Gertrude did not look happy. Maybe now was not a good time.

  The new bride would be bringing her things in soon for the rehearsal dinner that evening. Ari needed to have Bella out before then. A quick peek at her boss told her, that it would be some time before she would be available.

  She returned to the bride’s room and found the garment bag for the beautiful gown slung over a chair. Ari carefully arranged Bella in her protective cover. Now all she had to do was find a place to store the dress until she could talk to Gertrude.

  After hanging Bella in her locker in the employee’s room, Ari went to work for the new wedding. Throughout the day her mind revisited the electric zing she’d felt at the sight of Bella. No matter what, she couldn’t think of a logical explanation.

  “Are you almost done with the plans for the next wedding?” Ari jumped at her boss’s question.

  Plans? Then her mind settled to her job and away from the gown snuggled in her locker. “Yes, is the bride here?”

  “No, Darlene has a conflict.”

  “With the flowers or the cake?” Ari spread the plans out, looking for any problems. “Is Darlene here? Tell her to come on back and we’ll discuss it.”

  Gertrude nodded, turned and left. The woman was half way down the hall, when Ari remembered she needed to ask her about the beautiful gown in her locker. Bella.

  Scrambling from her desk, the chair skittered and then fell with a resounding crash. Without a backward glance, she chased after.

  “Ms. Schneider, wait.”

  Gertrude stopped and scowled over her shoulder. “What?”

  A few strides brought her even, then Ari stepped quickly to face Mrs. Schneider, a hand on her chest as she caught her breath. “I need to know what to do with the Perez wedding dress.”

  “I don’t care.” Gertrude marched away before she could ask more.

  Now what? She had the Perez phone number in her file she’d better call. A swell of disappointment raced through her. They’d want the dress. For a moment, Ari had considered taking it home to use as incentive for her own design dreams. Then a little voice reminded she’d also dreamt about wearing the dress herself one day.

  Walk down the aisle with Conner? Now that was a laugh.

  “What are you so happy about?” Startled she glanced across the hall where Darlene stood.

  “I didn’t see you there.”

  “Obviously, you were too busy laughing at whatever fantasies you’re cooking up in your head.” Darlene met her at the office. “I’ve come to discuss the conflicts on the wedding tomorrow. Hopefully this time the bride and groom won’t shimmy down the fire escape.”

  “I think it was romantic.”

  Darlene gave her a disgusted look. “You would. Come on I have things I need done before the bride arrives for the rehearsal dinner.”

  Ari burrowed back into her chair after Darlene left. She loved the wedding business. Seeing the brides have their day, watching the love on the grooms face at the altar, it made a girl dream.

  Even she had dreams, until she pictured Conner in a tuxedo waiting for her at the altar. It just didn’t work. Bella swept over her mind again. She couldn’t stall any longer, she needed to call Mrs. Perez and ask.

  The phone rang so many times she thought no one would answer. She pressed speaker and let it ring a couple of more times. Surely, they had an answering machine?

  When the ringing stopped, it wasn’t a machine but human voice. “Hello?”

  “Mrs. Perez?”

  “Yes?” A pause a bit more ragged breaths. “I’m sorry I just walked in the door. Let me catch my breath for a minute.”

  Ari remembered Carla Perez, she was an older lady, maybe she’d had to climb some stairs or something. “Take your time, Ma’am.”

  “Thanks, I’m fine now. How may I help you?”

  “This is Ari at Classic Manhattan. Your daughter left her wedding dress in the bride’s room. Would you like me to send it over to you?” Crossing her fingers Ari waited as if she actually had a chance of the woman saying ‘no’.

  “Oh, dear I haven’t even thought of Bella. Everything happened so fast.” There was a pause, as the woman must have pondered her answer. “Ari, you’re not married are you?”

  What a strange question. “Uh, no.”

  “Good. Bella deserves to have her day. You keep her and please take good care of her, she’s very special.”

  By the time the shock wore off, and Ari was able to reply, Carla Perez had disconnected. A Heidi by Design given to her. She would have never dreamt that possible in a million years.

  Joy replaced shock. She’d be able to display the dress in her bedroom. Her tiny apartment didn’t have space for a design workshop.

  Inspiration. And luck. Bella would bring her both and she’d be able to make a name for herself. Excitement had her up and doing a jig in front of her desk.

  “What are you doing?”

  Her foot slid on some paper. Her butt connected with a loud thud to the floor. “Ouch, you scared the shit out of me.”

  Darlene raised a questioning brow. “I’m not the one dancing around her office like a fool.”

  Brushing herself and her dignity off, she stood to return to her chair. “What did you need?”

  Darlene grinned. “Nothing, I was passing by and saw the rain dance.”

  “Whatever.”

  “As long as it doesn’t rain, I have plans in the park tonight.”

  It was Ari’s turn to raise a brow. “Oh, that new guy?”

  “My nephew is playing soccer and if they win tonight they have another game tomorrow. Pray for sun!”

  “Tyler? He’s only four. They play that young?”

  Darlene chuckled. “Yes, they do. Everything is set for the dinner tonight. Jasmine is the bride helper. Cassie has the cake ready. Anyway, good night, I need to go to my apartment before I go to the game. Whatever has made you so happy, it looks good on you.”

  Ari took a mental step back. Was she unhappy? As she cleared her desk and set out things for the next day, she thought about what Darlene had said. It wasn’t that she was unhappy, exactly. It was that she wasn’t happy. She was just drifting through life. Anyway, her mother would have told her that if she’d been alive.

  When had that happened? When had she decided to settle instead of going after life with both hands?

  Since she’d settled for Conner. That’s when it started.

  No more. She would not be his Mommy replacement because that’s all he wanted. He’d been asking her if he could move in to her apartment for the last month.

  Did he ask her to marry him? No, he just wanted a place to stay.

  She’d stopped to stare. She’d been so immersed in her thoughts she hadn’t even been aware of what she was doing. Now she found herself on the first floor employee’s room in front of her locker staring at Bella.

  “Come on, Bella.” Ari drew out the garment bag and carefully folded it over her arm.

  With her other hand, she grabbed her helmet and then stopped. Good grief, she’d forgotten she’d ridden her scooter to work.

  “Hope you like the ride.” Chuckling she went out the alley door to where her Vespa, the pink Love Machine, was parked and locked up tight.

  A new dilemma presented itself. How was she going to drive and hold Bella? Walking around the machine in circles wasn’t giving her any ideas. The bag was too big and bulky to fold into the tiny top case behind the seat.

  Mm… She knew. Racing into the building, she went to the ladies room. Hung Bella from the top of the stall, Ari ripped off her lea
ther jacket, stripped out of her skirt and top. Carefully she removed Bella from her protective plastic.

  Warmth, the cozy kind you get when you’re loved, slipped over her along with Bella’s soft satin. Ari ran a hand over the beads and lace as she twisted and saw her reflection in the mirror.

  Magical.

  Swallowing the lump that had formed she tried to speak, though no one was there to hear. Failed. Tried again, “Oh, Mama I wish you could see me.”

  Light through the sheer curtain sparkled off the moisture on her cheeks. She brushed it off with her fingers.

  Inhaling, she told herself the halo around her was an illusion from the dwindling dusk. Bella was everything she’d ever wanted as a young girl. Her fantasy come true.

  Too bad she didn’t have a hero to share it with.

  Conner was more the sidekick, her Robin not Batman.

  She let out the breath she’d been holding. Time to return to earth. Bella had been given to her by some miracle. That didn’t mean it was because she was supposed to get married. No, she wanted to think of it more as a career boost.

  Throwing her clothes into the now empty bag, she retraced her steps to the alley. Placing the bundle in the top case, she snapped it shut and unlocked the scooter from its post.

  Grasping a handful of lace over satin in each fist, she hiked the dress up to her thighs revealing her red leather cowboy boots to clamor onto the seat. She pressed the start button and was off.

  The traffic at five was thick as she weaved her way through the streets of Manhattan. She could only imagine the sight she made astride her pink Vespa.

  Dear Diary;

  The wind beneath my lace

  Wind whipped between my satin and lace. I’d never experienced anything so exhilarating. I’d found my soul mate and I was already off to a new adventure. The only blot on the horizon was the fact she didn’t seem to want to have a wedding.

  What was a bride dress to do?

  The scooter slowed as Ari pulled up onto the sidewalk by a large apartment building. After climbing off, the skirt of my dress dropped to cover up the bright boots. I was a bit disappointed. I really liked them.

  She unlocked the door and stepped into the foyer. While she checked her mailbox, I took the opportunity to look over my new home.

  Electric currents zinged my beads, drawing my attention to the stairs. What I saw there made me suck in my bodice. The most gorgeous male human I’d ever seen in my short existence.

  He was Ari’s soul mate. Why on earth didn’t she want to marry him?

  Ari pivoted at the same time he reached the bottom. The collision was inevitable. I couldn’t warn her.

  The impact ignited a series of sparks that hissed through my beads.

  Ari’s gasp almost deafened me. Her skin shivered under my satin. I was amazed by her reaction.

  She did not know him!

  His arms wrapped around Ari and the back of my dress. I swear his hands would leave imprints.

  Ari quickly stepped out of his embrace.

  I could tell she was flustered. I didn’t think she was used to that emotion either.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you.” Her mail laid scattered on the floor. She stooped to pick up the envelopes.

  “Let me…” He bent to help at the same time.

  This time their heads connected. I found my bottom ribbons pressed between her buttocks and the grimy floor. A shudder ran over my lace.

  His deep chuckle crinkled my satin, and I sighed. He gave me a strange look, then used the newel post to lever himself to his feet. He stretched an arm out to my Ari.

  “Let me help you instead of bashing you on the noggin this time.”

  Here were my two soul mates. I am atwitter with love. I need to find a way to bring these two together.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ari swallowed for the hundredth time. She’d never been close to the handsome guy from Apartment C since he’d moved in last week. Sure, she’d spied on him from the railing and like every other female in the building, drooled as she watched.

