Seduction - Chapter 10
Saturday
“So do you think this is a shotgun wedding?” Bee asked.
“What? No.” Why did everyone keep saying that?
I’d seen Rob and Daphne together. They were madly in love.
It wasn’t that crazy that they wanted to get married right away.
And now I was seriously starting to wonder if people had thought I was pregnant when James proposed to me so quickly. It was just love.
“Then why rush it?”
“You heard Rob. He doesn’t want to go another day without making Daphne his wife. It’s very romantic.”
“Or…he knocked her up.” Bee took a sip of champagne as we waited for Daphne to come out in the first dress.
I laughed. “I don’t think so. They would have told us.”
Bee shrugged. “All I’m saying is that Daphne is super particular about things, and a quick wedding seems like her worst nightmare. There has to be a reason.”
“Maybe that is the reason. A long engagement would mean indecision and headaches.” I stared at her. “Speaking of which…what about you? When are you getting hitched?”
Bee looked down at her huge ring. It sparkled under the lights that made all the wedding dresses shimmer.
“Like normal level- headed people, Mason and I are just enjoying being engaged right now. Plus we barely have any free time to just relax, let alone enough time for wedding planning. And we’ve only been engaged a few months.
We’re the ones doing it right. This is insanity. ”
“So it has nothing to do with where Mason wants to get married?”
She laughed. “Well, I will say, it wasn’t the first time I’d heard about Club Onyx being the perfect wedding venue. He’s out of his mind if he thinks I want to say ‘I do’ in front of that sex altar.”
“What happens at a sex altar exactly?”
“Use your imagination,” she said with a laugh. “Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably happened.”
People worshipping each other’s bodies. I actually kinda liked the sound of it. My plan for tonight was definitely going to be fun. A full sex altar display.
“Ah!” Bee exclaimed as Daphne walked out.
I shook away the thought of James worshipping my body and turned to Daphne. Her dress was…huge. There was so much fabric. It was drowning her.
The bridal consultant was holding the train of the dress, and even she looked overwhelmed by the material. I was pretty sure the consultant was a few seconds away from either tripping over it or being tangled up in it.
“This is all…too much, right?” Daphne asked as she stepped up onto the elevated portion in front of all the mirrors. “I want to make sure I can dance. And I can’t dance in…this.” She looked behind her at the train.
“Definitely not,” Bee said. “But the train might be detachable.”
The bridal consultant shook her head. “It actually clips up to the waist. Give me one second.” She suddenly looked much more composed as she expertly folded the fabric, hooking it up on the rest of the dress, successfully making the whole thing look…even bulkier.
Yikes. This dress was so old fashioned, and not in a trendy vintage way.
More like in a…burn it kind of way. The bridal consultant said there were only so many to choose from that could be altered in time.
And now I was worried they were all hideous monster dresses that no one else would be caught dead in.
Daphne laughed. “This is so awful.”
“I’m so glad you said so,” I said with a laugh. “It’s truly terrible. It’s hard to look at.”
“Hideous,” Bee added. “Next!”
Daphne laughed. “I’m glad we know each other well enough to be honest. I can’t even imagine what I’d do without you guys right now. I probably would have wound up purchasing a dress that should be taken out back and shot.”
I laughed.
Daphne looked back to the bridal consultant. “Please get me out of this thing.”
The consultant smiled, not at all offended by our comments. “No problem. Let’s try a more fitted silhouette.” They both walked back to the changing area.
“Are you a bridesmaid?” Bee asked me as she took another sip of champagne.
“No, she hasn’t asked me. Has she asked you?”
Bee shook her head. “I know she has a few friends that don’t live in the city anymore. I’m guessing she’ll be asking them.”
“Yeah, I guess.” I pressed my lips together.
“Are you upset that she hasn’t asked you?” Bee asked.
“I mean…no.”
Bee raised her eyebrows at me.
“Fine, yes. I thought we’ve been getting close over the past couple of months. She’s going to be my sister-in-law. I want her to like me.”
“Even if she doesn’t ask you, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t like you. She asked us here, didn’t she?”
“Yeah.”
“I get it,” Bee said. “I thought she really liked us too. I’m not going to lie and pretend I’m not bummed she didn’t ask us.”
