AllFreeNovel
Share Us
They dispersed. Alexandra shook her head.
“I thought it would stop.”
“So did I. That’s fucking crazy,” I muttered. “Alexandra, where is your dress?”
“It’s in Odette’s room. It’s hidden in a trunk,” Alexandra replied. “We worried about this—Asti and I.”
“You’re clever. I’m sorry you must worry about any of that.”
She shrugged. “It’s my life. And apparently, it remains so.”
“We will liquidate things when we return, my love,” I said. “I promise you. I will do it myself if you give me a mandate.”
She wrapped her arms around my waist, pressing her face into my chest. “I will give you a mandate, Rick.”
I kissed the top of her head, lovingly. Yes, we’d been disturbed. Nothing would happen tonight. However, I now knew the woman I married tomorrow had my back and I had hers. There would be time for much more tomorrow. Or so I thought.
We went round to Odette’s room to ensure the dress was fine. I ducked out while Alexandra checked to make sure it was still locked tight and perfect. Then, she returned to the hall and nodded.
“I will take it to my room,” I said. “I won’t open it. I promise you. But I don’t trust it here.”
“How will you protect it?”
“Don’t worry about that,” I assured. “But I would feel better if it were with me.”
“Fine,” Alexandra said.
“One question, though.”
“Yes?”
“What was the endgame with the dress? What made you worry?”
“She asked for the other dress to be returned to her. Our worry was she would destroy this dress and force me to wear the other.”
“But why?”
“Control, embarrassment, maybe to make you not marry me? She would have loved the humiliation you leaving me at the altar would have brought.”
“The other dress wasn’t you, but you weren’t ugly. And I’m not so shallow, Alexandra. I am marrying you, not the dress.”
“Didn’t you think I was plain when you met me?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t know you. And you had no right to choose anything for yourself. You were subdued by that cunt. Come on now! I don’t feel like that anymore.”
Alexandra wrapped her arms around my neck and bit her lip. “I know. You don’t mind me.”
“Not at all,” I smiled.
She kissed me. It felt like before—normal, simple, true—and we were back to a good place. I was affirmed.
“Okay, take the dress. You can be my knight in shining armour again. I will send Marta to get it from you in the morning.”
I chuckled. “I will defend it bravely, Your Majesty.”
“Of course you will. Get some rest. You will need it for the marathon tomorrow. We both will.”
And that is how, with Marta and Martin helping, we arranged for a housekeeping cart to take the massive garment bag down the hall to my room. I tucked it into bed right next to me still clueless as to what was in the bag to my left. It was ridiculous. And yet? I knew she’d look beautiful as ever. I would have married her in either dress, but I hoped she’d be happy in this.