  Holy lord, up close and personal he was a dream come true. She held the letters she’d retrieved and stared. There was no way to help it. Oh, please don’t let her mouth be hanging open too.

  He stuck out his hand. “I’m Gerard Adams I just moved into apartment ‘C’.”

  “I know.” She had not just said that. She briefly closed her eyes, then grasped his hand.

  The jolt of awareness rendered her speechless. Even Bella seemed aware, for the satin tightened until the bodice stopped her lungs from drawing air.

  His eyes widened with surprise, as though he’d felt a smidgen of the shock she did. Dropping his hand, she took a defensive step backward.

  “Hmm…” Finally able to breathe, she inhaled. “I’m Arabella Davis. Nice to meet you.”

  He cleared his throat, hopefully because he was having the same problem articulating. “Coming from your wedding?”

  “What?” Bewildered she followed his gaze down to her outfit, oh, Bella. “Oh, no. It’s a long story, I need to go.”

  She swung around grasped Bella’s sides with her hands, not caring if her mail slipped from her fingers, if it did, she didn’t notice. Ari raced up the stairs as if her life depended on it. He probably thought she was totally, rude.

  “Nice boots, Arabella,” Gerard called after her.

  Or, maybe not. Without a backward glance, she answered. “Thanks.”

  When her foot hit the top stair to the landing of her floor, she could hardly draw in air. There was no way she could hold off any longer. She glanced down as she rounded the newel post to the hall to see if he was still in the foyer.

  God, he was watching her. Electricity arched between them.

  Spinning on the heel of her boot, she sprinted the rest of the way to her apartment. She unlocked the door, swung it wide and had her back against it in record time. Good grief, he must think she was an idiot, or at the very least, odd. Great impression. Her labored breathing echoed through the silent apartment.

  Until Conner came around the corner and saw her, he jumped. “Whoa, you’re home.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “What’s up with the dress?” He squinted at her then as if realizing what kind of dress it was. “Hey, just because I wanted to move in here? Man, Ari, I didn’t mean, you know…”

  He nervously ran his fingers through his dark rumbled hair. She used to think it was sexy, now she just thought of it as a rats nest. If she wasn’t still tingling all over from her encounter with Gerard she would have taken a minute to let him sweat. Not now though, now all she wanted to do was get to her room and remember.

  “Oh don’t flatter yourself Conner.”

  He gave her another disgruntled look, “Why are you wearing that…” He pointed with his finger as if he didn’t even want to say wedding dress.

  “She’s a Heidi by Design.”

  His bewildered look quickly turned to understanding. “Whew, had me scared for a minute. I know Heidi is your idol. So you’re going to copy the design then? Is that legal?”

  “Gee, no, Conner. I’m going to use her for inspiration for my creations.” Why was she even bothering to explain? “I’m going to go change now. I really want to be alone.”

  “But, I brought a movie and some of my things over.”

  She’d taken a step in the direction of her room, but now she swung around to face him. “Define some things.”

  He shifted from one foot to another as if he was ten years old again and being reprimanded by his mother. Which brought to mind the realization she’d had earlier in the day. He wanted a mother, not a girlfriend. She’d be damned to let him use her.

  It was then she noticed the old ratty chair stuffed into her over-loaded living room. “What the hell is that?”

  He glanced over his shoulder. His Adam’s apple did a quick bob. “Some of the things I was talking about.”

  “I never said you could move in.
” Why was he doing this now?

  This was going to make telling him she didn’t want to see him anymore, that much harder.

  Her life wasn’t complicated.

  She went to work, had a friendship of sorts with Conner and created her designs.

  She wanted more.

  Like, going to Central Park to watch the kids play soccer on Saturdays or check out a baseball game at Yankees Stadium. Maybe have coffee with a friend at the corner Java Hut on the way to work.

  Was that too much to hope for?

  She glared at Conner standing there looking forlorn and innocent. She didn’t have any friends to do those things with. Conner had squelched all of that.

  Everyone had stopped inviting her because he’d sucked all the life out of her. How had she let that happen? Had she let him? Guilt settled around her belly.

  Again, the satin and lace of Bella seemed to constrict as if agreeing with her thoughts.

  Reinforced by Bella’s agreement, she pointed at him. “Sit. I need to change and then we talk.”

  “Okay.” His whine grated down her spine.

  How had she ever found that tone to be sexy and vulnerable?

  In her bedroom, she stripped the dress that she’d been working on off her mannequin and hung it in the closet. Carefully removing Bella, she draped her over the fabric form and stepped back, not caring she was only in her underwear and red boots. Walking around Bella, she checked for smudges on the flawless fabric and the hem to make sure there was no dirt from her ride on the Love Machine or the escaped in the foyer. A sigh of relief escaped when she discovered the gown was none-the-worse for her adventure.

  Bella was a beautiful sight. What inspiration would she bring?

  The light glistened off the thousand beads; an image of herself wearing the dress at her own wedding ran through her mind. Stunned at the happiness that went with it, she glanced back at her closed door.

  No, she refused to believe that Conner was her destiny.

  Hands on hips, head tilted to the side, her voice stern, “Bella, I am not going to give you that. Conner will no longer be in my life.”