Tia smiles. ‘You know Jess. She’s insisting it’ll be great publicity for the kids’ department. She also said it’s never too early to check out future staff.’ She laughs. ‘Time flies in the wedding industry, and Jess is always on the lookout for new potential.’ She passes the veil across to me, then heads for the changing room.
I sigh and start to clear up. ‘I still think of Nemmie as my baby, but she’s halfway to eighteen already.’
We’ve heard the shop doorbell in the distance during the afternoon, but this time, when it rings, I open the door to the hallway, and Nemmie and Zara are standing there in front of Mum with the little ones in their buggy.
I shepherd them into the hall. ‘Come in, you two, before you burst! The bridesmaids’ area is up on the next floor.’ I look at Mum. ‘You’re welcome to join us?’
She laughs. ‘I’ll have my turn when it’s your wedding.’
I laugh back. ‘It never will be.’
She reverses the buggy out of the main door. ‘See you back at home then.’
A few seconds later Tia joins us, back in her chinos and leopard print shirt. She points to the staircase that winds up from the hallway. ‘This way, ladies, all the way up, menswear is off to the left, bridesmaids are on the right.’
We clatter up the flight of stairs, cross an uneven landing and emerge into an area where the pink and blue gingham of the changing room curtains echo the pastel velvet cushions on the chairs and sofas.
The rooms upstairs run into each other, and Tia goes through into the next space along and comes back pushing a rail of dresses. ‘I’ve picked out my favourites. Try as many as you like and then we’ll decide which we like best.’
I have to add, ‘Just so you know, bridesmaids don’t always have this much input.’
Tia holds up the prettiest tulle, but Nemmie is staring beyond it and when I see she’s spotted a close-up of me and Lando propped up beyond the doorway, my heart hits my cowboy boots. It’s my own fault; I should have done a sweep of the building to clear them away.
‘Is that you, Mum?’ Nemmie’s eyes are wide. ‘That photo is huge!’
Tia steps in. ‘That’s because it’s been enlarged to make it pop.’
I’m going to own this. ‘Tia and I film ourselves in wedding dresses for the shop publicity. That’s part of my new job.’
Nemmie is staring. ‘Is that man your husband?’
My heart skips a beat at that. ‘Of course not! Jess made him pretend to be the groom because it’s her shop and she’s his auntie.’ Hopefully that’s cut him down to size. ‘You might have seen him around town. He came to help Salvador out. He’s staying by the harbour.’ Parade him in plain sight, like there’s nothing to hide. The only thing that might give me away is the hammering on my chest wall.
She frowns. ‘Is he you-know-who?’
It’s one of those times when I’m willing the floor to open up and swallow me. ‘His name is Lando and we’ve known him since we were small. Haven’t we, Tia?’ I deflect.
Tia nods at the girls. ‘Since we were a lot younger than you.’
I dive in with some detail. ‘He and Uncle Sav were a right pain when we were kids.’
Tia backs me up. ‘They used to tease us without mercy.’
I raise my eyebrows. ‘He’s mostly grown out of that now, but we’d never be close friends.’
Nemmie frowns. ‘But you tell us not to hold grudges.’
She’s got me there. ‘I also tell you that for every rule there are special cases, and this is one of those.’
Nemmie is squinting at the image. ‘His eyes are quite crinkly. Why are you laughing so much if you don’t get on?’
I need to put this in context. ‘I was freezing so it was less fun than it looks, but we were eating strawberry tarts.’
She grins. ‘That figures. Will we have snacks when we give out our shells for you, Tia?’
I think of my catastrophic stains. ‘Definitely not red ones.’
Tia considers. ‘We’ll have a wedding cake, but mini meringues with whatever colour theme we decide on would be cool too.’
