FRANCESCA
Two weeks until Wedding Day
Christmas in Christmas is over the top. The town comes together the day after Thanksgiving and the decorating begins. The bulbs in the streetlights are replaced with red and green ones. Each pole has a wreath wrapped near its top and plastic candy canes line the sidewalks. That’s just the icing on the cake. Each shop in town decorates in a theme and the homes are over the top, everyone vying to win the ‘best decorated’ contest the town puts on. It’s only for bragging rights, but here? That means everything.
The girls and I enter the photoshop which has beautiful white twinkle lights strung around the doorframe. It’s simple elegance as you enter, with a Victorian style Christmas tree in the corner. I look around spotting a bed with what looks like silk sheets, shiny and soft, with lots of pillows. My heart starts to beat fast.
Today I am taking boudoir photos as a wedding present for Jackson. I’ve never done anything like this. I’ve never done half the things I’ve done since I met Jackson. I used to be embarrassed to even think half the things he says to me, let alone what he does to me.
But when I’m with him, I’m comfortable in my own skin. In my life. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him. And these photos are just a small piece of me that I can give to him.
“Hi, you must be Francesca.” A striking woman in her forties is standing at the door with a tray of champagne glasses as we let the door close behind us.
“Ooh fancy,” Britt says.
The woman grins. “I find it helps to relax the atmosphere.” She lets us all take a glass from the tray. “Come on in, let’s sit and chat for a few minutes. My name is Sarah. We spoke on the phone.”
I smile. She has an easy going way about her which calms my nerves, even if just a fraction of an inch. “Hi Sarah. Yes, it’s great getting to put a name with a face now! These are my best friends and bridal party. They insisted on tagging along today.”
We grab our spots on a couple of loveseats that has a giant picture window behind them. The window is lined with white lights just like the door and there are candles lit on the table in front of us, emitting a sweet cinnamon scent.
“So, you gonna get naked for us or what?”
“Britt!” I hiss out and clap my hand over her mouth.
We all laugh. “Please excuse my friend, I think she’s more excited about these pictures than my future husband will be.”
Sarah grins. “Thisisexciting, and it should be fun for you. It’s just us here, a day of girl talk and drinks. I love to provide a best friend feel. You can tune me out and just enjoy being together. They can coach you or I can give you ideas. But this is your show. Have fun making this memory together.”
“Show her what you brought,” Farrah nudges me.
I open my bag and pull out a couple of new lace lingerie sets laying them out on the round glass top coffee table in front of us. “Beautiful,”Sarah says.
Then I pull out Jackson’s jersey. And she whistles. “The pictures in that jersey are going to be the ones he really wants, aren’t they?” We all laugh, agreeing with her.
“Have you met Jackson? He’s going to choke on his tongue when he sees the finished product. Then he’s going to make her choke on his di-“
“Britt!” I screech for the second time in five minutes.
Sarah just laughs. “Oh honey, don’t worry about me, there’s one in every bunch,” she winks and throws her arm around Britt. “I think you and I are going to be good friends.” Britt hugs her back and sticks her tongue out at me.
Sarah continues, “I haven’t met your fiancé but I know of him. People have nothing but wonderful things to say of him. But I know his type. The football God?” When I nod, she says, “Seeing you in this will have him crawling at your feet!” Sarah promises.
We finish our drinks, refill them again and I go into the bathroom to change into the red lingerie set I bought especially for today’s shoot. The straps criss-cross at the back and the cheeky panties are lacy. I’m staring at my body, trying to ignore every imperfection there is. I never worried about what I looked like, not even when I was first alone with Jackson, or any time since then. The way he loves on me and worships my curves and skin, it never dawned on me that I was anything less to him.
Today, though, has me noticing those imperfections. And right now? Staring at myself? I’m living a fresh hell.
As I’m inspecting myself in the mirror, my eyes raking down every inch of my frame, I land on my tattoo of a football with a number five in the middle, Jackson’s number when he was in the NFL, and my body relaxes. My heart rate relaxes, and I feel good about what I’m seeing. When he’s not even here, he can still calm me.
“Chessy! Get those Double D’s out here now and get on the bed!” Britt yells.
Huffing and taking one last glance, I swing open the curtain and storm out. “Remind me why I’m friends with you again?”
“Sweet Jesus! Damn, woman! If I didn’t have a size nine cock at home, I’d do you!” She whistles and the girls crack up at her antics. “You are smoking hot, Chessy! No wonder my brother can’t ever keep it in his pants when you’re around!”
“And that’s why you’re still friends with her. Every girl needs a hype girl, you know.” Sarah says from behind the tripod holding her camera.
I roll my eyes “Please don’t encourage her.”
