Page 39 of The Wedding Situation Romance

Allegra sighs but indulges me and turns back around so I can unzip it.

“I know he’s a divorce lawyer,” I say, going on with my own problems, “But I just can’t imagine anyone not having at least a thread of romance in them.”

“Maybe he’s been burned,” she says. “Maybe he used to be a hopeless romantic and the love of his life broke his heart into so many shards that it’s irreparable.”

I scoff. “Yeah. Right. And maybe my prince charming is about to walk through the door of the parlor just waiting to sweep me off my feet and carry me off into the sunset,” I mutter, stepping into the princess gown.

“I’m just saying,” she goes on, trying on another dress that is almost identical but with some light beadwork and a longer train. “That amount of disdain is usually the product of some kind of damage. Which one do you like better?”

“You’re right,” I say. “I bet his mom dropped him on his head when he was a baby. I like this one better. It’s fancier.”

“I kind of like the lack of luster in the first one…” she says, and I knew that would be her answer. She’ll get the first one, matchit with a dainty solitary necklace, maybe some dangly earrings, a whisper of makeup and look like gold. As Allegra can do.

Meanwhile, I turn for her to zip my dress up. Once it’s all tied together, I stand in front of the mirror. And we both stop.

“Wow, girl,” she says.

“Yeah…” I whisper, and as much as I hate it, I know I’m about to get emotional. “These are the kinds of dresses I tried on before…”

“I know,” she says as we both remember what happened.

“Speaking of jinxing,” I say. “Maybe that’s what happened.”

“What do you mean?” she asks.

“I used to go to bridal shops all the time, trying on dresses before he even proposed…” I say.

“That didn’t jinx it,” she says gently. “Mark fucked it up.”

I crack a shaky smile, only because Allegra does not say ‘fuck’ often.

“But girl, you need to see this dress in its full glory,” she insists.

“Why?” I sniff.

“Because it’s beautiful. Because it’s you and this is what you do. You love weddings and all things marriage, and seeing how beautiful you are in your dream dress will just remind you that someday, your princeisgoing to walk in the door and sweep you off your feet.”

“What makes you so sure?” I ask.

“Because you deserve it. Because you’re always an amazing bridesmaid. You always encourage love. And you’ve literally dedicated your life to helping other people believe forever is possible,” she says, pulling the curtain open. “Now, come on. Come see what I see.”

I follow my friend to the front of the store, and even though we are here for her, she steps aside with a humble smile and gestures for me to step up on the stage in front of the mirrors. And sure enough, it takes my breath away.

Sweetheart neckline. Delicate straps. Poofy skirt made of layers upon layers of tulle and organza. A train that will require no less than three bridesmaids to splay it out before my walk down the aisle. It’s everything I ever wanted.

“Someday,” I whisper to myself before smiling.

Chapter 16

Reid

“How was the wedding?”Drew asks as we walk through the Upper East Side. We are headed to a bridal shop, again, to try on suits in–you guessed it…salmon.

“Hard,” I tell him. Pun intended, though it goes over his head.

“But it went well, right?” he asks. “I don’t know AJ all that well, but I do know he’s over the top.”

Despite being my best friend, Drew is separate from all the wedding bros. While I know them mostly from college and work, Drew and I go clear back to high school. He is in our fantasy football league, so at least he knows what the guys are like, which is why he is spot on about AJ’s wedding.