Chapter Ten
LUCY
There was a lot of giggling. Given the amount of complimentary champagne in the room, this was not entirely surprising.
Still, the giggling was different. It bordered on manic at times, and seemed to be contagious.
Occasionally, tears accompanied the giggles; other times, they came interspersed with exclamations of joy.
There had been a brief but unsettling Taylor Swift sing-along.
There were a lot of selfies. A lot of talk about angles.
Lucy and Kim reclined side by side in matching pink velvet chairs in the center of the circular room. Around them, each on a separate pedestal, were Chloe’s four bridesmaids. They were all lovely, none of them were above the age of twenty-three, and there was So. Much. Giggling.
A battalion of seamstresses in smart black tailor’s coats bustled around pinning, stitching, and consulting with one another.
‘I feel like a sociologist plopped down in the middle of a strange, isolated tribe. I don’t know what this ritual is, but it’s fascinating,’ Kim said in a low rumble, her eyes fixed on Chloe’s friend Alexis.
Alexis was stupidly gorgeous and could easily be a long-lost Kardashian (of the Jenner variety).
Kim added, ‘I don’t think we ever giggled this much. ’
Lucy replied, ‘That’s because we’re Gen X miscreants raised feral.’ Lucy couldn’t drag her eyes away from Chloe’s cousin Hannah, who was attempting a viral social media dance in floor-length lavender silk. ‘We were fully formed jaded malcontents by age twenty. We were too world-weary for giggles.’
‘I find that oddly comforting,’ Kim said, before taking a healthy sip of her champagne. ‘In related news, it turns out I enjoy drinking before noon. Will all these events involve day drinking?’
‘Yes,’ Lucy replied matter-of-factly.
‘Excellent.’
‘Well,’ came Chloe’s sing-songy voice, dripping in triumph. ‘Here they are!’
The four bridesmaids turned away from their mirrors to face Lucy and Kim.
Lucy couldn’t help but smile. Even with pins and tailor’s basting dotting their garments, the ladies were magnificent. So happy and fresh and pretty in their different gowns all in the same shade of rich, dusty lavender.
‘You are all drop-dead gorgeous,’ Lucy announced.
‘Amazing,’ Kim added, holding her champagne flute up as if toasting.
Chloe clapped her hands together in glee, her bright blue eyes – just exactly like Lucy’s own – glistened with happy tears.
Her fair skin was tinged with a splash of pink that made her look so much like little middle-school Chloe that it took Lucy’s breath away.
She got up and hugged her daughter fiercely.
‘It’s going to be a beautiful wedding, Clo,’ Lucy mumbled into her daughter’s hair.
‘I can’t wait,’ Chloe replied.
With a deep, cleansing sigh, Chloe pulled back and fixed her gaze on Lucy.
‘Okay, Mom. Your turn.’
Lucy groaned. Well, it had to be done, whether she was ready or not. ‘All right, let’s do it.’
There were pins in very inconvenient places along the back seams and underarms of the mother-of-the-bride dress that Chloe had helped Lucy pick out.
It was a simple silhouette, a sleeveless column dress with surplice detail at the bodice that dipped into a deep V.
Lots of cleavage. Probably too much cleavage .
The slit on the left thigh was maybe, possibly, too high to be appropriate for a wedding – even one in Vegas.
The real stunning bit, though, was the beading.
Every inch of the thing was covered in tiny sequins and baubles.
Shades of rose gold and pale pink glimmered over every curve.
The gown was beyond beautiful, heavy and, thanks to her ex-husband’s explicit directions to ‘put everything on the AmEx, Chloe,’ completely free.
For Lucy, that is. Chloe refused to tell Lucy how much of a dent it was putting in Brandon’s millions, rightfully guessing that Lucy’s brain would explode at the number.
Lucy stepped into the gallery room flanked by two of the seamstresses with their measuring tapes and jangling pins. She took her place on one of the pedestals and faced the assembled crowd – Kim, the bridesmaids now back in street clothes, and of course, Chloe.
The first words were from Kim – a sharp: ‘Holy. Shit.’
Lucy freaked. ‘Oh, God! It’s too much, right? There’s too much boob? The slit is too high. Is it too sparkly?’
A multi-part chorus of ‘no’ rang out.
‘It’s fucking gorgeous,’ Kim declared. ‘You are stunning in that.’
‘Thank you, but that’s not the point. Is it?’ Lucy tried. ‘I mean, it’s Chloe’s day. I don’t want to look like I’m trying to outshine her. I should be a Rose or a Dorothy, not a Blanche.’
The young women in the room looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language.
Lucy tried again. ‘I need to be a Charlotte or a Miranda, not a Samantha.’
Only Chloe seemed to understand.
Good Lord. Lucy searched her mind.
‘Oh!’ she chirped. ‘I need to be more of a Vanessa or Blair than a Serena or Jenny.’
The bridesmaid crew all nodded in understanding. Kim only looked confused.
‘You should not!’ called Chloe. ‘You should be a Carrie.’
‘You’re the Carrie in this situation, Clo,’ Lucy tried.
‘There will be no missing me in the big white dress. There’s no reason you shouldn’t shine, Mom. You’re amazing.’ Chloe turned to her squad. ‘Ladies, am I right?’
Alexis chimed in, ‘It’s perfect, Lucy.’
‘Beautiful,’ said Gabby.
‘You should definitely introduce her to Chandler’s uncle Shane,’ said Hannah.
Chloe glared at Hannah with such force, Lucy was surprised not to see two smoking hollows where Hannah’s eyes used to be.
‘Uncle Shane?’ Lucy asked Chloe.
When Chloe refused to respond, Lucy looked to Hannah.
The poor thing could only grimace and shrug.
‘It was just an idea,’ confessed Chloe.
‘I don’t—’
Chloe raised her hands to cut Lucy off. ‘I know you don’t. But he’s smart. He’s a journalist. And he’s nice.’
‘And hot,’ added Alexis.
‘ Alexis! ’ Chloe admonished.
‘Well, he is!’ Alexis fought back. ‘Uncle Shane is a complete silver fox.’
Oh, holy Mary, Rhoda and Phyllis, am I in my silver fox era? When the fuck did that happen? How do I make it stop?
Lucy took a gulp of air – because she couldn’t reach the booze.
Chloe turned to Lucy and leaned in conspiratorially. ‘Look, I know it’s going to be a lot with the dads and, well, all of that. I thought Uncle Shane might be a nice distraction.’
What was it with everyone and their decompressing and distracting? Lucy wasn’t fragile. She had never been fragile. She handled stress and chaos and every other damn thing like a champ. Why did everyone suddenly think she needed coddling? And fondling ?
Lucy had no choice but to put on her stern motherly hat. She said gently, ‘That is very kind of you, Chloe.’ She turned to the bridesmaids, ‘You too, girls. But I don’t need a silver fox.’
Kim silently mouthed the words, ‘Yes, you do.’
Lucy cleared her throat and continued, ‘I’m great as is. Now, are you sure this dress isn’t too over the top?’
Even the seamstresses chimed in with their noes this time.
Well, guess that’s settled.