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The consultant swept into the room, interrupting her thoughts and lugging dresses over her shoulder, and carefully hung her selections on hooks on the wall. Viv tried not to wrinkle her nose at the obscene amounts of tulle and lace that had gone into making skirts with so much volume. Her mother wanted to see a princess walk down the aisle, and Viv felt like anything but.
She didn’t argue as she undid the belt of her satin robe and let the consultant help her step into the gown, zipping it up the back and securing it with clips to fit her frame. What would be the point? There was too much to do, too many things to think about to be picky about this.
She only needed something pretty and presentable that would look good in pictures. Liking it wasn’t a requirement.
Gathering the skirt, she swished her way out from behind the curtain to gasps and excited whispers. Her mother’s eyes were big and bright when Viv stepped onto the dais. Most everyone seemed to like it, but Evie’s eyes were shrewd, locking on Viv’s face in the mirror before dragging down her body to appraise the dress.
“What do you think?" her mother asked.
“It’s…nice,” Viv replied, tracing her fingertip over the delicate beading on the bodice.
“It’ll be beautiful with the flowers I’m thinking of. But,”—Viv caught her mother’s eye in the mirror—“I want you to love it, and you don’t love it. Try on something else.”
Viv forced a smile and stepped off the dais. She hadn’t put enough thought into getting married to envision the perfect wedding dress. She had no idea what she would or wouldn’t love, and she didn’t have time to try on every dress in the store to find out. They had to leave with a dress today. And they were due at the florist in two hours.
She paraded three more dresses similar to the first in front of her mother, her sister, her friends, and her future sisters-in-law. None of them were hideous, they were couture after all, but she didn’t feel like a bride in any of them. Even though that thought was laughable. She wasn’t a bride. She was a negotiation.
Preparing to show off the fifth dress, she paused at a knock on the door, surprised when Evie poked her head in.
“Hi. Can we talk for a minute?”
Viv nodded, and the consultant slipped out, closing the door behind her without a sound.
“Is everything okay?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
Evie rolled her eyes. “Oh, I don’t know. In less than a month, you’ll be marrying a man with the emotional depth of a thimble in order to secure an alliance my husband wants. And while I can agree it's in the best interest of thefamilies,I can appreciate it's pretty shitty for you.”
Viv felt relief flood her chest. At least someone understood. Someone who didn’t insist on painting a happy, smiling face on it.
“I know we don’t have much time, and I’m sorry for that. But I want you to have as much of what you want as I can get for you. You deserve at least that much.” Evie gestured toward the pouffy ball gown. “Is this thing what you want?”
The disdain in Evie’s tone had Viv laughing. “God, no. I look like I’m floating in cotton candy. But…” Viv caught her reflection in the mirror. “It’s what my mother wants, and I’m her last daughter. She won’t get to dress another bride like this.”
When Viv turned away from the mirror, Evie’s eyes were sad. Viv suddenly remembered that Evie’s own mother had been murdered barely six months ago. In a blink, Evie’s face cleared.
“Even still. Whatever you want, as long as I can get it for you. I can get this for you. I have an idea. Trust me?”
Surprisingly, Viv found she did. Or she was at least resigned to pleasing someone today, even if it wasn’t herself. She nodded.
“Good. I saw a dress on the floor I think would be stunning on you. Let me grab it.”
The consultant didn’t come back in when Evie left, and Viv couldn’t get out of the fluffy monstrosity on her own, so she waited. There were aspects of the dress she liked. The lace overlay on the bodice and the beading at the neckline that caught the light when she moved.
Evie slipped back in without knocking and hung up two dresses, neither of them white. She unzipped the first one, an ivory mermaid dress covered in delicate beading and embroidery. It had simple lace cap sleeves and a sweetheart neckline.
“Let’s try this one first.”
Viv turned so Evie could help her out of the ballgown and into the more fitted dress. It hugged every curve from breast to hip until it fell away at mid-thigh in a puff of tulle. It flattered, and she liked it better than the others, at least.
“This isn’t my pick, but I’m trying an experiment. Ready?”
Curious, Viv nodded and followed Evie out to the waiting area. Sofia’s eyes widened, and her mother’s jaw dropped. Viv had to hide a smile as she stepped onto the dais.
“You don’t like it?” Viv wondered when no one spoke.
“It’s not what I was picturing,” Julia admitted. “But you look beautiful. Do you like it?”
