“You pick some for me then,” I turned to her, pulling on her hand. “Please?”
“Okay,” she smiled, a small blush covering her. “Babe… You’d look great in any of these.” She seemed a bit bothered by my reluctance and my pessimism about my own body.
“I’ll just have to see them on.” I gave her a quick smile and then walked over to where Mom and Liz were talking to the woman who owned the store.
“I think we’re ready to do some trying on,” I told them.
“Oh great,” the woman smiled and held out her hand to direct us toward the fitting area.
“Your mothers were just telling me about your story and I think it’s awfully sweet.”
The woman was practically gushing. I didn’t know what to say. Our story wasn’t remarkable in itself but I did think our love was. There was no way this woman even knew.
“Thanks,” I said.
After I gave her the go-ahead, Olivia grabbed several dresses out from the section with my closest size. She didn’t seem to be having any problems at all. I guess the way it worked you tried on the samples and then ordered the style and pattern that you liked and they fitted you with a special tailor or something like that.
I knew next to nothing about this but I was having fun apart from my apparent inability to make a decision on my own dress. We walked back and passed a few fitting rooms until we got to the one she was going to give us. It was big, made for two people.
The woman set the sample dresses up on the mobile rack on the far side of the room. There were two mirrors on opposite sides and a little pedestal in front of them so you could elevate yourself and show off the dresses as you tried them on.
“Are you two comfortable trying on in front of each other? We can get you separate rooms if you’d like.” The woman smiled. “A lot of people are very traditional and therefore superstitious.”
“No, it’s fine.” I waved a hand. I kind of needed Olivia’s opinion anyway. “I mean, if that’s cool with you…” I looked at her.
“No, it’s good,” she nodded.
“We’ll be fine.” I really wanted the woman to leave but she kept standing there, grinning at us.
“We’ll call if we need anything,” Liz said.
I sighed in relief as the woman nodded and took off. Thank god. She was going to kill me if she hovered and offered any more help.
I pulled one of the dresses Olivia had chosen off the rack and took it over to the mirror. There was a little screen you could dress behind and I slipped back and started to take my clothes off. I knew Olivia was doing the same across the room.
It was the first time we’d been in a room together naked like this. It was a little too formal. We couldn’t even see each other or touch. I wanted to touch her. We’d been doing great. It was ridiculous how happy we’d been. There were little ups and downs but nothing we didn’t get over within the day. We were better about doing our own thing when we needed to but we still spent most of our time together.
We’d even instituted a Thursday night watch date for TV. Until, The 100 had to go and ruin things. I still can’t get over it. It took Olivia two hours to calm me down from the episode where Lexa died. I just remember pacing up and down the guest house yelling about how it was bullshit and threatening to never watch TV again.
The thought made me cringe. Just like this dress was making me cringe as I pulled it up my body and walked out to get my mom to zip it up.
“I dunno,” I said.
I walked out to the mirror and looked. It had three-quarter length lace sleeves and satin all over. It went all the way to the floor and left a little train in the back.
“Babe?”
I looked over to find her already in her first dress. She was freaking stunning. I gaped at her and froze.
“Holy shit,” I said.
“Avery Nicole!” My mom tutted at me.
“Sorry, sorry… But look at ‘er!”
I lifted an arm to point at Olivia. “Babe, you’re gorgeous.”
I walked over, trying to hold back the urge to kiss her like mad.
Parents ruined everything.
I had no qualms about kissing Olivia in front of our moms but I couldn’t do it properly. For that we’d have to be alone.
“Look at you,” I gushed and turned her toward the mirror. “What do you think?”
“Not too bad,” she said, sucking in air and trying to act normal. That little muscle in her neck twitched. It was the dress I’d picked out.
“You don’t like it?” I looked over at the rack. “Try another one.”
I finally looked down at the dress I was wearing again and frowned. “Definitely try another one.”
“Come on,” she smiled, running her hand down my arm and taking my hand. I followed her back to the rack and watched her pick through a few and hand me one. She was being super quiet but her eyes were all over me. “Here,” she said. “You’ll like this one better.”
‘Okay,” I said, taking the dress. I stopped before I turned around to change and leaned in. “What are you thinking right now?”
Her eyes widened and she took me in. I could see the question took her by surprise.
“Just curious,” I said.
I wasn’t just curious. I was in need of our intimacy and if I couldn’t touch her then I wanted to know what she was thinking. Her private innermost thoughts.
She cleared her throat carefully and leaned in close. “I wish we were alone,” she said. “If we were alone I could touch you and tell you what I really feel right now. Which is a lot.”
“Mmm, that’s what I feel too.”
I turned and walked away, giving her a look over my shoulder. She was going to be spending a lot of time later naked. I could already tell. I’d probably have her clothes off within minutes of us getting home.
We went back to our respective corners and I started pulling out the dresses and looking at them. They were nice in their own ways but I didn’t really love any of them. I mainly spent time watching Olivia try on her dresses. Each one looked just as good as the one before. Except the last one. She looked like a 1940s dream in that one.
“That’s my favorite.” I flounced over, back in my own clothes. “You look so amazing. I’m pretty much ready to pass out right here.”
“You do know you’ll have to stand during the wedding right?” She asked.
“Yeah but by then I’ll have a chair handy for when I see you for the first time. Dad’ll catch me.”
I could only imagine her all done up, hair and makeup, plus this dress. She was going to kill me.
“If you like this one I’ll wear it,” she smiled.
Our mom’s had been off to the side just sort of watching us interact.
I glanced over at them and tossed my head to the side, asking for their opinion.
“It’s definitely the best so far,” my mom concurred.
“I think you look beautiful, honey and you will in any dress like Avery says but do you like it?” Liz came a little closer and looked over Olivia’s shoulder into the mirror.
“Yeah,” Olivia gasped, her eyebrows rising a bit. She had a look of near disbelief. “I just wasn’t ever the girl to dream of wedding dresses,” she laughed. She wasn’t able to stop looking.
“I know,” her mom smiled all devilish, coming up behind her and holding her shoulders in the dress. I watched them both stare at Olivia’s reflection. “It fits though, doesn’t it?” Liz asked.
“It does,” Olivia said, absentmindedly touching a hand to her mother's while she kept on looking.
I loved seeing them like this. It was a rare moment that I got to witness. We lived right off the pool but I so rarely got to see Liz, let alone Liz and Olivia interacting. It was something I’d carry with me for a long time.
I was quiet and let them have their moment, backing off to stand with my mom who was watching them as well. She was smiling and when our eyes met she put her arm around me and pulled me in for a side hug.
“I know she is, Mom. I think I knew it from the second she kissed me but I just had to adjust my worldview so I could see that I had to have her in my life.”
“When did you get so eloquent and grown up,” Mom asked.
I bit back my initial response. It was about the time I had to start taking care of her that I really jettisoned forward but I couldn’t tell her that. She didn’t need any more guilt.
“I dunno,” I said, smiling faintly.
“Let’s go back out and find some more dresses,” she said. “Let them have a moment.”
I shrugged. “Okay,” sounds good.
We slipped out and walked back down the hall. The boutique owner was walking towards us, leading another girl along to a dressing room. Right about when we were going to pass her a really well-dressed man ran up, toting a dress in a garment bag.
“Priscilla, this special order came in and the bride hates it.” He waved a hand and rolled his eyes. “Says it makes her hips look big.” I couldn’t help but look over.
“Let me see it, Sven.”
She opened the door for the bride to be as he unzipped the garment bag. The dress flowed out. It was a sleek, Jazz Age, looking dress with silk and satin.
I started to smack my mom’s arm. “That’s it!” I pointed and tried to keep my voice down but I was almost jumping up and down. “That’s my dress.”
“Oh?!” Mom looked over, confused at first but then she put her hands to her face and smiled, looking over at me. “It is. That’s beautiful.”
I walked over, holding my hands out to grip the sides of the dress.
“Is this for sale?”
I looked up at the woman and then over at the man she called Sven.
“Yes, oh my, would you like to try it on,” Sven asked.
“Please.”
He carefully folded the dress back into the bag and handed it to me.
“If you like it I’ll give you fifteen percent off,” the owner said.
“Um, thanks,” I laughed and turned back around.
This was too perfect. I trotted down the hall past my mom, assuming that she would follow. When I got back to the dressing room, Olivia had changed back again and her mom was holding the dress she picked over her arm.
“Babe, look at this. It’s freaking perfect and the girl who ordered it doesn’t want it.”
I unzipped the bag and pulled out the dress, checking the size. I held my breath. I’d forgotten to look before.
“Holy…” It’s my size.
I rushed to the screen to change. Once I’d gotten the dress almost on I needed to be zipped up but I didn’t want Olivia to see it yet.
“Mom? Can you?”
She came behind and zipped the dress, patting my back when she finished.
“It looks perfect, Avery.” She grinned at me and gave me a hug. I clung to her neck and kissed her cheek, elated at my find.
