by R. J. Groves
He’s getting married.
She took a deep breath, straightened her outfit, and moved to the fridge to get the champagne and three glasses. As a personal preference, she didn’t usually drink while she had customers. But one glass couldn’t hurt, right? God knows she needed it. She lifted the glasses and the champagne to take back out to the main room and was startled when Harley sped in, her eyes wide.
‘There’s a man out there.’
‘I know,’ she sighed.
‘A man,’ Harley repeated. ‘Why is there a man in the gown room?’
‘He insisted on being there,’ she said, rolling her eyes. ‘Arrogant pr—’
‘Well, he’s obviously not the gay best friend,’ Harley said, peeking out at him again. ‘Who is he?’
‘He’s The Money,’ she said, deepening her voice to show her annoyance.
Harley’s eyes widened. ‘The groom?’
‘Well, he’s clearly not her father.’
‘Eesh. Poor girl,’ Harley said, taking two of the glasses and grabbing a fourth from the shelf. Andie smiled. It seemed she would be joining in on the champagne as well. ‘Doesn’t he know it’s the bride’s thing?’
‘He said he’ll take his chances,’ she muttered, walking back out to the room.
She plastered a fake smile on her face and saw the smug look on his. He wanted to make this difficult for his bride? Well, she might just have to make it difficult for him. She poured the champagne into the glasses and distributed them, raising hers in her traditional toast.
‘To the perfect wedding gown for the stunning bride.’
She could feel his gaze on her, burning through her like a flame. She kept her focus on Libby. Libby was her customer. Libby was the one who would be making the decisions. Not her controlling arrogant fiancé.
‘Now, Libby,’ she started, seating herself on the ottoman in front of Libby, her back towards the man. ‘Do you have a certain style in mind?’
Libby sipped her champagne, her cheeks tinged. ‘Oh, I’ve been terribly unorganised,’ she started. ‘It’s all happened so quickly. I don’t even know where to start. Should I know what I want? Oh, tell me I haven’t wasted your time.’
Andie smiled. ‘No time wasted at all,’ she assured her. ‘I have all day.’
The man behind her cleared his throat. ‘Exactly how long is this going to take?’
Her smile widened. That’s all she needed. This guy thought this could all be over with quickly. No doubt he had meetings to attend all afternoon. She knew his type. She just hoped, for Libby’s sake, that he didn’t need to go on business trips all the time like Joseph had. She didn’t bother to look at him, simply keeping her focus on Libby. All focus needed to be on Libby.
‘As long as it takes for Libby to find the perfect gown, of course. Did you know that the whole wedding really revolves around the gown? You wouldn’t think so, but it’s true. Once the gown has been chosen, everything else simply falls into place. That’s something you don’t want to rush’—she turned to face him—‘do you?’
His eyes narrowed, and she lifted a challenging eyebrow. Like she thought before, two could play at this game. He mumbled something, leaned back in his seat and crossed one ankle over his other knee. She turned back to Libby.
‘Don’t mind Tay,’ Libby said, waving a hand towards him. ‘He’s never particularly liked shopping. Typical man.’ Libby rolled her eyes.
Andie kept smiling and nodded slightly. ‘Why don’t you come this way, Libby? Have a look through the racks and pick out any gowns you would like to try. Then I can get a feel for what you like.’ She guided Libby towards the racks and, when certain they were out of earshot, lowered her voice. ‘Are you okay with him being here?’
Libby turned to face her, her expression confused. ‘I don’t really have a choice, do I?’ It wasn’t really a question, Andie noticed. ‘He’s paying for all of it. It’s really only fair that he attends all the appointments as well—see where his money is going.’
‘As long as you’re okay with him being here, we can accommodate. Not seeing the gown before the wedding is really just an old wives’ tale, anyway.’
‘I’m okay with it,’ Libby said simply.
‘All right, then,’ Andie said, holding a pair of white gloves out to Libby and donning a pair herself. ‘Now, while you’re looking through the racks’—she let her eyes show the excitement that every bride needed to see—’tell me how it happened.’
