Chapter 38
Charlotte
“I don’t knowif I like it,” the bride’s face scrunches in the mirror.
“Why not?” I ask, then I realize that’s probably not the best tone to have with a client. “I mean, what about it doesn’t feel right?”
It’s been a week since everything happened, and while I have jobs lined up and should be relieved, I am having a hard time putting my heart into it. It’s not exactly easy considering just how bad things exploded. And for the first time, I don’t have a lot of patience for picky brides. Kind of hard when Holly was literally the dream client.
“I don’t know, the whole thing!” Jenna blurts out. “This is my third marriage. And you know what that means.”
She looks at me in the mirror as I look at what must be the twentieth dress she’s tried on. It’s the dress Holly got. The dress I literally have on all my wedding Pinterest boards.
“Your standards are lower now?” I ask and immediately know it’s not the right thing to say.
“No. It means this dress has to be perfect with a capital P!” she snaps.
“This dressisperfect,” I argue, straightening the train again.
“For a first wedding, maybe,” she mutters. “A wedding where the bride knows nothing about love and just picks a random dress off a random rack. I mean, look at it. I look like I’m wrapped up in a sheet.”
“Take it off then,” I snap at her. I have never snapped at a bride before. Forced a smile maybe. Lied through my teeth. Said whatever I had to get a paycheck, but never snapped.
“What?” she asks.
“Take it off,” I say again. “If you don’t like the dress, and it’s not the perfect dress, then take it off. It doesn’t suit you, anyway.”
Jenna is in shock, but I don’t care. As she gapes at me in the mirror without blinking, with a look that tells me I just lost a client for the first time ever. I honestly couldn’t care less.
The velvet curtain of the fitting room opens and the shop girl is standing there with a nervous smile. “Is everything okay in here, ladies?”
“Yes,” I say at the same time Jenna says, “No.”
The shop girl’s eyes bounce between the two of us, and after a moment, Jenna closes her mouth and then whips around me. “If you like it so much, why don’t you wear it,” she snaps and storms out.
“What happened?” the girl asks. “Did I just lose a sale?”
“Considering the fact that I just lost a wedding, yeah. I think so,” I sigh, walking around her.
I gather my things and head for the door just in time to run into Holly, who is carrying her dress. The same one Jenna is still wearing.
“Seriously?” Jenna asks, storming off. But I don’t care.
“Holly,” I say, but she just blinks, her jaw tightening as she attempts to step around me. I’m going for broke here, and I step in front of her.
We tango for a moment before Holly lets out a frustrated sigh. “Fine. Just let me return my dress first.”
“Don’t return it,” I say. “Not yet.”
She sighs again. “I’m going to return it. I am setting it down. It’s heavy as hell.”
“Exactly!” Jenna yells from the dressing room, and this time I am the one sighing.
Holly and I step back outside, and she crosses her arms, her eyes locking on mine.
“Don’t take this out on Ben,” I say, and her eyes narrow.
“Is that really what you want to say to me right now? You want to talk about Ben?” she asks.
