I take another small sip, hoping I imagined it the first time. Nope. Still off. I put the glass down on the nightstand instead of forcing it, chalking it up to weeks of nothing stronger than sparkling water. My taste buds have probably forgotten what to do with alcohol. I will retrain them, starting tonight.
“We should get dressed,” Robyn says, glancing at the clock on the wall. “The car will be here soon.”
“Shit, you’re right,” I agree.
That gets everyone moving. Cath grabs her dress bag off the hook by the door and heads for the guest room. I grab mineand take it into the third bedroom, shutting the door behind me, grateful that Ridge and Robyn’s house has enough space for all of us to have our own corner to fall apart in privately if we need to.
I hang the dress on the back of the door and strip out of my robe.
First things first: the shapewear. I wrestle myself into a pair I bought specifically for this occasion, the kind that promises to smooth everything into submission. This baby had better work.
It takes some hopping and a fair amount of muttering, but I get it up over my hips, and I have to admit, once it’s on, it does its job. My stomach looks flatter. My waist is more defined.
Yes!
This is great!
I’m not sure why I bothered with all that working out.
Next is the new bra. I picked it up two weeks ago specifically for this dress, a push-up in a nude color that does exactly what it promises. Because of the few extra pounds that I can’t seem to shed, my breasts are bigger than I’d like them to be. But squeezed into this number, they are a little more tamed, with some upward projection instead of being all out there. The extra padding hides my nipples, which is a big plus.
The dress goes on last. I step into it and pull it up, working the side zipper with some effort, and turn to check myself in the mirror on the closet door.
The green really is a good color on me. It catches the light and does something to my eyes that no amount of makeup could manage on its own. The gather at the hip skims over everything, and my chest fills out the sweetheart neckline. I have the deepest cleavage I have ever had in my whole life. Iamusing help here. This definitely isn’t all God-given, but I don’t care.
I put on my earrings, then the thin gold bracelet Robyn gave the two of us last week as a thank-you gift, engraved on theinside with the date. My heels are next, a medium height I chose specifically because I plan on dancing later and would like to still have functioning ankles at the reception.
I take one last look in the mirror.
I wonder if Magma will notice.
No!
I’m going to see him soon, but I can’t be thinking about him. Not now. I think about his pretty girlfriend, and green is my color alright because I get jealous as anything.
Arghhh!
I push the thought out before it can take root. Today belongs to Robyn, and I refuse to let anything take even a sliver of it from her.
I take one more breath and head for the door.
Cath is already in the hallway when I step out, in a dress that is the same color as mine but in a different cut that works for her.
“Look at you,” she says, eyes going over me. “You look amazing.”
“So do you, Cath. I’m so glad you could come. Robyn is thrilled. You made her whole day.”
“Thanks for being such a good friend to her. She talks about you all the time.” She widens her eyes. “I can’t believe that her wedding day has arrived. My parents were starting to think she might never find that special someone,” she says under her breath, her eyes going to Robyn’s bedroom door.
“Well, she has. Ridge is wonderful.”
“He really is.” She nods.
“He is going to take excellent care of your sister.”
“I know he will. I remember getting ready like this, twelve years ago for my own wedding.” Her gaze drifts toward Robyn’s door for a second time, like she’s back there instead of here. “It feels like forever ago. Now we have two kids and a whole life. It’ll be your turn next.” She looks at me.
I frown. “I highly doubt that. I still have to meet the right guy.”
