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Bree scowled because the idea of a guy just bringing up getting married in a casual conversation was unacceptable to her. She was all about the grand gestures when it came to weddings. Jude had flown Bree to Paris, and proposed to her at Disneyland. She had once told me Jude had decided there was no better place to propose to her than a place where princesses live, and when he asked her to marry him, he promised to always treat her like a queen. She expected something of equal grandeur for her friends too. Radleigh had only gained seven out of ten for his proposal to me. She’d said that while she thought it was cute that he proposed right after I’d had Jessica, he could have been more creative. I’d shaken my head in amusement at her assessment because to me, his proposal was perfect.
“I’ll tell him that.” Freya laughed.
“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” I said, smiling. “Miguel will do something incredible and unexpected.”
On my first date with him he went to enormous lengths to create the perfect beach picnic for us. Out of all the guys I’d dated, that was probably the best first date I’d ever been on.
Before Freya could say anything more, Teresa and the champagne girl came back, carrying a dress that made my eyes bulge out of my head.
“Whoa,” Kayla whispered.
My friends looked spellbound by the gown, and it was stunning, but… huge.
“I know you said you didn’t want anything with a large skirt,” Teresa said, noting my expression. “But I’ve been doing this for a long time. I think this will look incredible on you. Will you try it on?”
Before I could speak, Bree said, “Don’t even think about saying no. If you don’t try that on, I will!”
Laughing, I eyed the dress for a moment longer as Teresa explained that the white dress had a corded lace appliqued bodice, with Swarovski crystal accents. The appliqued design ran all the way down the train at the back, and halfway down the skirt at the front. It had delicate thin straps which also had crystal detail.
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s do this.”
Teresa followed me into the dressing room, and I shrugged out of my clothes again. As she helped me step into the dress, all I could think was that I wasn’t getting that vibe of magic I got from my first dress. It felt nice, comfortable, but no spark.
I didn’t look in the mirror until Teresa had buttoned me up at the back. The fit was a little off, a tad too big, but that wasn’t what concerned me. When I finally turned to get a glimpse of my reflection, the only thing I could see was the huge skirt. Where the last one had been closer fitting at the front and loose at the back, this one flared out at the hips, and although the train was slightly shorter, the whole skirt was much bigger.
“What do you think?” Teresa asked. “We’ll have to take it in at the waist so it fits as it should, but…”
I sighed. “It’s lovely. I’m just not sure it’s right for me.”
“Why don’t we go ask your friends?” She smiled kindly and I smiled back, appreciative of her help. Can’t have been an easy job, dealing with fussy brides all day long.
Teresa pulled the curtain back, and when I stepped out, my friends let out a collective gasp. Nobody said anything, they all just stared, their mouths hanging open.
“What?” I asked nervously.
“Uh, that silence is the sound of us telling you this is the one,” Freya said, stepping forward to examine the dress more closely. She stood in front of me, taking in the detail, and I turned around to look in the mirror. Ignoring the looseness around my waist, I stared too, looking more carefully at the intricate detail in the lace.
“Really?” I asked. “I like it, but I don’t know if…”
“Leah, you look beautiful.” Freya had tears in her eyes, and when I looked over at Bree, her eyes were damp too, even though she smiled brightly.
“This could not be more perfect for you,” she said.
“This is the one,” Izzy added. “It looks like it was designed for you.”
“I don’t know,” I said, turning around and examining myself in the mirror again. “With the first one, I loved it right away. I felt something. With this one… not so much.”
Bree shrugged. “Well, you didn’t like Radleigh when you first met him, but look how that turned out.”
Within seconds, all five of us were in fits of laughter, and as the stress dissolved, I realised she was right. The more I looked at myself in the dress, the more right it felt. And somehow, the strange parallel to my relationship made it even more perfect than the first.
“How much is it?” I asked, glancing at Teresa.
“It’s ten thousand dollars.”
Freya had to catch me as I staggered back slightly. “I’m sorry? Did you say ten thousand dollars?”
Teresa nodded.
