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RAE
“Wait! You can’t look,” Annie insists.
“Why? What did you do to me?”
I shift on my stool in the bedroom turned into a dressing room, staring at my freshly painted toenails sticking out from under the black silk robe when all I want is to turn toward the mirror and see what my friend has been doing to my hair for the last hour.
We’ve got the suite to ourselves, plus the crowd of attendants who descended like a swarm of fairy godmothers.
Annie steps back. “Okay, you can look.”
I never got why brides were so particular about having every detail right on their wedding day. Anytime you combine money, booze, and that many people, some shit is going to go wrong. But as I swivel to face the mirror over the vanity, I get it.
My eyes are perfectly rimmed with dark liner, my lashes curled and thickened. My lips are full and a few tones darker than my skin. Half of my hair is pulled back from my face, the rest cascading down between my shoulders in soft waves.
“Wow.”
Flowers and a dress and bridesmaids and shoes and music won’t make life better, but they will remind a woman how amazing her life already is.
“Here.” Annie holds out the gold multi-tiered earrings, and I slip them on.
“Your cheekbones could sink the Titanic.” Elle cocks her head.
“You look gorgeous, Rae,” Callie says from behind me, her eyes damp. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m excited to see you marry that man.”
My lips curve. “You never liked him.”
“He makes you happy. And I like seeing him trail you like Barney does.”
“You stay away from this dress,” Annie says firmly to the dog, who lifts his head from where he’s sprawled on the other side of the room.
Although his role is firmly offstage today, he’s fully recovered from his donut fiasco and seems content to wear the bowtie he was gifted to mark the occasion.
“Time to get dressed! Or you’re going to be late,” Callie says.
“The bride can’t be late,” I contend. “It’s kind of not a thing until the bride shows.”
They help me into the dress. It’s even more incredible today. Buttons run from the top of my butt to my midback. The train extends behind me half a dozen feet. Every inch feels like heaven.
And of course they had matching satin heels.
A sharp rap at the door has us turning.
“You ladies ready?” Ash barges in, pulling up when he spots us. “Damn, you’re stunning.”
His dove-gray tux fits his athlete’s body to perfection. His handsome face is grinning.
“Thanks, Ash. For that, you win the ‘most elegant groomsman’ award,” I say as he crosses to me and folds me in his arms.
“That include Hollywood?”
“Yes, though it was close,” I decide as I pull back. “He dropped off the bowtie for Barney a while ago.”
Ash follows my look and smiles before turning back to me. “I never thought we’d be here, American.”
“This was my master plan all along. Seduce your brother. Move him stateside. Make his dog love me more than him.”
“Could’ve let me in on it.”
