Chapter 25
Lark
“Wait, you changed the groom?” Raya gasps.
She’s seated in one of the velvet chairs lining the lounge outside the fitting room.
We’re at Karma West Sovrano’s flagship boutique, which is basically holy ground for anyone who worships couture. Her protégé runs the place now, ever since she, well, ‘passed.’
Except, there are all these whispers, like mafia-movie-level whispers, that she’s actually in a coma somewhere in Sicily, hidden away by her husband, Michael Sovrano, the former Cosa Nostra Capo.
I love her designs so much that a big part of me hopes it’s all true.
The space smells faintly of roses and pressed satin. Rachel glides around with a clipboard, conferring with the seamstress.
The wedding is a week away.
I invited my sister and Harper over to choose their bridesmaid dresses from the collection. I’m also going to choose a dress for my mother.
Brody insisted on covering the cost for all of them.
I hope to use the dresses to distract them from the many questions they’ll have, now that I’ve spilled the tea. I told them about what went down with my ex. They know he cheated on me with my bridesmaid. And that I’m marrying Brody.
I step out of the mirrored fitting room in a column of crepe with a plunging neckline. The seamstress tugs the hem into place.
“I’m all for your not marrying Keith, especially after he cheated on you, and then dumped you,” Raya says slowly.
“Better he shows his colors now than after the wedding.” Harper nods.
“But Brody Davenport? Your boss?” Raya sighs. “You’re marrying a man you’ve known for a few weeks?”
“Two and a half weeks, actually,” I say slowly.
I’m marrying a man I’ve just met. I can only imagine how it looks from the outside.
I’m going to have to sell her and Harper on why Brody is the one for me.
I study my reflection. The dress is elegant, but it’s not me. Too severe. I decided to try on a few backups before the dress because, let’s be honest, once I wear that one, nothing else will compare.
And where’s the fun in ending the search so soon?
Rachel appears, bright and brisk. “This one isn’t you, Lark. Too sharp for your frame. Let’s try the off-the-shoulder silk organza.”
The next dress is softer, with layered skirts that shimmer as I step out.
Harper sets her cappuccino on the gilt table, eyes scanning me critically. "Not bad. What do you think about it?"
I shake my head. "Not sure it’s me." I survey myself in the mirror.
“I’ve seen, firsthand, how magnetic the Davenport men are.” Harper folds one leg over the other. “I’ve seen friends get swept up in their charm. Their suits should come with fine print warning women to beware.”
Her tone is only half joking.
Raya flicks a glance at me in the mirror. “I’m all for falling in love and making spontaneous decisions, but you?” She shakes her head. “I didn’t think you’d be the kind to do so.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“You’re so careful. You plan; you never rush. And now? From Keith to your boss in less than a month? It’s not like you.” Raya lifts a shoulder.
She’s not wrong. I’ve always been so cautious, always prioritizing my career. It’s why I took a scholarship from the London School of Economics and traveled to another continent to study, even though it terrified me.
Now, here I am, in an upscale boutique, pretending this wedding is about love and happily ever after, when really, it’s a marriage of convenience. Maybe, deep down, it’s also about the thrill of sleeping with my very hot boss. I shut the thought down.
Rachel circles me, tugging at the waistline. “Better. But not the one. Let’s try the lace.”
Harper leans back in her seat. “I’m happy for you. But the change in bridegrooms is… You must admit, not a normal occurrence. And I say it as someone who’s seen others fold under the charm of a Davenport man.”
“You’re right about the effect of the Davenport charm.” I flash her what I hope is a dreamy smile. “It was love at first sight. I saw him and knew he was the one.”
Raya’s eyes widen. “I’m happy you’re living in the moment, Sis, but this is big." As I step back behind the curtain, she adds, "Are you sure this is not a rebound?”
Back behind the curtain, the seamstress zips me into another gown. The fabric sighs against my skin, soft, fluid, and shamelessly flattering, the kind that remembers every curve it touches.
Delicate lace hugs my arms all the way to my wrists, the modest neckline hints at my cleavage, yet it’s high enough to lend an air of grace that contrasts beautifully with the shape of the skirt.
The mermaid cut hugs my hips and thighs before flaring out around my legs in a sweep of silk, elegant and dramatic, as if the dress itself was made to celebrate me.
I look at myself in the mirror and my breath catches.
I look good. I look different. I look like a bride. But inside, I feel uncertain.
Am I doing the right thing?
I remind myself that I’ve gone over the options, and this is the best way forward. I gulp a few breaths, steeling myself. I look at myself one last time, then square my shoulders and step out.
“It’s not a rebound.” I meet her gaze. On this, I’m telling her the truth. “Brody and I had a connection from the moment we met.”
Also, true.
“It’s what made me wonder if I was making a mistake with my absentee ex.
I didn’t want to admit it. I kept clinging to the idea of the perfect life I thought I was close to having.
But every moment I spent getting to know Brody showed me how wrong I was.
