God help me…
Chapter 14
Charlotte
“Champagne, miss?”
The shop owner at Chiffon & Charm walks over with a flute and a bottle. It’s customary to offer guests champagne. Usually, I would say yes, but ultrasound pictures don’t lie.
“That’s alright, I’m fine with my water, thank you,” I answer, even though I would love a glass of champagne right now. I’d kill for it even. My nerves have been nothing but chaos since the ultrasound. It’s funny. I don’t look any different. I’m not far enough along to see change yet.
But I can’t think about that right now. Right now, I need to focus on wedding details. The color scheme specifically.
“So these are the samples of all the colors we have,” the woman says, placing a board in front of me on the table. “As you can see, most of the colors come in multiple materials, and all our dresses can be made in any color.”
“This is wonderful, thank you,” I say. There’s a reason I always come to Chiffon & Charm. They organize the color selection byhue and season; they truly are the best. A bride’s fairytale and a planner’s dream.
“This is lovely,” I say as I run my fingers over some of the burgundy and wine colors.
“Yes,” she agrees with me. “I think with winter weddings, it truly is beautiful to use warm colors for contrast. Chances are, with the wedding being at a resort, there will be snow. White and red are just gorgeous.”
“I also like this, though,” I say, pointing at the blush. “Softer might be better. It’ll keep the focus on the bride.”
“Another beautiful choice,” she says, and I smile, not even needing champagne to feel bubbly inside. I love this part of the job, especially when I get to have a lot of say in the decisions. Helping a bride pull together her dream wedding is one thing. Putting the whole thing together by myself is another. It’s art.
When footsteps come from around the corner, accompanied by a familiar voice, my blissful morning comes to a grinding halt.
“Are these slacks supposed to fit like this, or should I size up?”
I spin around in my chair to find none other than Gavin standing behind me. The only thing he’s wearing is slacks. No shirt. No shoes. Just a pair of black slacks that are noticeably…um…tight.
“I think you might benefit from a larger size, yes,” the woman says. Clearing her throat, she heads down the hallway. She’s flustered. Amateur.
“Hello Charlotte,” he says with his usual smirk.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“Getting fitted for a suit,” he says.
“Today?” I ask, and his eyes dart around.
“Yes? I mean, Holly asked if I’d do it today so we can base the groomsmen around my tux, so…here I am.”
“Of course,” I mutter, going back to my swatches. I should have known better than to assume that ignoring Gavin would make him go away.
“Whatcha’ got there?” he asks, sauntering over. He braces his hands on the table, bending over, his abs flexing next to me as he hovers around me to look.
“Color swatches for the–” I stop when he leans further, closer. “Bridesmaids and…can you not?” I ask.
“Not what?”
“Why are you half-naked?” I snap.
“Part of trying on clothes is removing the ones you are currently wearing,” he says, and my eyes involuntarily scan his bare skin before my cheeks flush. Gavin grins.
“So, which color are we going for?” he asks.
“We aren’t going for any color.Iam picking out swatches for Holly to choose from, and you will be no part of this process,” I tell him. I refocus my attention on the blush and yellow.
