“Miss Bell?” the sales assistant says as she goes over to Angel. “Would you like to try something else? Or have you made your decision?”
“Just give me a minute,” Angel says, and stumbles over to me. “I’m thinking.” She flops down next to me on the white leather chaise, and we’re both enveloped in acres of silk and flowers. “So? Verdict? You like this one? It’s sooooo twirly.”
“You looked amazing in all of them, but this one? It has a frog, Angel. A frog. None of the others had a frog.”
She beams. “Right? There aren’t enough frogs at weddings. I should totally wear this dress. See? I knew you’d help find me the perfect one. You’re the best.” She lies down and puts her head into my lap. “This dress is the bomb.”
Could I actually do it? Let her wear this abomination as punishment for marrying the man who should be mine?
Angel sighs and looks up at the ceiling. “I can’t wait to marry Liam. He’s going to look so incredible in his tux. Everyone who’s anyone in Hollywood will be there. It will be the wedding I’ve always dreamed about. He’ll be my Prince Charming and I’ll be his princess, and for once, Daddy will be proud of me instead of my dumb, perfect sister.” She looks up at me. “Tell me about your dream wedding.”
I stroke her hair away from her face. “I don’t have one.”
“Aw, come on. Every little girl has a wedding fantasy.”
“Not me. I guess I’m just not the romantic type.”
Her face softens. “Elissa.” She looks at me like I’ve just told her I’m dying. “Have you never looked at a man and just thought, ‘Yeah, I’d like to wake up with you for the rest of my life?’ ”
I look down at the bubbles in my glass. “Once.”
“Is this the man Josh mentioned the other night at dinner? The one who got away?” I squirm, really uncomfortable with this line of questioning. “Are you sure there’s no chance you two will get back together?”
I laugh. It sounds high-pitched and wrong. Tinged with hysteria. “I’m sure. He’s with someone else. And she’s . . .” I take a breath. “She’s beautiful, and loving, and funny . . . and I should be happy he’s found someone so incredible, but I’m not. I’m selfish and still wish he was mine.” I take a mouthful of champagne, but swallowing it requires effort.
Angel sits up and puts her arms around me. “Elissa, I’m so sorry.”
I clench my jaw and refuse to cry. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. I don’t care how beautiful and loving his new woman is, that guy was an idiot for letting you go.”
I laugh again. It sounds more like a sob. I hug Angel and push the sadness down. No matter what happened in the past, she’s about to have her dream wedding, and she deserves my support.
I pull back and give her a smile. “Maybe you shouldn’t wear the frog dress. I don’t think the world is ready for that much awesome.”
“No?”
“No. Go with the blush-colored one. You looked stunning in that. Liam isn’t going to know what to do with himself when he sees you walking down the aisle in it.”
She closes her eyes and sighs. “I loved that one, too. It’s perfect.” She’s quiet for a few moments, then says, “Speaking of Liam, what do you think of him?”
“Uh . . . what do you mean?”
“I mean, you guys have known each other for a while. What do you think about him? As a man?” The alcohol is really taking its toll on her now. Me, too. I have to be careful about what’s about to come out of my mouth.
“Well, I . . . I think Liam is talented. Committed. Professional.” Most of the time.
“Oh, screw ‘professional.’ Do you think he’s hot?” She giggles, and a fierce blush starts in my cheeks and crawls down my neck.
“I really don’t think it’s appropriate for me to comment.”
“Aw, come on, Elissa.” She pours more champagne. “He’s gorgeous, right? I mean, annoyingly beautiful. Whatever angle you look at him from, he’s perfect. Just admit it—I won’t be mad. I like it when other women find him hot. Is that weird?”
She’s so drunk, her honesty makes me laugh. “Yeah, that’s a little weird. Most women don’t like it when their men are lusted after.”
“But you don’t understand,” she says, and the last word comes out “unnerstan.” She continues, “I have something everyone wants, and that makes me powerful. Even my dad thinks so, and he never used to take any notice of me before I hooked up with Liam. Now, I’m the apple of his eye because Angeliam is a hot commodity, and my sister hasn’t even got a boyfriend. Get it?”
“Not really.”
She waves her hand. “Doesn’t matter. Just say you think he’s hot. Do it for me.”
I sigh as she refills my glass with more champagne. “Okay, fine. He’s very handsome.”
She pokes her finger at me. “Not handsome. Hot.”
“Yes, he’s hot.”
“Fucking hot. Like, molten-lava hot.”
She’s so serious, it makes me laugh. “Oh, my God, fine. Yes, Angel, your fiancé is the hottest man I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
“Good!”
“He’s a perfect specimen of manhood.”