you at the wedding, Jeff.”
“ Yeah. Nice to meet you, Gabby.” He waved his hand and headed in the opposite direction we were going. I glanced back at him, saw him turn his head and look back at me. He smiled and my stomach did a little fluttery dance. He was so very gorgeous and way out of my league, but it was nice having someone else to think about instead of Brodie. Not that I was actually in Brodie’s league either. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to be.
Lena tugged me along and we hurried to the dress shop. Upon entering the store, my eyes immediately fell upon the four mannequins all decked out in what I presumed were their top of the line and very expensive, but gorgeous wedding dresses. Turning to the left, I saw rack after rack of dresses hanging, arranged by color, style, and size.
A woman in her early forties , I would guess, approached us immediately, greeting Lena with an over abundant amount of exuberance and gushed over Lena like she was her long lost cousin.
“Lena, darling, you’re so beautiful, but thin. Too thin, I hope we won’t need to make any adjustments on that gown. We are running out of time.”
“I’m the same size as I was when you took my measurements. Tanya, this is my maid of honor, Gabby.”
“Ah good. I have both your dresses right here. Go into the dressing room and I’ll bring them to you.”
After Tonya brought in the dresses, she excused herself and said she’d be back in a few minutes to check.
“You are so going to tell me what is going on . Right now. What’s all this about you not wanting to go to Chico?” Lena demanded as she stepped into the white gown I held open for her.
I lo oked up at her no-nonsense eyes and sighed. “I don’t know, exactly.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I don’t know what I want to do.”
“I thought you wanted to be a writer.”
“I do. I just don’t know if I want to continue on with school right now.” I’d been thinking about it for some time, but now that I’d actually spoken the words out loud, I decided that I liked them.
“But don’t you need your degree in English to be a writer?”
“No. It would certainly help, but it’s not required. To get a job as a journalist with a large news group I’m sure it would be required, but not to write books, and that’s what I want to do. I can continue my education, but I also want to spend more time writing. In fact, I’ve been writing, and … well, I’ve written several short stories and recently submitted a novel to several publishers. One actually responded and offered me a contract last week. I wasn’t going to say anything because I haven’t decided whether I want to use my real name or not, and I wasn’t sure I wanted anyone to know.”
“You mean like a pen name?”
“Yeah, exactly like a pen name.” She turned her back toward me and I laced up the dress. It had so many loops to go through I didn’t think I’d ever finish. “Jackson is gonna have a heck of a time getting you out of this.” I laughed. When she turned toward me after I finished, my mouth fell open. “Oh my! Lena, you’re stunning. Forget about him taking it off. He might not want to.”
“You like?” She smiled as she admired herself in the three-way full -length mirror.
“Very much. It’s just so exquisite . The way the sheer white mesh lays against your collarbone and flows down revealing just a peek at your cleavage is so elegant. The tiny pearls along the edges are so pretty and dainty, and I love the way they interspersed more pearls throughout the bodice and the skirt. You look simply radiant.”
“You think so?”
“Yes, I do.”
“What about the sleeves? Do you think I’ll be too hot?”
“Hmmm … probably not. They don’t really cover much of your arm, just the top of your shoulders. I love the scalloped edge with more pearls.”
“Thanks.” Lena smiled and kissed me on the cheek. “I’m so glad you’re here. Now , tell me why you don’t
“ Yeah. Nice to meet you, Gabby.” He waved his hand and headed in the opposite direction we were going. I glanced back at him, saw him turn his head and look back at me. He smiled and my stomach did a little fluttery dance. He was so very gorgeous and way out of my league, but it was nice having someone else to think about instead of Brodie. Not that I was actually in Brodie’s league either. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to be.
Lena tugged me along and we hurried to the dress shop. Upon entering the store, my eyes immediately fell upon the four mannequins all decked out in what I presumed were their top of the line and very expensive, but gorgeous wedding dresses. Turning to the left, I saw rack after rack of dresses hanging, arranged by color, style, and size.
A woman in her early forties , I would guess, approached us immediately, greeting Lena with an over abundant amount of exuberance and gushed over Lena like she was her long lost cousin.
“Lena, darling, you’re so beautiful, but thin. Too thin, I hope we won’t need to make any adjustments on that gown. We are running out of time.”
“I’m the same size as I was when you took my measurements. Tanya, this is my maid of honor, Gabby.”
“Ah good. I have both your dresses right here. Go into the dressing room and I’ll bring them to you.”
After Tonya brought in the dresses, she excused herself and said she’d be back in a few minutes to check.
“You are so going to tell me what is going on . Right now. What’s all this about you not wanting to go to Chico?” Lena demanded as she stepped into the white gown I held open for her.
I lo oked up at her no-nonsense eyes and sighed. “I don’t know, exactly.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I don’t know what I want to do.”
“I thought you wanted to be a writer.”
“I do. I just don’t know if I want to continue on with school right now.” I’d been thinking about it for some time, but now that I’d actually spoken the words out loud, I decided that I liked them.
“But don’t you need your degree in English to be a writer?”
“No. It would certainly help, but it’s not required. To get a job as a journalist with a large news group I’m sure it would be required, but not to write books, and that’s what I want to do. I can continue my education, but I also want to spend more time writing. In fact, I’ve been writing, and … well, I’ve written several short stories and recently submitted a novel to several publishers. One actually responded and offered me a contract last week. I wasn’t going to say anything because I haven’t decided whether I want to use my real name or not, and I wasn’t sure I wanted anyone to know.”
“You mean like a pen name?”
“Yeah, exactly like a pen name.” She turned her back toward me and I laced up the dress. It had so many loops to go through I didn’t think I’d ever finish. “Jackson is gonna have a heck of a time getting you out of this.” I laughed. When she turned toward me after I finished, my mouth fell open. “Oh my! Lena, you’re stunning. Forget about him taking it off. He might not want to.”
“You like?” She smiled as she admired herself in the three-way full -length mirror.
“Very much. It’s just so exquisite . The way the sheer white mesh lays against your collarbone and flows down revealing just a peek at your cleavage is so elegant. The tiny pearls along the edges are so pretty and dainty, and I love the way they interspersed more pearls throughout the bodice and the skirt. You look simply radiant.”
“You think so?”
“Yes, I do.”
“What about the sleeves? Do you think I’ll be too hot?”
“Hmmm … probably not. They don’t really cover much of your arm, just the top of your shoulders. I love the scalloped edge with more pearls.”
“Thanks.” Lena smiled and kissed me on the cheek. “I’m so glad you’re here. Now , tell me why you don’t
Similar Books