“Right? It’s silly, but I’d always just assumed I’d be in Rob’s wedding. He’s one of my best friends. And you know he hasn’t even asked James to be in it yet?”
“He hasn’t asked Mason either.”
Huh. “What about Matt?”
Bee shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Weird . “I’m sure James, Mason, and Matt will all be in it. As for us? I’m not so sure.”
“It’ll be fun to just get to relax and have fun at the wedding though. Being a bridesmaid is stressful business.”
“Was my wedding really so stressful?”
“Um…do you not remember your husband getting shot?”
I shook my head. I didn’t need to be reminded. The best day of my life had so quickly turned into a nightmare. I was lucky that James was still alive. I didn’t take a second of that for granted. “That didn’t have anything to do with bridesmaid duties.”
“Still. Stressful AF.”
“Touché.” Hopefully this wedding wouldn’t end so dramatically. Knowing Justin and Rob though…they were probably already planning something insane. I just hoped whatever it was wasn’t dangerous.
“I have an idea,” Bee said. “Stressful duties aside, I think we’ll have more fun if we just act like we are bridesmaids. For at least this afternoon. Let’s help Daphne find the most amazing dress ever. Let’s have so much fun.”
“Agreed.” I lifted up my glass of water and tapped it against Bee’s champagne flute. “Even if Daphne doesn’t see it yet…we’re one big family. And I’m happy she’s going to be a part of it.” I just hope Daphne thinks so too. We were going to be sisters.
Just then Daphne came back out. And it was like the whole boutique was hushed.
“That’s it,” Bee and I said at the same time.
Daphne’s smile grew. “Really? You both like it?” She twirled around in front of the mirror.
I had no idea what elaborate things Justin and Rob were planning, but none of that really mattered.
This dress hugged Daphne in all the right places.
It was like it was made for her body. It was simple and elegant, almost Grecian in its design.
And you could just tell from her face that it was the one.
She was glowing. And she looked beautiful.
“You look amazing.” It was seriously perfect. Especially if Justin and Rob stuck with classic black and white elegance. Or sex party. Or whatever they decided on. She could make it work anywhere. It was like the dress was made for her and only her.
“Hot fire,” Bee said.
Daphne turned back to us. “I think this is the fastest decision I’ve ever made.”
I turned to Bee. See. They’re getting married fast because of the indecision thing. This was the only way Daphne could have ever walked down the aisle. Quickly.
I was pretty sure Bee knew what I was thinking, because she rolled her eyes at me.
“Are you saying ‘Yes to the Dress’?” the consultant asked.
I held my breath.
“Um…well…shouldn’t I try on a few more?” Daphne asked. “You’re not supposed to choose that quickly. I think…”
“Daphne, it’s the one,” I said. “It’s made for you.” I did not want this to turn into a her-ordering-food situation. Or else it would be the day of the wedding and we still wouldn’t have a dress. I wasn’t a bridesmaid, but right now she needed me to act like one. “It’s perfect.”
Daphne was beaming. “Yes! I’m saying yes to the dress! Ah! I’m getting hitched!”
***
I had completely forgotten that Justin had booked an appointment for bridesmaid dresses too. And I wasn’t exactly sure what I was doing in this hideous poofy thing when Daphne hadn’t even asked me.
I walked out of the changing room and Bee laughed at me.
“Stop it,” I hissed.
“It really highlights your baby bump.”
I swatted at her arm. But she was right. This dress made my little baby bump look way bigger. It was so unflattering. “Yours isn’t any better.”
Bee’s dress was cut at an awkward angle that was somehow not a short dress or a long dress. It was just a weird dress that cut her off at the calves and somehow made her look squat. Which was weird because Bee was anything but squat.
Bee flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Are you trying to tell me I don’t look sexy in this very formal number that was clearly designed for sasquatch’s daughters?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Rude. I’m suddenly feeling better about not being a bridesmaid.”
Same. I was trying to be sexy for the next few months. This dress was the opposite of sexy. James would probably lose his sex drive if he saw me in all this poofiness.