I cleared my throat and squared my shoulders like my dad had taught me when I was little. When I stepped from behind the screen I held my arms out and looked in the mirror.
Mom was right. It was absolutely perfect. It was the dress to end all dresses.
“Well?” I turned around to face Olivia and Liz.
It was actually kind of hilarious and a I chuckled after a second. Liz and Olivia both sort of made the same face, their mouths dropping open a little and eyes flaring before they could both quickly step-back from that first accidental jump in character and re-adjust to having a normal acceptable reaction.
I could visibly see Olivia’s chest moving up and down a lot faster than it had done before. I knew that look.
My smile grew instantly because I knew.
“Avery,” she breathed, seeing me with her hand on her stomach as she stared.
“Perfect,” Liz breathed, stepping forward and taking me into an awkward hug. She pulled me into her and kissed my forehead. “So beautiful, Avery,” she said.
“Thanks,” I chuckled, eyes still locked on Olivia as her mom moved away from me and let me stare. Olivia was just standing there and breathing all intense. It was almost like she’d gone inside herself a little to think about what it was she was taking in.
All I knew was that she liked it and I liked the way she was looking at me.
After a second she shook her head and snapped herself out of it as she came to me and touched my elbows and looked down closer. “Ya-ah-you look fantastic,” she stuttered, swallowing awkwardly and trying to hide the fact that she had literally gotten tears in her eyes that were threatening now to become an issue and spill out.
“Awww, babe,” I cooed, touching her face lovingly with my hand as I noticed. “I’m glad you like it and the best part is we can take it home today.” I kissed her cheek just as a single tear slid down. “Your reaction is my favorite thing about this dress,” I told her.
She loosely held at my elbows as she hugged me and I heard her laugh since she was embarrassed. “I can’t believe this is really happening,” she whispered all tight.
“It is. Believe it. We’re going to get married in two weeks and I can’t wait.”
My chest was tight with joy and my heart was hammering away. I forgot that our moms were even there as I stared into her eyes, gripping her arms with my hands. It was real. We were going to do this and it made me so happy.
“You ready?” I asked. “To get married to me, I mean.”
“I love you,” she said, eyes moving up and down my face. The question hurt her a little I think. Either that or she was feeling reeeally serious all of a sudden. I couldn’t exactly tell. “Of course I’m ready,” she said. “Aren’t you?”
“More than ready. I’d go right now but everyone would kill us.” I pouted and then let the thought of her in that dress perk me up again. “Let’s go get your dress ordered and make sure they can get it in time and then go home. I have some plans for you.”
She smiled up at me and I could see both adoration and wonder in her expression as she nodded back still marveling a bit.
“Let’s go,” I said, taking her hand.
We walked out of the room, our moms following. It was a point of change. The last piece that made me know that this was going to happen. I didn’t care who was looking at us or if there were even people around, I was happier than I’d ever been. I could only imagine what it would be like on the day.
We bought the dress and ordered Olivia’s and then drove home. We’d come separate from Liz and Mom so we were alone on the drive back.
I tuned the satellite radio to the indie station and sat back, taking Olivia’s hand. I’d asked her to drive not giving her a reason why. I knew she’d laugh if she knew. My plan all along was to watch her.
Some sad song was on but I didn’t find it sad. It just made me think. I grazed her arm with one finger all the way down to her wrist and then traced each of her knuckles. All the while I was studying her profile.
I’d always liked that her skin was a little darker than mine. It was a smooth, beautiful olive and when she was tan it was a golden bronze. She’d spent so much time out by the pool with me that she’d gotten darker because of the spring.
I glanced to the radio before the song ended, wanting to catch the title. I’d add it to my Olivia playlist later. I had five of them, one for every mood she could put me in that required music. This would go on the contemplation playlist.
She didn’t know about them but I wasn’t keeping it from her. I’d gladly show her someday if I got the yen. I continued to stare at her as the next song came on.
“This station is good,” I commented.
“It is,” she agreed, zoning-out as she drove.
I played with her hand, watching her face as she lost herself in thought.
“You look so serious when you’re like this. It’s cute.”
I tapped her wrist with two fingers to the beat of the song that was on.
Her jawline was so strik
ing. I wanted to reach out and smooth my finger down it. You could never recreate her face in any medium that would be as attractive as it was in flesh and blood. I loved the life she had in her. The way her features were animated. No one could duplicate it.
Her face softened a bit as she came back to me. She couldn’t really look at me though. Not because she was driving. She was overwhelmed right now.
“I am serious,” she said, lips twitching as they closed.
Paper Dolls Page 13