Libby smiled. Brilliant. Love-stricken. God, this man really had her under his charms. ‘Well,’ Libby started. ‘We’ve known each other forever—since we were children. I don’t think he really noticed me like that until a couple years ago, and there was suddenly just … something else … you know?’
Andie nodded. She did know. There was always something else. And it wasn’t always a good thing.
‘He went all out with the proposal,’ Libby said, running her gloved fingers along the gowns, studying each and every one of them. She paused on an extravagant princess gown and ran her hand along the fine tulle. ‘Oh, I love this one. I’m not sure I have the body for it, though.’
‘We can try it.’ Andie took it off the rack and handed it to a ready Harley to take to the dressing room. ‘How did he propose? Sometimes the story can influence the gown.’
‘He took me on one of his business trips to Broome,’ she continued, moving along the dresses. So, he does go on business trips … At least he had the decency to take her with him. ‘But he surprised me by organising to stay a couple of extra days and we spent a whole day exploring.’
Andie could tell the exact point that Libby fully immersed herself in the memory. She stopped moving, clutching the train of another gown to her chest, and she stared up at the ceiling dreamily. Andie parted the gowns slightly and glanced towards him. Tay. The name seemed to suit him. He was chatting on his phone, his expression annoyed. She couldn’t make out what was being said, but he certainly wasn’t happy. It only confirmed her suspicions of him. Even if he was incredibly handsome …
‘May I try this one?’ Libby said, jerking Andie back to the important situation at hand.
‘Certainly.’ Andie hoped Libby didn’t notice her gawking at her fiancé. She lifted the dress off the rack and handed it to Harley.
‘Anyway,’ Libby continued. ‘We went to some lovely cafés and had just come from the nicest restaurant I’ve ever been to. I didn’t suspect a thing, you know?’
Andie nodded and smiled when she realised Libby was waiting for a response. She was starting to feel like she didn’t really want to listen to the story anymore.
‘We went for a stroll along the beach at sunset. He led me out to the pier and dropped down on one knee and that’s when he proposed.’ She had that dreamy look again. Andie remembered having that dreamy look herself. Great lot of good that did for her. ‘It was … magical.’
Magical.
She’d thought that, too.
***
Tay tapped his phone against his forehead and checked his watch. They’d been there for hours. He’d already had to get his assistant to reschedule his afternoon meetings. Surely Libby had tried on every damn gown—as Andie liked to correct him—in this shop and hadn’t found The One. In fact, he was starting to wonder if Andie was purposefully not showing the best gowns just to annoy him. His suspicions were as good as his gut. They were never wrong. And his gut was telling him a lot about this Andie. Though the signals were mixed. Part of him was annoyed at the way she so clearly cold-shouldered him. The other part—a large part—wondered what it would be like to bend her over that huge ottoman and—
‘Tay!’
He glanced up at Libby and shifted in his seat. She was in yet another dress that didn’t look right on her. Andie was fussing over a finicky-looking train—not tail, as he’d mistakenly called it.
‘What do you think of this one?’
He studied Libby’s face, looking for some kind of indication as to what side she wanted
him to lean towards. Nothing. He got nothing. Like he had for the past three out of four hours. The girl was obviously exhausted. Why so much pressure on a wedding gown? It was simply an extravagant, overpriced, once-wear dress.
‘Didn’t we decide no on the ball gown?’ He could have sworn he heard Andie snort.
Libby frowned at him. ‘This is a princess gown, not a ball gown.’
He spread his arms out in front of him. ‘There’s no difference.’
Libby’s mouth dropped open. ‘There’s a huge difference.’
‘Like what?’
Libby stammered, making strange noises with her mouth. Andie straightened from fiddling with the train. ‘It’s the flow,’ she said simply. His eyebrow lifted.
‘Yes. The flow. God, men, right, Andie?’ Libby said, more annoyed than before.
His other eyebrow joined the first. ‘The flow?’
Andie’s eyes darted between him and Libby. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Ball gowns are stiffer in the skirt. Princess gowns are more elegant.’
‘Ha,’ Libby said, waving a finger at him. ‘Told you there was a difference.’
