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“Alright,” Marley says. “Isaac, Megan is going to step up behind you, and tap you on the shoulder three times, and then you can turn around. Okay?”
He nods. His arms are folded in front of him, and I can tell by his body that he’s nervous. You can visibly see the tension in his shoulders. He’s totally freaking the fuck out, and he needs this moment from me to help him chill out. I’ve known him since we were three. He needs to get out of his head. And a joke like this is exactly what will do the trick.
I’m grinning as I take a few steps forward, holding the hem of the dress up so I don’t trip. With one last glance to my right, I spy Josie’s eyes on me. Her eyes are filled with humor, and there's a soft smile gracing me. God, she’s so fucking adorable. My smile widens.
I turn back to Isaac, tapping his right shoulder three times. When he turns, his face goes through a wide range of emotions in a matter of seconds.
First, his head is down and he sees the white tulle of the dress, and his eyes light up. Then, his eyes trail upward, and I see the confusion at the ugly as fuck dress. The only one at the thrift store we found that would fit a five foot eleven grown man. Then, when his eyes meet my chin, he gets momentarily pissed, and last, when he realizes what we’ve tricked him with, his eyes fill with humor. “You fucker,” he says, shoving my chest, sending me stumbling a few steps.
We both break out into boisterous laughter, the click of the camera in my ear. Isaac throws his arms around me, tugging me into a long hug. “Isn’t it beautiful?” I murmur in a high pitched voice. “I had it made just for our special day.”
I gesture to the dress, then step back and spin for him, like I did earlier for Marley. Isaac snickers, his hand reaching up to cover his mouth.
“Yes, you look stunning, honey,” he teases back, running his hand down the tulle cupcake dress.
“Bet you can’t wait to see it on the floor later,” I flirtily say, booping his nose like he did to me last night.
“You asshole,” Isaac laughs.
We take a few more pictures of me in the dress, some nice, some cheesy like you would at prom. He even wraps his arms around my waist and I throw my arms up Titanic style, complete with the “I’m flying, Jack!” quote. By the time we finish the round of photos, the tension has left Isaac’s shoulders and there’s a broad smile across his face.
I’m grateful when I walk back into the winery to one of the dressing rooms, and am able to change back into my suit.
I head back outside a few minutes later, still adjusting my tie, to see the actual first look. Of course, Isaac cries, and so does Megan. She truly does look stunning. Her blonde hair is loose down her back, and she’s wearing a simple satin gown, with a deep cut in the back. Now, I’m not one to ogle my best friend’s soon-to-be wife, but as someone who’s known her forever, I can truly say how gorgeous she looks today, and not only with what she’s wearing. Pure happiness is radiating from her.
I head toward the rest of the crew, grabbing the last boutonniere out of the box, and spot Josie helping Austin, a groomsman, pin his to the pocket of his shirt. When she’s done, I wave her over.
“Josie, I can’t seem to get this. Can you help?” I ask, giving her my best smile. I even do that thing where I tilt my head to make me look all innocent.
She furrows her brows at me. “I just watched you pick it up from the box, Andrew. Did you even try?” She tries to make her voice sound irritated, but I can tell she’s just teasing.
I don’t say anything, since she’s already walking over to me. She grabs the flower before taking the pin out, and arranging it on my lapel. A thought pops into my head, and I only have mere moments to see it through.
“Ouch!” I say quietly, not wanting to draw the attention of everyone.
“Oh god.” Josie steps back, dropping the flower to the ground. “Did I stick you?”
I dramatically rub at my chest. “Yeah, you stabbed me,” I state. “I think you drew blood.”
“Oh god,” she repeats, fingers fluttering at my jacket. “I am so sorry, I’ve never done that before, oh god. I feel so bad,” she rambles. A light sheen of sweat breaks out on her brow, and I decide maybe I’ve let it go on long enough.
“Josie,” I say, trying to get her attention as her hands continue to feel all over my chest for an invisible injury. “Josie,” I repeat. This time, she stops, her blue eyes lifting up to meet mine. Her eyes are glassy, and tears are about to spill over. “I was just teasing you. You didn’t stick me, I promise.” I bend over, picking up the discarded flower.
“I’m so sorry, Josie. I didn’t think it would scare you that bad,” I whisper, handing her the flower. Her jaw drops to the mossy ground, and her cheeks turn bright red.
“You were joking?” her voice wobbles.
I cringe. “Yeah. Not my best work I guess.”
“You jerk!” she whispers, smacking me against my chest. “I thought I seriously hurt you! These things are a pain in the ass to put on, and I’ve stuck my own finger like fifteen times already today.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah, shit.”
“I really am sorry?” I say as a question, opening my arms for another hug. The hug from earlier nearly gave me a hard on, and to be honest, I’ll do anything to get my arms around her again.
“I suppose I can forgive you.” She already is back to work, ignoring my open arms, shoving the pin through the lapel as she secures the flower. She mumbles words that I don’t quite catch, all the while her hands are on my chest again. I watch her intently, watching her focus, not even caring that she totally has a reason to actually stab me with the tiny little needle now.
