Grabbing a bottle of water and a couple of Oreos, she walked to the living room while scrolling for the text.
And froze.
Sean: Hey. You around?
Collapsing on the couch, Angie let the water and cookies drop. “Son of a bitch,” she hissed. “For real?” And the worst part of it all was how she was actually torn about what to do. It would be easy to just answer him but she didn’t want to make things easy on him. After pretty much dumping her without a word, she wasn’t sure if she should yell at him or ignore him.
Sean: Thinking about you. I know it’s been a while.
And then she thought of her cousin Tricia who was married to Sean’s brother, Ryan. Tricia had basically kept Angie somewhat updated on what Sean was doing—even though Angie never asked. He and his brother had an architectural construction business they had started a year ago and supposedly they were both working like mad to establish themselves. Angie understood all about hard work—she was the queen of it—but she still made time for the things and people who were important to her.
And clearly she wasn’t important to Sean.
Okay, she reasoned, that wasn’t really fair. Just because she was a considerate person didn’t necessarily mean Sean was.
And he wasn’t.
Sean: I’d really like to talk to you. Call me. