Elly groaned as she looked down at her feet. “I still have to fix my trail.”
Snarky Teenager stomped out of the back room, swinging her sleek blond ponytail with annoyance. “I’ll do it. Just … get out of the way.”
Elly stepped aside and watched Snarky Teenager prance across the floor like a nimble elf, fixing Elly’s ankle-deep trail. It was amazing how fast she had become at perfecting intricate details. The sea of petals became perfection under her quick moving fingers. Elly realized with a start that her moody apprentice might soon surpass her own talent. She didn’t want to think about that now. Instead, she turned to Kim. “Okay, make me attractive.”
Elly heard Snarky Teenager mumble something under her breath. Kim put her arm around Elly’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”
They headed upstairs to Elly’s apartment, Elly pulling on a knee-length gray skirt and a ruffly pink shirt with a silk rosette at the bodice. Not bad, she thought, as she viewed herself in the mirror. Not bad at all. She still hated her calves and her wide hips, but the skirt hit all the right places. Look at the pretty elephant! Elly tried to force her inner critic to shut the hell up. Kim quickly pinned up Elly’s curls, letting a few bounce daintily around her face and did some minimal makeup, focusing on her bright eyes and full mouth.
Elly glanced at the clock. “Are we almost done here? They’ll be here soon.”
Kim scowled, bobby pins hanging out of her mouth. “Hold on, hold on. You are the most impatient person I’ve ever known.” She spun Elly around in front of the mirror. “Okay, what do you think?”
Elly grinned. “I look like I know what I’m doing.”
“And hot!” They both smiled.
Elly clicked down the stairs, unsteady on the tall heels that she had bought for the occasion. Heels were the worst. Anthony whistled as she came around the corner. Bells clanged, announcing that someone had entered the store.
“Oh my gosh,” hissed Elly, “they aren’t supposed to be here yet!”
Snarky Teenager peeked out the curtains. “It’s just Keith. Life is so lame.”
Elly snapped her fingers. “Hey. Be nice.”
Snarky Teenager stood in the doorway, blocking his way. “You can’t come in because you’ll ruin absolutely everything.”
Elly looked over her shoulder and waved at Keith. “Hi! She’s right, you can’t come in because of the petals! They have to be perfect.”
Keith nodded, although the look on his face suggested to Elly that he had no idea what she was talking about. “Okay!” he shouted back. “But I wanted you to have these!” He held out a tiny box of petits fours—done in navy, pink, and pinstripes. “I made these at home last night, I hope they help!”
Elly squealed as Snarky Teenager carefully brought the box over to her. “These are perfect, thank you!” she yelled back.
“I can’t wait to hear how your day goes!” he yelled over Snarky Teenager. “Elly, I think you are amazing and remember that you deserve this! You are the best they will find!”
Snarky Teenager gave a giant eye roll and looked at Elly with annoyance. “Gross. Can we finish, please?”
“Yes.” Elly gave a curt nod of her head. “I better get back to work. Thanks for these!”
Keith gave her a thumbs-up and winked at Snarky Teenager, who gave him a reluctant smile. Keith could always win her over.
Shutting the door sent creamy whirls of petals into the air with the pressure change. Anthony breathed out a low sigh. “It’s like being in Barbie’s dream.”
They dimmed the lights and lit the candles and stood back to look together at the most romantic thing Elly had ever seen. It was a modern fairy tale—a shimmering table atop a swell of soft pink, every girl’s dream. Kim turned on the stereo, and entrancing jazz softly played through hidden speakers. Snarky Teenager brushed lint off Elly’s shoulder. “Don’t forget, don’t tell any dumb jokes, like that one about the pie.”
Elly chortled. That joke was so funny.
“And don’t forget to mention the color platform and glamour integration.”
Elly nodded. “I’ve got it.”
“And don’t tell them you are dating a guy who makes sandwiches. And tell them you’re on a diet.”
Elly narrowed her eyes and squared her shoulders. “I said, I got it.”
Snarky Teenager gave her one of her dazzling white smiles and pecked her on the cheek. “You’re going to do great.”
“Are you not mad anymore, not that you had a right to be?”
Snarky Teenager pouted. “Well, a little, but Anthony told me that maybe you would think about the other store if we got the BlissBride wedding.”
Elly gasped and looked at Anthony. “You are in trouble—that was supposed to be a secret!”