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FIFTEEN
EVERLEIGH
Classical music playedin the background as I stood on the pedestal, a seamstress sticking pins into my bridesmaid dress. I glanced over at Ali, who was laughing with her seamstress. I hated the dress, but Alison, being kind and positive, refused to admit that they were hideous. Layers upon layers of gold silk shaped like petals or leaves, or whatever they were, hung off the skirt, and a corset bodice was covered with gold sequins. The only part I liked was the one-shoulder style. Other than that, I would take the dress off the second the wedding was over and never look at it again.
When the measurement for alterations was finished, Ali and I changed into our clothes and headed out for lunch.
“Did you take the whole day off?” I asked as the maître d’ led us to our table.
“I have to go back to the clinic this afternoon.” She checked her watch. “I hope Marisa gets here soon. She really wanted to have lunch with us.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know why she’s trying so hard.”
“I do.” Alison took a sip of her sparkling water. “She wants you to like her.”
“I’d like her a lot better if she wasn’t marrying my father for his money.”
Alison narrowed her lips into a line. “You don’t know that,” she said.
“You haven’t been in the family long enough to see what I’ve seen.” The server handed us menus and set a third down where Marisa should have been sitting.
Alison gave a sly smile. “Remember, you thought I was a gold digger too.”
It was a true statement. “But then you proved yourself to me.”
“Ah.” Ali smiled. “So guilty until proven innocent.”
I slathered some butter on a roll and pointed the butter knife at her. “Exactly.”
Alison shook her head. “I think you should give her a chance. She seems to make your father happy. Colton and I went to dinner with them last week, and William seemed twenty years younger.”
I was about to make a crack about Viagra but then changed my mind. Alison had a point. I had no reason to believe that Marisa was using my father for money, other than the fact that she was twenty years younger than him. Plastering a fake smile on my face, I said, “I’ll give her a chance,” through my teeth. My gut was telling me not to trust Marisa, but maybe Alison was right and it was time for me to soften a little. “How was your dinner?”
“Good. Your father and Colton talked about hockey, and Marisa and I talked about the wedding.”
“Sounds titillating.” I took a bite of the roll. It was French, flaky, and delicious.
“When did you start eating carbs?” Alison asked.
I shrugged. “They’ve been sneaking in here and there. Miles has been putting me through these crazy workouts and I’m starving all the time.”
My phone rang from inside my purse. “Sorry.” I pulled it out. “I’ll put it on silent.” But the name on the screen caught my eye. “Hold on, it’s…Marisa.” The screen read GD, but I didn’t tell Alison that.
Alison waited patiently while I spoke with my father’s fiancée.
“She’s not coming?” Alison asked as I disconnected the call and put my phone on silent.
“Nope. It’s just you and me.” All of a sudden, the lunch I’d been dreading had gotten a whole lot better.
But Alison, being Ali, looked concerned. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s fine. She had some important call or something.”
The waiter arrived at our table. “Are you still waiting for your third?”
“Actually, she just canceled,” I said.
I convinced Ali to split a bottle of prosecco with me. Ali had a grilled salmon salad and I ordered a filet mignon. After lunch, I convinced her to stay for dessert.