He rolled his eyes, checking the time once again. ‘How much longer is this going to take?’
‘As long as she needs,’ Andie said. She held the veil they’d been using next to Libby’s head. ‘You don’t have to be here, if you have somewhere else to be.’
‘Too late now,’ he said, squinting at her. ‘I’ve already rescheduled my meetings.’
‘Tay, what do you think?’ Libby’s eyes were pleading.
He studied the dress again. He still couldn’t tell the difference between it and the ball gown. Both made her seem like she was drowning in fabric. He groaned. ‘It’s … pretty?’
Libby shifted her gaze to Andie. ‘He hates it.’
Andie nodded, raising a scornful eyebrow. Were they ganging up on him? Hell, he wouldn’t have come if he’d known it was going to take this long. Still, he wasn’t going to have Libby conned into paying a ridiculous amount for a dress she was only ever going to wear once.
‘I don’t hate it,’ he said hesitantly. ‘I just think it should fall under the same category as the ball gown.’
‘It’s not a ball gown,’ Libby said, frustrated.
His stomach rumbled and he realised that he’d had nothing to eat except small teacakes, biscuits and champagne. Did these women ever eat? The other woman—Harley—wandered over and took a macaroon from the platter resting on the ottoman. Her hair was a plain brown, straight. And her features were more rounded than Andie’s. Probably all those teacakes.
‘Mmm, no, he’s right,’ she said, taking a bite of the macaroon. ‘It’s still too puffy for her. Try a mermaid.’
‘Mermaid?’ he said, quizzically. No one answered him. He scanned the platter. Didn’t sandwiches count as suitable for these things? He needed something substantial to eat or he’d get more agitated than he already was.
Andie used her hands to tuck the dress tightly around Libby’s thighs. ‘I think so, too,’ she said. ‘I know you weren’t fond of the body-fitting ones before, Libby, but I think we should give it a go.’ She shifted slightly so Libby could see herself in the mirror. ‘See how the shape would bring out your curves? You have a tiny waist, and a great body. We should show it off.’
His nose crinkled. He wasn’t sure how he felt about this conversation. But he could see Andie’s point. Body-fitting would make Libby look a lot less like she was drowning in fabric. His mind drifted to picturing Andie wearing something body-fitting. Hell, he didn’t even have to dig too far into his imagination. He’d already seen her wearing that dress earlier.
‘The gown you were wearing,’ he said, the idea coming to him. Andie’s eyes widened. ‘The one you were in when I got here.’
‘What about it?’ she said, nervously.
Libby looked at Andie, her head tilted to the side. Of course, he remembered, Andie had already changed by the time Libby got there. He felt something stir inside him when he pictured Andie wearing it again and shook the thoughts aside.
‘Is that a … mermaid?’ Obviously, it was another one of those ridiculous terms they used.
‘It is.’ Her expression was somewhat unreadable, but he thought he could see her feeling a little uncomfortable. Good. She hadn’t exactly been warm towards him.
‘And it’s for sale?’
‘It’s for a photo shoot.’
‘But it’s for sale?’
Her lips pressed in a fine line. ‘Yes.’
He spread his hand out towards Libby and leaned back in his chair again as though the answer was obvious. ‘So, try it on.’
Andie opened her mouth and hesitated. ‘It’s full of pins,’ she said after a while.
‘Only a few,’ Harley pointed out. ‘I’ve already made the major adjustments. The others shouldn’t cause any trouble.’
He waved a hand towards Harley to make his point and popped another teacake in his mouth. Andie glared at him. Then something in her mysterious eyes changed. A flicker—of what? Then she smiled. He squinted, his chest growing tight. What was she up to?
‘Very well,’ she said, leading Libby back to the change room. ‘Harley?’
‘On it.’
A few more teacakes and an agonisingly painful time later, Libby came out in the dress. Walking, for the first time, gracefully. It certainly wasn’t as tight-fitting as it had been on Andie, but it did fit Libby nicely. Clearly, it was Libby’s favourite. Andie fussed with a veil, then settled on a tiara.
