I want to thank him, but that might be weird. I do give him a long hug when I say goodnight.
Tanner is a good guy, but not for me.
The next morning, they get me up early for another date.
Another day, another date—and then I remember this is the wedding dress date.
They let Sophie, Camille, and Odin join me for this date. Bo declines for his family, even though Tema clearly wants to be a part of it.
I’m fine with that. I know it’s selfish, but if Tema was there, it would be all about Tema, and this is my show.
All the men are included because it’s the wedding dress shoot, so I’ll get to seeSpencer.
I’ve watched the show enough times to know this is a big deal, but Odin left his season too early, and also didn’t really watch the show, so he has no clue about the implications.
“Everyone gets dressed up in wedding clothes and there’s some sort of competition and the top few get pictures taken and one wins time with Lyra,” Sophie explains as we’re driven to the hotel to find my wedding dress.
“And why is that important?” Odin wants to know.
“Because it will give her a visual of what it might be like to marry the person,” Sophie says, sounding so patient even as she rolls her eyes.
Marry.
That’s the show’s endgame, but I haven’t decided if it’s mine yet. My initial goal was to just find someone to take my mind off Spencer.
Super hard, now that he’s shown up.
He’ll be there for this group date. I couldn’t leave him out, even if I wanted to.
No one is in sight as we pull up to the hotel, and I can’t even see faces waving from the windows. They must have them sequestered somewhere.
“What do the men wear?” Odin wants to know as Alexa ushers us to the ballroom at the back of the hotel.
“Tuxedos. Suits. Maybe there’ll be a kilt.” Sophie grabs Camille’s arm with excitement and she laughs.
“What do I have to wear?” Odin asks in a sour voice.
“You don’t have to wear anything if you don’t want to be here,” I snap at my brother. “This is about me, you know. You had your turn.”
Odin looks surprised, but nods his head. “Sorry, Lyra. I’d like to stay and I’ll wear whatever you want me to.”
“Oh, this should be good,” Camille murmurs, and I laugh.
Laughing helps with the nerves.
I shouldn’t be nervous. It’s the third group date; I don’t have to do anything but smile and look beautiful. But it’s the rack of wedding dresses at the side of the room that has the knot in my stomach tightening.
I’ve never been the type of girl who imagined her wedding dress, mainly because I’m a princess and I know if I want a dress, all I have to do is call up a few designers and find something that fits and is in fashion.
It’s not a very romantic way to look at it.
But I’ve also never imagined the day where I need to try on dresses, because it hurts too much to realize that my mother won’t be there with me.
I tuck that sadness down deep and join Sophie and Camille as we sort through the dresses to find one that suits me.
The princess styles are the first to go.
Sophie finds an interesting choice—a mermaid style, fitted tight to my body before splaying out below my knees, with a lace overlay that actually looks like scales. I’m ready to try it on, but Camille points out how difficult it would be to walk, as I have “very long strides.”
