AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It’s simple, classic, and gorgeous, just like her.
I can tell Lucky is fighting the urge to express an opinion. She finally blurts out, “Do you like it?”
Bailey turns to the mirror and smiles at her reflection. “I do… I really love it.”
The saleswoman beams with relief. “I don’t think it’ll even take much tailoring. We’ll need to take it in a little at the waist, but beyond that, it’s perfect.”
“You look incredible, Bay,” Joyce chimes in.
“You really do. Nikko’s going to fall in love with you all over again,” I add.
“Whew!” Bailey pretends to wipe sweat off her forehead. “Mission accomplished. Let’s get back to real life.” But she pauses to give her reflection a soft smile before stepping back into the fitting room. “This wedding thing might be kind of fun after all.”
* * *
“Cheers, ladies!” Lucky holds her glass of iced tea up. “Dresses are done!”
We clink glasses.
“Thanks for all your help.” Bailey looks around the table. “I didn’t think I’d get into all the wedding stuff at all, but I really love the dresses we picked out.”
Joyce claps her hands. “Yay! It’s supposed to be fun.”
“I’m still kind of a nervous wreck about it, but I’m starting to think I might actually enjoy it.” Bailey’s eyes light up. “Did I tell you? We decided where we’re going on our honeymoon.”
Lucky leans in. “Where?”
“Nikko’s taking me to France for four weeks. My grandmother’s going to look after the gallery while we’re gone.”
“Oh, that sounds amazing!” I tell her. “What are you going to do there?
“We’re splitting it between Bordeaux and the Loire River Valley for the wine, and the South of France for the bouillabaisse and the cassoulet.” She rolls her eyes in mock exasperation. “You know Nikko. It’s all about the food.”
“If we know Nikko, it’s all about you,” Joyce insists.
“Well, I would have been happy going anywhere. You know, as long as we’re together. But France is pretty exciting.” Her face breaks into a wide smile. “I’ve never even been out of the country before. I had to apply for my first passport!”
Lucky lifts her glass again. “To passports and honeymoons in France!”
We clink glasses again.
“Okay, enough about me,” Bailey insists. “I’ve been so busy with the gallery lately that I’ve hardly seen any of you. What have you all been up to?”
“Trevor’s slept through the night two nights in a row now.” Joyce crosses her fingers dramatically. “Praying we’ve turned a corner.”
“Anthony’s getting back from LA next weekend,” Lucky replies. “We’ve got another music festival coming up at the end of July. Just doing PR stuff for him until then.” She tilts her head in my direction. “And helping this one with the library’s campaign to get their new building.”
Bailey frowns. “I thought you were getting the Addison?”
“I’m trying to get the Addison,” I explain. “The town council went behind my back again, and now it’s a toss-up between the library and the fire station.” Bailey grimaces sympathetically. She’s heard all my stories.
“Let’s not forget the part about how you’re also living next door to your mortal enemy,” Joyce adds before taking an enormous bite of her cheeseburger.
Bailey’s eyes widen. “You have a mortal enemy?”
I roll my eyes. The Chief is the last thing I want to talk about right now. “How do you eat like that and still stay so skinny?” I ask Joyce.
I was a chubby kid who turned into a chubby teen and, let’s face it, a chubby adult. Joyce, on the other hand, has always been fine-boned and thin, bordering on skinny, no matter how much she eats. These days, she eats more than ever and still hasn’t gained an ounce, even after having a baby just a couple of months ago.
