by Jude Ouvrard
''Alicia, what the hell have you done to my girl? Joy-Anna just sent me a picture, and now you send one.''
''Nothing! Don't you think she looks happy?'' I demand.
''Yeah, but geez, she looks like she just watched a male stripper take his gear off or something,'' he laughs.
''No male strippers. She's just overwhelmed at the moment. It's a lot for her, to be standing here, ready to buy a wedding dress, especially when she was planning on buying her dress online. Instead of trawling through websites, Lucia has brought her here to one of the biggest bridal store in New York. She's very surprised.'' To say the least.
''Could you do me a favor?'' he asks.
''It depends.'' I'm not sure if I like the sound of that, and I’m instantly suspicious.
''I just want her to try on one of those mermaid dresses. I've always thought they were hot.''
I laugh at his request. ''I think you’ve done too many wedding shoots, ’Ley.''
''Maybe, but please, have her try on one? And take a picture if you can.''
''Is this one of your fantasies, Presley?'' I demand, narrowing my eyes.
I can guess he’s blushing from here. He’s not the type of guy who can express how he feels about a woman easily. The fact that he’s admitted he likes that particular style of dress is a big deal in itself. It seems like a good opportunity to do some teasing of my own.
''Shut up Alicia. I should have asked Lucia. Now you're never going to let this go,'' Presley grumbles.
''Come on Presley. Don't worry about it. I’ll get her in a mermaid dress, and I’ll take pictures for you as well. I have to go now. See ya.''
''You're the worst friend ever. Watch out for my girl, Ali. Bye now.''
I’ll have to ask our designer for a mermaid dress now. I can't forget about this, or Presley will never let me hear the end of it. I have to admit; those dresses are quite sexy. I was thinking about wearing one for my own wedding.
Abbie has finally relaxed, and Lucia is overjoyed by her reaction. We are greeted by the receptionist, and I think she’s having a bad day. She's a pretty young woman, but she looks like she has been running a marathon and she seems agitated. Lucia puts her hand on the receptionist’s shoulder sympathetically. ''You're having a bad day, I can tell. Take two minutes to pull yourself together, we’re early. Our appointment isn’t for another fifteen minutes.''
Lucia has an amazing way with people. I was so astonished by her personality when I met her for the first time. I was playing with Presley, outside in his tree house. My mother and father were away, and I was staying at the Williams’ house for the day. I started to feel unwell, and Lucia took care of me all afternoon. She is an angel.
When I started dating Joshua, Lucia was so excited for us both. She cried, and said she always knew I would be part of their family, but she thought I would hook up with Presley, not Joshua. It was never going to happen; I think of Presley as more of a brother than a boyfriend. He's the best friend I could have asked for, and I hope it will always be that way between us.
Our gown specialist is here. I can see the excitement sparkle in Abbie’s eyes. She's happy, and I can tell she’s still nervous at the same time. Lucia is holding her hand, giving her reassurance. They seem to already be creating a mother/daughter type of connection…Lucia is becoming very fond of Abbie. I think it's great, and exactly what they both need.
''Hi, my name is Samantha, and I will be helping you select a gown today. When is the wedding day?''
Abbie glances at Lucia for confirmation, before she responds. ''As soon as possible, but we don’t have a fixed date.''
''Alright. We’ll work with that. What kind of budget are we working with today?''
Lucia hurried to answer the question. ''We don't have any limitation. The only important thing is that Abbie loves the dress.''
''Great! What style or silhouette are we looking for today?'' Samantha questioned.
''Mermaid...” I announced firmly. “I want her to try on one of those mermaid style dresses. Something with some lace. I think Abbie would look great in lace.''
Joy-Anna frowns at me.
''I don't want anything elaborate, or too fancy. I just want something both simple and sexy at the same time. If I can add a purple belt or some purple accessories, that would make me very happy,'' Abbie suggests.
So it's going to be a purple themed wedding, interesting. Presley wearing a purple tie. It's the first thing that comes to my mind. It wouldn't be that bad…I think ’Ley would look great in purple. The accessories have to match, and her bouquet, too. Wait, purple flowers? Orchids, or ranunculus, maybe. We’ll have to look for purple bridesmaid dresses, too. I'm sure Lucia and Joy-Anna will agree. We need to coordinate, if we want this wedding to be perfect.
''Please follow me to the dressing room. I’ll come back with a few dresses, and we’ll go from there, alright?” Samantha announces, waving her hand in Abbie’s direction.
''Absolutely.'' Abbie definitely sounding nervous. She’s staring at her reflection in the mirror, fiddling with her hair, checking out her figure…I think she’s trying to work out the hairstyle she wants. Her hair is long, so there are endless possibilities. Her figure is perfect, as well. There’s nothing for her to worry about, I know that whatever she chooses to wear, she’s going to look amazing.
Chapter TWENTY-ONE
Abbie
TWENTY MINUTES LATER…
Oh my goodness! There are six dresses waiting for me in the dressing room. I see lots of lace; everything is looking great and unreal. I'm so excited about this. The gowns all have lots of different textures and each one is a unique design. I don't see any purple on any of them, though. I hope this is something that can be easily remedied.
''Let’s start with the mermaid one, to please your sister,'' Samantha suggests.
''Oh, no, no, she's not my sister. She's a friend. I guess I should say she's my fiancé’s best friend, and his brother’s girlfriend. Rambling, I'm rambling. Sorry.'' I smile nervously. I need to calm down. This is supposed to be fun; I don’t need to get stressed out.
''Take a deep breath, Abbie,'' Samantha laughs.
I do as she says. It does make things seem better. My whole body relaxes after a few deep breaths.
''You know, some girls cry all the way to the end of the appointment, so in comparison, you're doing great.'' She squeezes my shoulder to reassure me.
''Mermaid dress, here I come!''
It's very sexy. I'm not sure it suits me, but God knows Presley would love it. On top of that, it’s lace. It fits like a second skin. Samantha adjusts the dress, and wow, I think I look stunning. I can’t stop smiling to myself, because I feel exactly like a princess. I've never seen myself so feminine and pretty, and I'm overwhelmed by how different it is.
''Ready to face them?'' Samantha asks after doing some final adjustments.
''I don't know,'' I laugh. ''But I think I’ll do it, anyway.''
We walk out of the dressing room and into the main area of the store. As soon as I face my group, Lucia stops talking to Joy. She stares, her jaw almost dropping to the floor. She gets up and runs towards me, a huge smile on her lips.
''Abbie...I... can’t... You’ve made me speechless! This dress is amazing. You're gorgeous; it suits you perfectly.''
Alicia is taking pictures, which makes me laugh. She didn't say a word, just flipped open her phone and started taking pictures. I assume that means she likes it.
Joy-Anna is suddenly hugging me, tears running down her face. ''You're gorgeous, Bee! This dress is incredibly sexy, and I'm sure Presley would love it.''
''Oh, I’m sure he will,” Alicia announces. “I’ll be surprised if he doesn't show up here after he gets the pictures I just sent.''
Joy-Anna is upset that Alicia sent him the pictures. I don’t mind because I don’t think it’s the one. I stare at myself in the mirror, turning to see the back. It doesn't even need adjustments; it's perfect as it is. I love the dress, and I feel good
in it, but I still want to try on some of the others.
We go back into the dressing room, and repeat the same procedure five more times. Then I try on a sweetheart ‘A’-line gown, in a flowery white lace. There are small crystals sewn at the base of the dress. It gives it just enough sparkles. As soon as I look at myself in the mirror, I start crying. This is it, this is the one. I'm much more comfortable in this one. Everything is exactly the way I imagined the ideal dress would be.
Samantha asks me if I want to try it with a veil. I assure her that of course I do! She attaches a veil to my hair, placing it over my shoulders. It's gorgeous and I love it.
I remember when I was eight or nine years old, my parents were still married, and I was looking at their wedding pictures with my mother. We were sitting on the couch, and she was describing her wedding day to me. At the time, I thought they were the perfect couple. Mom looked lovely, and Dad was so handsome in his pale grey suit. Right now, I'm having a visualization of myself, talking to my daughter or son about our special day sometime in the future. I can see myself looking at the photographs, fifty years from now, and not regretting a thing. It's perfect; this dress is precisely what I want.
''You said you wanted purple accessories, right?''
I nodded in agreement. ''Yes, if it's possible.''
''The sky's the limit here; all of your wishes will come true today.'' Samantha takes a few seconds to study me. ''Do you mind waiting two more minutes, before we show them how perfect you look?''
''No, it's fine.''
Samantha leaves me alone in the dressing room, and I continue to stare at my reflection in amazement. I can’t stop smiling to myself. It looks so perfect. On impulse, I grab my phone from my purse, and take a picture of the mirror’s reflection. I’ll have this picture to cherish and study my dress until our wedding day.
Samantha returns with a length of dark purple ribbon. ''We could add the ribbon around your waist, that way your dress will match with your bridesmaids and your spouse. That’s if you’re still certain you want to go with purple.'' She ties the ribbon around my waist and I study the reflection in the mirror.
''Samantha, I thought the dress looked great without it, but now that I see it with the ribbon, I want it. It's perfect.'' I'm so excited. We’ve been in here for the past half hour and I'm dying to show the others my wedding dress.
I walk out of the dressing room with confidence, teardrops escape from my eyes. I don’t know what to expect, but I see all three of them staring at me. None of them are moving or talking. Lucia starts crying tears of joy with me. She joins me on the podium, and whispers in my ear, “Your mother would have loved it, too. You're so beautiful, Abbie.”
I grin, smiling in delight. ''Thank you.''
Presley
Cell phone pictures totally suck. I wish I had lent Alicia one of my cameras to take with them. The dresses are all great. The mermaid cut is mind-blowing and definitely sexy, but when I look at Abbie, I notice there is something missing in her eyes. She looks happy, but I don't see that special sparkle in her eyes. I can't stop staring at her.
It hasn’t even been twelve hours since Abbie left and I am going C-R-A-Z-Y. I glance around my apartment. It’s empty and boring. Whenever she’s not here, it feels exactly the same way. I need to find something constructive to do; I have to keep myself busy. I've had this huge print of Abbie for a while now and I haven't taken the time to hang it on the wall yet. Of course, its place is in my living room, with the prints of Joy, Alicia, and Joshua. After trying out the print in a number of positions around the room, I finally decide to hang her frame right next to mine. It seems right –I want her by my side all the time. I smile at my own ridiculousness.
Abbie sends me a text message.
Abbie: I found it! It's so perfect, Presley. Of course, you don't get to see it until the day...but it's PERFECT.
I have a huge grin on my face; I’m so happy that she’s found the dress she wanted. I’m thrilled that she’s finally having a good time; she’s been through hell in the past month. I know Lucia is probably having the time of her life, hanging out with the girls and spoiling them. She is a good person, and she only means well. I wish I’d figured that out when I was younger, rather than giving her such a hard time when I was a kid.
I text back to Abbie before I head out with Joshua.
Presley: I am more than happy that you found your dress, I can't wait to see you–in and out of it. :).
Joshua asked me to go shopping with him. I don't understand why he would ask me, because I hate shopping. Spending an afternoon walking in a mall is more like my personal idea of hell. When I have to go, you won't hear me complain. If I need to get clothes or a Christmas present, it’s not a problem, but I’m not the type of guy who goes to the mall for the heck of it.
On our way to the mall, I get the idea that something is wrong with my brother. He’s more quiet than usual and he looks nervous. He isn’t joking around and teasing me about the wedding. Something is definitely off. I wait for a while, thinking he’ll say something, but he doesn't.
''Joshua, I can't read your mind. What’s up with you?''
He hesitates. ''Nothing’s wrong,” he admits, “but I’m about to ask you for some help and I’m afraid of your reaction when you find out why.''