How right he felt. I’ve never had this kind of chemistry with anyone.
He makes me feel desired. He sees my talent.
He’s given me opportunities at work I used to only dream about.
And when he asked me to marry him, something inside me clicked.
I knew it was the right choice. And when I said yes, he bought me a ring right away. ”
I hold up my left hand, flashing them with the diamond.
“That’s some rock.” Raya sighs.
“I’ve never heard you speak so passionately about your loser ex, either,” Harper adds.
I turn to survey my reflection in the mirror again. “Besides, Mom and Dad have booked their tickets.”
Raya’s gaze narrows. “That’s no reason to rush to marry your boss instead of your ex."
“Of course, not.” I scoff. “I’m doing it because Brody and I don’t want to wait a minute more to be married. And since I had a date set at Town Hall, it was a matter of him reaching out to the concerned officials to have them make the necessary changes.”
“You mean, they simply had to switch around the name of the bridegroom.” Harper chuckles, half-disbelieving, half-admiring.
“Brody took care of it.” I nod. Another point in his favor. He’s been so involved in the wedding planning. A far cry from my having to carry the load of it with my ex.
Rachel gestures for the assistant, who floats the half veil over my face. The lace catches the light. For a moment, even I can’t look away.
Rachel tilts her head, studying me in the mirror. “This dress—”
“Is the one.” I stare at my reflection in awe.
Prior to today, I only saw the dress on the website but wearing it…is a completely different experience. It feels perfect. Like it was tailored for me.
“Oh, my goodness.” Raya clasps her hands. “This is your dress.”
Rachel beams.
Harper sniffs and wipes a tear from her eyes. "You look beautiful."
I turn this way, then that, taking in my reflection. Who is this ethereal creature? This woman, clad in silk and lace, with a curvy figure that looks like an hourglass? Wow.
Finally. The perfect dress.
My heart feels so full. The backs of my eyes burn. This wedding is going to be perfect.
I need to get my friends to understand why Brody is the perfect man for me.
I get control of my emotions, then turn to Rachel and the shop assistant. “Can you give us a few minutes?”
“Of course.” Rachel nods to the assistant, and they both leave.
When the door closes behind them, I turn to my sister and my best friend. “I’m marrying Brody because I have feelings for him.” Not a lie, I do. I am powerfully attracted to him. And so is he, to me. “And he…he needs to marry in order to inherit.”
Harper and Raya exchange a worried glance.
“But does he love you?” Harper frowns.
“I want to be with him. And he wants to be with me too.” Isn’t that why he proposed to me and not someone else?
When Raya opens her mouth, I raise my hand. “I know you’re concerned. And I appreciate it. But really, I know this is right for me. Brody… He and I… Well, there’s a lot of chemistry between us. It’s not a bad basis for a marriage at all.”
I’m using Brody’s words to convince my friend and my sister. But by the looks on their faces, they’re buying it.
And the truth? I can hear myself talking and I know I’m trying to convince myself too.
If I repeat the lines enough times, maybe I’ll start believing I’m not sprinting into chaos wearing a veil and high heels.
“Are you sure, Lark?” Raya takes my hand in hers. “Are you really sure?”
God, am I?
My stomach swoops. My pulse flutters. I keep telling myself I’m making a grown-up decision, not having a very glamorous meltdown in a bridal boutique surrounded by tulle.
“I know my actions might look strange from the outside, but I promise you, I’m doing this because it’s right for me.
” My voice trembles, but I push through.
“I’m doing this because I want to be with him.
When he looks at me, it’s like I’m the only woman on this earth, and when he touches me”—I shiver—“it’s like nothing I have ever experienced. ”
And it’s true.
It’s so much more than anything I felt with my ex. What I feel for Brody is a thousand times stronger. More potent. More passionate. More everything.
I do want to be with him. I do.
My heart is almost caught up with the words coming out of my mouth.
“Okay, TMI.” Harper closes the distance to us. “I’ve never met Keith, but if you feel he’s not the right person for you, then I respect that. As for Brody… Well, from what I know of the Davenport men, they are loyal to their wives.”
I nod. To be honest, it never occurred to me that he wouldn’t be.
She continues. “Arranged marriages run in the family, and my friends who’ve married the other Davenport brothers are very happy.
” She weaves her fingers through my other hand.
“I can see that you're determined to go through with this. And it’s clear there’s enough chemistry between the two of you to, at least, make a basis for this marriage. ”
I squeeze her hand, then turn to my sister.
She studies me with soft eyes. “You don’t have to justify your actions. I’m happy you’re following your heart.”
“I hope the two of you find love,” Harper says softly.
I hope so too. I have a feeling I’m half in love with him. I can only hope that he falls for me too.
“There’s one thing I agree with a hundred percent.” Raya sniffs.
“Oh?”
She gives me a wicked smile. “Cutting that energy-vampy-Tiffany from the bridesmaid role.”