“Anything for you, Kate, anything in thisworld.” Cole melds his mouth over mine.
“Ahem…you’re evoking my gag reflex.”
I break away. “Sorry Laura, but notreally.”
“What she said.” Cole gives me adrop-dead gorgeous smile. “I’ve got to get back to the office. I’ll be homearound five.”
“What time are you leaving?”
“We are eating dinner and then I don’tknow.”
I feign shock. “What, you don’t have adetailed list of what the guys have planned for you? I’m shocked.”
“Unlike you, I don’t have the ability toweaken their resolve.”
“Okay, okay, you two, you’re making mesick. Enough.” Laura grabs my arm, dragging me down the stairs.
“Bye baby, see you tonight.”
“See you later.” I watch him get backinto the elevator and disappear as the doors close. I grab Laura around theneck and pull her into another hug. “I can’t believe you’re here. I’m soexcited.”
“Me too.” She exclaims.
“It was Cole’s idea. He knew that yourmom and sister are giving you a bridal shower tomorrow, so—”
“What the hell!”
“Ah shit. That was supposed to be asurprise.” She smiles and winks.
“Ugh,” I fall back on the sofa. “What isit with the two of them and surprises lately? They know how much I hate them.”
Laura sits down next to me. “Sorry, didyou hate my surprise?” She bumps my shoulder with hers.
“No way! I’ve been silently pouting eversince Cole told me that the guys were planning a bachelor party for him.”
“Yeah, I think he knew. He called me andwanted me to tell you about the shower, but then we came up with the idea of mecoming down here.”
“I love it. I’m so glad you are here.”
“So, what are we going to do?” Laura rubsher hands together.
“I actually have something planned forthis evening. You will not believe what. I’m glad you are here. You can hold myhand.”
“Holy shit, what is it?”
After a serious planning meeting of whatLaura and I are going to do tonight, we spend the rest of the afternoonransacking my closet, trying to figure out what we’re going to wear. “What thehell is this?” Laura pulls out a white dress with a faded blue stain on it.
Oh, that dress. That night feels almostlike a lifetime ago. Jumping out of the limo down on Fremont Street, thinkingthat Cole was tired of me and maybe he didn’t love me. “That would be the dressOlivia bought me. Some guy spilled this blue slushy drink all over it. I shouldthrow it away, I just can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because it cost around four thousanddollars.”
“That’s a good reason.”
“Yeah.”
“I think you need to wear this.” Lauraholds up the blush pleated dress with the beaded top. The one I wore when Coleintroduced me to his dad and Olivia as his fake fiancé.
