Ch. 32 – Layla
L ayla stood in Tess’s tidy bedroom, hands balled into tight, slightly trembling fists. Tess had zipped her up and left the room 15 minutes ago. Layla still hadn’t turned around. Still hadn’t looked.
Instead, she stared at Tess’s small bed, which seemed inadequate in the large, master bedroom. A thin, quilted yellow comforter covered the bed and a single, dented pillow sagged directly against the wall. Several dresses, all in fabric bags, lay in a pile across the foot of the bed. Spirit, Tess’s beautiful gray tabby, sat on her haunches next to the dresses and stared at Layla with wide blue eyes.
“I’m being silly, aren’t I?” Layla said to the cat. “It’s just a mirror. What’s the harm in looking?”
But she still couldn’t turn around.
Faintly, the sound of a doorbell echoed from the front of the house, followed by the murmur of voices. By Layla’s count, that would be the last of her guests arriving. Which meant it was now or never to face what could have been.
Layla met Spirit’s gentle gaze once more. “I can do this,” she whispered to the cat.
When the silver tabby didn’t disagree, Layla closed her eyes, sucked in a breath, and turned to face the full-length mirror on Tess’s wall.
Releasing the breath, she opened her eyes and beheld herself in the mirror.
“Ooooh,” she sighed, her heart swelling and aching at the same time.
Of course, she’d seen herself in her wedding dress when she’d initially chosen it nearly six months ago. But even so, the woman in the mirror took her breath away. The cinched lace bodice pushed up her breasts and created a trim hourglass figure. Hundreds of tiny beads sewn into the bodice gleamed in the buttery lamp light, matching the soft shine of the layered necklace that dripped cultured pearls down her decolletage. A matching, pearl-studded headband sat in her hair.
Layla raised her arms admiring the applique sleeves that wound lace flowers down her arms. She brought her hands down, allowing her fingertips to slide across the cloud-soft folds of her voluminous ballgown skirt. The beaded lace appliques traveled down the skirt and lined her cathedral length train.
You look like the perfect bride, Layla thought to the woman in the mirror. Pain burned through her chest. Her throat tightened.
“No,” she told her reflection. “No more tears.”
A soft knock sounded on the bedroom door, and Tess eased it open. “Everyone’s here, and they’ve already gotten into the wine. I couldn’t stop them.”
Layla smiled. “Thank you for helping me with this.”
“Of course.” Tess leaned against the doorframe. “I know I already said this, but you look beautiful. Cal is the stupidest motherfucker in the world.”
Layla sniffled. “You’re right. Now, let’s do this before I lose my nerve.”
Tess held open the bedroom door, and Layla slowly made her way down the short hallway, her dress rustling with each step. After the shortest of pauses, she moved into the living room.
“Nah, don’t look on Amazon for your cat-themed shirts,” Everly was saying while waving a chicken kabob in front of her. “Etsy is where it’s at. See this?” She tugged down the hem of her shirt, showcasing the phrase, Yes, I really do need all these cats over silhouettes of several tussling felines.
“Etsy. And I upgraded to the shiny text for just two dollars.”
“Ooooh, Layla,” Willow breathed. Standing in the corner, she was the first to notice the new arrival.
Jax spun around and nearly choked on her wine. “Whoa, Disney Princess alert!”
“Wow.” At the crowded breakfast bar, Alanna gave her a wide smile even as her brow creased in confusion.
“OhMyGod, OhMyGod, What Is Happening?” Everly fanned herself with the chicken kabob. “Layla!”
Layla’s cheeks burned as The Crazy Cat Ladies gaped at her. Picking up the hem of her dress, she spun around and curtseyed. “What do you think?”
“It’s so…so…you,” Alanna answered. “Like, that dress is seriously your spirit animal.”
“It’s gorgeous,” Everly gasped. “I can’t believe you didn’t let me go with you to pick it out.”
“It’s magical,” Willow sighed.
“But why are you wearing it?” Jax asked. “And why all this?” She swept her hand across the breakfast bar cluttered with large takeout boxes and bottles of wine.
Layla smiled at the women. “First, thank you for coming to this super secret Crazy Cat Lady Club meeting on such short notice.”
“Well, you know me,” Everly said. “I loves me some secret meetings. I was even planning on bringing my dagger in case we needed to make any blood oaths.”
“Can we put a pin in the fact that Everly apparently owns a blood-oath dagger?” Alanna asked. She zeroed in on Layla. “The real question is, why did you spend perfectly good money on food and wine from The Desert Bloom Winery?” She beckoned to the breakfast bar. “That place is the worst! Their wine shouldn’t even be used to wash the floors of The Rose and Thorn.”
Jax raised her eyebrows. “Please don’t wash floors with wine.” She shivered. “The sheer stickiness.”
“LADIES!” Tess’s voice silenced the chatter. The tiny woman turned to Layla. “You were saying?”
Layla met Alanna’s gaze. “You’ll be happy to know I didn’t spend a dime of my own money on any of this. I made some calls, and it turns out that Cal put down a non-refundable deposit at the Desert Bloom for our reception. I did a little negotiating, and they agreed I could use the deposit for what would have been our appetizers and wine selections.”
Alanna turned to reassess the breakfast bar, her eyes scanning the platters of miniature quiches, kabobs, and shrimp cocktails; the massive charcuterie tray; and the dozen wine bottles stacked three deep.
