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“No, I need a new dress,” Charlie says, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Sydney stops in front of the dressing room curtain and throws her hands onto her narrow waist. She’s model hot with the body to match, but I’m not into high maintenance girls. Or bossy ones. Plus, she’s dating Carter Donovan, a wall of a man that she somehow manages to put into check. Not that I’m at all surprised. Some girls have the ability to bring men to their knees. Sydney is one of them. But it’s not hard to see that he’s the one in control.
“Yeah, babe,” Kennedy chimes in, holding onto her massive baby bump. “Just come out and let us see you. I’m sure you look beautiful.”
Even though Kennedy is only in her first trimester, she’s so big that she swears she’s having twins. Or that one was hiding somewhere inside her. Much like her friend, Kennedy is an interesting person.
It’s strange how Sydney and Kennedy both hooked up with hockey players, somehow managing to bring Charlie into their inner circle. On the surface, Kennedy and Sydney have the appearance of the typical mean girls that Charlie would’ve steered clear of years ago. But they ended up becoming a valuable asset to this wedding. And not bad company when Sydney isn’t spewing inappropriate things in public. She turns heads everywhere she goes, and not only because of her looks. I never met a girl with no filter, or at least not to the extent of Sydney.
Women like Regan are more my speed and much easier to please. She might be rich, but she’s down-to-earth and works for her money. I like that about her. It would be easy for her to live off her father’s money, but she takes pride in earning a dollar. We would never work if Regan weren't geared that way. I also respect her more because of her desire to make a name for herself outside of her father’s legacy.
After promising Regan breakfast on Tuesday, I had an emergency meeting that forced me to reschedule for a late lunch. Lunch I might miss if Charlie doesn’t speed things up. I had a hard enough time peeling myself away from the office to attend yet an
other painful dress fitting, let alone sneak off for a cheesesteak with Regan.
For whatever reason, Charlie insists that I be here for every wedding related event. Nothing I say or do will convince her to settle on a dress. I offer no value to this process, mostly here for moral support.
“About time,” Sydney says, as Charlie exits the dressing room in a cream colored gown with several layers down the front that cause the fabric to puff out around her body.
With tiny beads scattered from top to bottom, combined with the diamond flecks that sparkle when the light hits them, she looks so…regal. And unlike the girl I know. I still can’t believe she’s going through with all this nonsense.
“I like this one,” I say to Charlie, studying ever stitch of the fabric because I know she will quiz me later about every detail she did not like. “You look beautiful. I think you’re wrong about Alex not liking it.”
She frowns. “You’re just saying that so you can get out of here to meet Regan.”
“Oh, that’s today,” Sydney says, excited. “I forgot our man-of-honor was going out with Regan.” Turning toward me, Sydney says, “How did you pull that one off, Jamie? Regan is a notorious Ice Queen when it comes to men.”
Annoyed by her comment about Regan, I shrug, pretending it doesn’t bother me when I want to say something so bad. But I hold my tongue because today is about Charlie—not me.
“Because I’m not a hockey player. I actually have something to talk about other than bashing some dude’s head into the ice or whatever it is that your boyfriends talk about all day.”
“Hey,” Charlie says, with a loud huff. “I’m marrying a hockey player. Take it back, Jameson.”
Folding my arms over my chest, I lean back into the chair. “Nope.”
Charlie tugs at the sides of her gown and steps toward me barefoot. “If you don’t take it back, I will find a pink bridesmaid dress for you to wear to the wedding.”
“I wouldn’t wear it on a dare,” I spit back.
“Then, you would fail at your man-of-honor duties, and I’d have to fire you, which would be kind of embarrassing.”
She cracks a smile. Finally. Charlie has looked as though she could snap in half for weeks now. The pressure of this wedding is getting to her in ways I had never thought possible. I hate seeing the stress take such a toll on her life. On our lives. We had enough shit to deal with over the years that her wedding should be something to look forward to, not end up in the insane asylum.
“I guess I would deserve to be fired, but there’s no way you are ever getting me into a dress. Not even on a dare.”
Her features soften along with her voice. “You really think Alex will like this one? Are you just saying that to get out of future appointments?”
“You would think so but no. I meant what I said.” I get up from the chair, place my hand on her shoulder, and give it a good squeeze. “You look gorgeous, and Alex would be an idiot not to agree.”
“How cute,” Kennedy says, placing her hand over heart. “You two are so adorable.”
I glance in her direction and see other women nod in agreement. “Um…thanks, I guess,” I mutter. “Men don’t like to be called cute.”
“How is it the two of you never got together? I could totally see you guys getting married.”
Charlie and I both break out into laughter at the same time.
“Gross,” Charlie chokes out. “Jamie is like family. Even as much as kissing him would cause my stomach to turn.”