I grin. ''If you want to kill somebody, you should watch Dexter. You don't need my help.''
''Don’t be stupid. I just want to...fuck...I’m sure you’re going to kill me when I tell you.''
''Why would I kill you? Did you sleep with my fiancée?'' I joke.
''Presley, you are so stupid. What I’m trying to say is...I want to...I want to ask Alicia to marry me. I want to propose to her.'' Joshua is more than nervous about this; I can hear his voice trembling.
I don't know what to say. I mean Joshua obviously loves Alicia and she loves him. I’m not her father, so why would he freak out like this?
''Okay, so go ahead and ask her. I can't wait to see her face.'' I smile warmly. ''You might want to bring along some tissues, too. Ali will probably cry.''
He stares at me, as if I’m the dumbest human on the planet. ''Are you sure?'' he asks doubtfully.
I sigh heavily, rubbing my fingers over my temples. ''Joshua, I’m not her father, I’m her friend. I know she’ll say yes, and I’m sure it will be the most precious day of her life. Why were you so afraid to tell me?''
''I don't know bro...I guess because you’re always so protective of her.'' I have to admit, he’s right, I’ve always been protective of Alicia.
I get the flashback to her prom, something I don't want to think about now. Every time I think about it, I can't sleep for a few nights.
''You know why–I’ve been protecting her from the jerks. You definitely aren’t one of them.''
Given the size of his grin, if we weren't in a car, I’m pretty sure Joshua would have lifted me up in his arms and crushed my bones with a bear hug. He is truly happy that I’m okay with him asking Alicia to marry him. It occurs to me that we aren't going shopping.
''Are we going ring shopping?'' I ask him curiously.
''Yeah, I thought you could help me find her a fine-looking ring.'' Alicia can be quite particular and I’m sure she’ll want a big diamond; she loves everything that sparkles.
Ring shopping. Sounds like a good idea to me. I’ve already found the design of the ring I want to give Abbie. I can't wait to present it to her on our wedding day. Today seems like the perfect day to take the next step and order it, if I want it ready on time.
''Let’s do this, Joshua. I need to get Abbie’s wedding ring, too.''
''Thanks. When I found out you were getting married so soon, I felt like an asshole for not proposing to Ali before now. She means the world to me. I think we’re ready for this.''
''You both are,'' I confirm. Alicia had a rough start in terms of being involved with a man, she had to endure countless hours of therapy to get to where she is today. I believe she’s definitely ready now and J
oshua adores her.
He drives us to one of the most renowned jewelry stores in Seattle. I think Derek got Joy-Anna's ring here, too. It's the type of store where you go through security before you can enter. I’m always a little nervous about going into that store. Joy, Joshua and I, have visited once before, when we bought Dad a watch for his fiftieth birthday a few months ago.
''Oh, shit, Presley. You have got to be kidding me,'' Joshua says, his voice so low I can barely hear his words.
''What’s wrong?''
He nods his head in the direction of one of the cabinets. Ann Dickey, Kelly’s sister, is standing in the store. Fuck. What were the chances that I would meet her here?
She notices me in the doorway and speaks up before I can step back outside. ''Presley Williams?''
Fuck. This can’t be good.
''Yeah.''
She stands a few feet away from me and offers me a weak smile. I’ve only ever met her once when I was going out with Kelly. Ann is the total opposite of her sister. She was sweet and loving and from what I recall, she holds down a very good career as a model and international reporter.
''I heard what my sister did to you and your fiancée. Words fail me. I am so sorry.'' Her eyes well with tears and I can see from her face that she means what she says. ''Is your fiancée okay?''
''She wasn't okay when it happened, she was hospitalized for few days, but she’s fine now.''
''No permanent damage?''
''No.'' I didn’t intend to give her any more details than she needed.
''I sent Kelly to rehab in Utah. She’s been admitted for a three-month rehabilitation program, or until she receives her sentence for the assault.'' She lowers her gaze. ''She’s in a lot of trouble.''
''I hate to say this, Ann, you seem like a good person, but your sister is trouble.''