“This is on Cal’s tab?” she asked.
“Yup,” Layla replied.
A delighted smile flashed across Alanna’s face. “I stand corrected. Someone fill me a glass of whatever’s already open.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not turning down free wine and kabobs even if it does come from Desert Bloom,” Jax said, “but what about the dress?”
Layla gazed down at her misty, sparkling skirt. “This dress was part of a dream that was never real.” She looked up into the faces of the women she loved. “I’m ready to move on from that dream, but I need your help.”
“Of course,” Tess said behind her immediately.
“Anything,” Alanna added.
“Shoulda brought my dagger,” Everly murmured.
“Your bridesmaids dresses are in the bedroom,” Layla continued. “Put them on. Then, we’re going to eat and drink.”
“And then?” Alanna asked, raising a perfectly shaped blonde eyebrow.
“Then,” Layla felt her lips quirking into a saucy smile, “we’re trashing these dresses.
The Crazy Cat Ladies whooped and cheered.
*
Two hours later, The Crazy Cat Ladies triumphantly, if a little unsteadily, filed out of Tess’s house and marched across the lawn.
“Awwww, I got wine on my dress,” Jax pouted.
“So what? We’re trashing ‘em,” Everly answered.
“But I wanted to keep it nice until we ruined ‘em.”
“Whoops!” Tess stumbled and laughed. She smoothed down the chiffon skirt of her tea-length bridesmaid dress. “God, I’m so drunk. I haven’t been this drunk since…” She paused and cocked her head. “Well, since I drowned my sorrows in two bottles of Merlot, woke up the next morning, and realized I’d started this club.”
“See! Good things happen when you drink!” Alanna pronounced as she led the women up the porch steps of the house next door to Tess’s.
“Why are we doing this again?” Jax asked as she leaned heavily against the porch banister.
“Uh, 'cause you were supposed to be our D&D,” Everly answered.
“No way!” Jax retorted. She burped a little. “Mmmm, those quiches were divine. Anyway, I was in the bathroom when you all said ‘not it’ on driving. That’s hardly fair. Plus, Willow doesn’t drink.”
“I don’t drive,” the shy girl answered. She held her heels in her hand and carefully stepped onto the walkway.
At the very back of the procession, Layla snorted. “That’s why we need chauffeurs.”
Alanna made it to the top of the porch.
“Um, should we knock?” Tess asked behind her.
Alanna jutted her chin and swayed ever so slightly. “Hell no! This is my house now. Alanna Sandoval never knocks on her own front door.”
With the ladies bunching together and giggling, Alanna imperiously shoved open the door and marched inside. In clouds of lilac chiffon, the women spilled into the living room.
Seated around a large card table in the middle of the room, five men turned as one and stared incredulously at the intruders.
“Get your hands outta your pants and hold in your farts, boys. There are now ladies present!” Alanna hollered.
Layla might have peed herself just a little, she was laughing so hard.
Sully set down his cards and stood. “Hi honey,” he said uncertainly. “I wasn’t expecting you back so soon, and, um, with all your friends.”
“Shit, one of ‘em’s wearing a wedding dress. This can’t be good,” groaned Hue Cairn, tossing down his cards. As usual, the large man wore a faded Marine’s ballcap, wavy orange hair curling out of the edges. “Are they, like, gonna kidnap and enslave us on some secret Amazonian island?”
“One can only hope,” Rico Torres answered. The dark-haired news reporter stood up, crossed the room, and swept Jax into his arms. “You look lovely, mi amor,” he purred.
Jax blushed. “I got wine on my dress.”
Rico put his lips to her ear and whispered loud enough for the room to hear. “Then I’ll lick it off for you.”
“Just a quick reminder that you’re in public, Rico,” said Theo. The winery owner looked bemused. “No licking of girlfriends in the middle of poker night.”
The last man at the table appraised the group with a good-natured smile. He was a mass of chiseled muscle topped with azure eyes and a swoony grin that could probably melt through female hearts like a blow torch.
“This is Cam,” Sully said to Alanna, beckoning to the stranger.
Alanna raised an eyebrow. “The gym owner who kicks my boyfriend’s ass multiple times a week?”
“That’s me.” Cam stood and performed a short bow.
“Then I owe you my undying thanks, cause this ass is brass.” Alanna smacked Sully’s trim butt. “Also, we’ve been drinking.”
“Hadn’t noticed,” Hue muttered.
“Well, hello, Cam,” Everly said, her words slightly slurred. “So…so nice to meet you.” She drank in the handsome gym owner with such intensity Layla worried her friend might OD.
“Likewise,” Cam tipped his head to her. His gaze scanned across the women, coming to rest on Willow for a loooong moment. He coughed and quickly looked away.
Janet, Hue’s ancient basset hound, slowly rose from her position at his feet. Her stumpy tail wagged as she made her way to the women. Layla immediately crouched down to croon over the dog and scratch her long, floppy ears.
“So, is there something we can do for you lovely ladies?” Rico asked.
“Unless they want in on the next round of poker, answer’s no,” Hue grumbled.
“Shut up, Hue,” Alanna snapped. She turned to Sully. “We demand to be taken to the beach for a super-secret woman’s ritual.” She took a step forward and leaned in, her scarlet lips were only inches from Sully’s.
Alanna lowered her voice. “If you comply, you will be richly rewarded.”
Sully grinned and adjusted his glasses. “Where are my keys?”