“Mae?” I asked, “Could you help me the rest of the way?”
“Of course,” she walked into the suite and sucked in a breath before she walked up to me and zipped the gown the rest of the way up.
It may have been a ten, but wedding dresses often ran small, and this piece fit me like a glove. It was perfect. The right length, the right feel. Modest yet beautiful. In a flash, I saw the whole thing. Me walking down the aisle, looking at my bouquet of warm fall colors.
“What do you think?” I asked as I turned and looked at her.
“I think you have impeccable taste. And that woman has no idea with whom she is dealing.”
I giggled at Mae’s haughty tone, one that she affected to feign snobbery.
“Now go show your soon to be sister-in-law.” Were those tears in her eyes?
“What do you think?” I asked Mary as I opened the door and stepped out.
She grinned at me. “Antique and perfect. You would look great with garden roses, bunny tails, and pink-edged variegated dogwood.” She looked like she was lost in a vision, something she could see that I couldn’t.
I blinked. “What?” I asked.
“I’m a florist. Sorry,” she blushed. “I just think a very antique looking display would go best with your dress. It’s classic. Elegant. And I think you will make a beautiful bride for my unsuspecting brother.”
Right. Greyson. I’d gotten so caught up in this entire fantasy that I forgot who I was marrying. The man at the end of that isle. What would he think of all this, did he even care? It wasn’t like he got a choice in the matter. Like either of us got a choice in the matter.
Still, as he said, there were benefits to this whole arrangement.
“It’s why I brought Mary. She has an eye for detail. One that I trust her with. I thought she would be able to see what bouquet would go best in order to coordinate your bridesmaids’ dresses,” Mae explained. “And I wanted her to get to know you better. You two are around the same age.”
I nodded.
“What do you think those colors would be?” I asked, my shyness returning.
“Warm yellows and pinks with ivory hues and greens. Very classic. Very vintage. Dusty rose would be your best choice for bridesmaids’ dresses.”
I blinked. I knew nothing about weddings. “You seem to have it well in hand. Why don’t you pick out a style and a color?” I asked. I was starting to get antsy.
“The dress only needs minor alterations,” Cindy spoke up now, looking over the fit. “Will you have them done here or elsewhere?”
“We’ll have it sent to my tailor for alterations over in Georgetown as soon as possible,” Mae said as she spoke up. The wedding was set for two weeks from today. Jesus, only two weeks. A single month changed my entire life. “She’s been doing business with me for decades when I purchase clothing down in D.C. Girls, I’ll take care of the expenses why don’t you help her out of the dress and then we can head back home? I’ll bet Jo wants to get back to Greyson and tell him all about this beautiful dress. But remember, he can’t see it until the wedding day.” She was artificially sweet for the sake of Cindy, who winced when she saw the black card Mae pulled from her purse.
I had a feeling it was a status symbol of sorts, and I had to admit, a little squeal of triumph called out in my mind when I saw her attitude change.
I might not look like much, I deserved to be treated with dignity. By everyone. By strangers, my family. My uncle.
Greyson treated me with dignity, even though I was a pawn. But I still had some questions, and I needed answers.
Joanna
I was so glad to be out of that dress and on the street. I’d asked Mae to let me out of the car as soon as we hit the inner harbor. I told her I needed the walk home.
It wasn’t a lie. It was all just clouding my mind. I couldn’t really think about what was happening, and the fresh air was enough to make me feel just a little bit safer.
“Joanna?” I had heard him before I saw him, and I turned to see David standing there, smiling at me.
“David?” I gasped, just a little bit of air escaping from my lips, making me doubt this newfound freedom.
“I was walking by, and I thought it was you. I turned around, and I couldn’t just say nothing. How do you feel about going for coffee?” he asked, a charming smile on his face.
I wanted to say no, run to my apartment and call Greyson, but I couldn’t turn down that smile or those eyes.
They tore right through my soul just like Greyson’s. I hesitated.
“Coffee?” he asked. “It’s just a drink, it won’t kill you.”
“I can do coffee,” I said as I considered it. “I know a little place just around the corner.”
“Beans and Things? One of my favorites.” He started down the alley and across the street to the coffee house that was so small and obscure that it was easy to miss.