‘This is it,’ Libby breathed. ‘This is the one. I can feel it. I didn’t think it was a real thing but … it’s The One.’
Andie smiled at Libby in the mirror. Her simple, sincere smile was very becoming on her. Very beautiful. He glanced again at Libby. She looked nice. It was a nice dress. And she would certainly look stunning walking down the aisle in it. Still, he couldn’t help but see Andie wearing it. But if this was the one Libby wanted …
His phone buzzed with a message from his assistant. His three o’clock hadn’t received the message and was waiting at his office. Damn. It wouldn’t do any good to put him off. He’d been waiting a long time to set up that meeting. But now that Libby had found the dress she wanted, his afternoon could go back to normal.
‘How much?’ he said, rising to his feet.
‘Seven.’
He lifted his gaze to meet Andie’s. The flicker was in her eyes again, her smile assured. He realised now why she’d had that look before.
‘Seven hundred?’ he said, hopefully.
‘Thousand.’
The breath left his body. Seven thousand dollars? For a dress. That she’ll wear once. He glanced at Libby, who seemed oblivious to the exchange happening between him and Andie. He knew it was a ploy. He knew Libby well, and this was simply one of her tactics. Well, he might usually be convinced into letting her get what she wanted, but every man had a limit.
‘No.’
‘Oh, but it’s The One,’ Andie continued, drawing out the words. ‘Look how beautiful she looks. Don’t you think she’s worth it?’
‘Her, yes,’ he said. ‘But seven thousand for a dress?’
‘Gown,’ Libby corrected. Andie’s eyebrow lifted in a challenge. She still hadn’t taken her eyes off him.
‘I’m not paying that much for a dress.’ His phone buzzed again. ‘Find something else.’ He held his phone up, looking apologetically at Libby. ‘I have to go, Lib. I’ve got a meeting I can’t cancel, and I need to debrief with Connor.’
Libby sighed, taking another glance at herself in the mirror before stepping off the pedestal. ‘All right. Thanks, Tay.’ He couldn’t help but notice the disappointment in her voice. She really did look nice in that dress. ‘I’ll see you later?’ she added, leaning up towards him. He bent for her to plant a quick kiss on his cheek.
He squeezed a hand around her shoulder and nodded. ‘Wouldn’t miss it.’ He reached for his jacket and started to leave.
‘
Tay?’
He turned to face her, feeling the guilt in his stomach. It was a shame that dress cost so much. A damn shame.
‘Tell Connor I love him.’
He smiled. ‘I’m not your messenger, Lib. Tell him yourself.’
Andie’s brow furrowed, and Harley poked her head out from behind a rack. ‘I’m sorry,’ Andie muttered. ‘Connor?’
Libby turned towards Andie. ‘My fiancé.’
Andie’s mouth dropped and she snapped it shut. She waved a finger lazily towards him. ‘You’re not the groom?’
He shrugged his suit jacket on. ‘Nope.’
‘Then … who … are you?’
He buttoned up his jacket and straightened his tie. ‘Taylor Ballin,’ he said, matter-of-factly. ‘The brother.’
Chapter 3
Her brother?
Andie felt the colour drain from her face. Or was it to her cheeks? She couldn’t tell. She’d stopped breathing again.
This guy was Libby’s brother?
God, and she’d treated him like he was a total asshole of a groom who didn’t want his fiancée to have a nice time picking out dresses. She’d even wondered whether he was the reason why Libby’s bridesmaids weren’t there. Maybe he still was. Was Libby embarrassed to bring her bridesmaids when she knew her brother would be there with a critical eye and looking only at the dollar signs? No … that couldn’t be it. Libby had seemed genuine when she said she didn’t want the hassle with the bridesmaids. Too bad her brother did that anyway.
It was good that Taylor was Libby’s brother. The longer he’d been there, the more Andie could feel her skin prick and her cheeks flush every time he looked at her. This way, it wasn’t entirely inappropriate.
Then again, it was probably worse.
When she’d thought he was Libby’s fiancé, she’d been able to keep her feelings in check. Her stupid, pathetic, unwanted, girlish … feelings.