“Hmm,” The lady helping us said as Bee and I both walked back into the main room. “We’ll definitely have to alter this to fit better,” she said and cinched the fabric around my waist, somehow making it worse.
Screw you too.
She turned to Daphne. “But you said these ladies were just here to help. That your actual bridesmaids aren’t pregnant so this area won’t be as big of a deal.” She pointed to my stomach.
I was going to cut a bitch.
Daphne shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m…I have to make a few calls. I…”
“It’s fine,” she said. “We just need to land on the style right now. You can call us tonight with the exact sizes we’ll need to rush order.”
“Tonight?” Daphne bit her lip. She looked so stressed out.
The woman nodded. “So do you like either of these styles?”
Daphne stared at us. And then she tilted her head to the side like that would help.
Bee put her hand on her hip. “I promise you, whoever you choose to stand up there with you on your wedding day will seriously hate both these options.”
Daphne laughed. “I think you’re right. I just didn’t want to say anything in case you guys loved them. I have an idea. How about you two pick out dresses you think might actually work? I trust your fashion sense way more than mine.”
“Deal,” Bee said. “We’ll find something that’ll work.” Bee grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the rack of dresses. “Thank God.”
I shifted past a few dresses. And then a few more and wandered over to another rack. “Oh, what about this one?” I said and pulled a dress off the rack that had a few simple straps in the back, mimicking the Grecian style of Daphne’s wedding gown.
“You’re a genius.” Bee grabbed another one and we both went to go change.
My baby bump showed a little in this one too, but at least the fabric didn’t highlight it. I turned to look at my back in the mirror. From the back you couldn’t even tell I was pregnant. And it showed a lot of skin. This was perfect. My smile faltered. Perfect for…whoever Daphne chose.
Bee smiled as I walked out of the dressing room. “You look so hot.”
“Same to you.”
Bee did a little twirl. “Hopefully she’ll like them. I can’t wait to wear…” She cleared her throat. “I mean, I can’t wait to see how they look on whoever wears them.”
“Right.”
Bee sighed. “Why hasn’t she asked us yet? We’ve been having such a fun day. I really thought she’d ask.”
I pressed my lips together. “Me too.”
“Maybe when she sees how great we look she won’t be able to resist making us bridesmaids.” Bee grabbed my hand and we walked back out for Daphne to see us.
Daphne looked up from her phone and smiled. “You guys look great.”
“Do we have a winner?” the consultant said. “And the black really is a perfect color. It’ll look good on every skin tone.”
Right, the skin tone of whoever Daphne chose. I was kinda sick of this consultant rubbing in the fact that Bee and I weren’t good enough.
“Do you guys really like them?” Daphne asked. “I’m leaving this in your hands.”
That sounded like bridesmaid power to me. But I knew it was actually just power Daphne was giving us because she was indecisive.
“I think they’ll look really good with your dress,” Bee said.
I nodded. “And they’re understated so everyone’s attention will be on you.”
“Well, I’m sold,” Daphne said.
“This is actually perfect,” the consultant said. “We have a few of these in stock. As long as you don’t mind using some of the sample dresses. You two take these off immediately before you mess them up for the actual bridesmaids.”
Yeah, this lady freaking sucked. Whatever. I grabbed Bee’s hand so we could go back to the changing rooms.
“That woman was very rude,” Bee said.
“Right?”
“Does she think I’m sweating profusely or secretly dropping some timber under this thing?”
I laughed.
“Because now that she thinks I am…I kind of want to. I feel like I should go run a mile. Or squat in the corner and do my dirty business.”
“You’re ridiculous. Let’s just get out of these dresses.” I closed the door to my dressing room and took one more look at the dress. It really was perfect. I quickly turned away from the mirror and pulled the dress off. It would be perfect for someone else.
I changed back into my comfortable dress and sighed. This was much more my style recently anyway. The girl with the big tummy that shouldn’t be a bridesmaid because I’d ruin the pictures or something.
Gah, stop it. I could still be sexy. And I’d prove it tonight. I was going to seduce the crap out of my husband. I shook my head. That reminded me of Bee’s dropping timber comment. I was not going to seduce the crap out of my husband. I was just going to normal seduce him. Sex altar style.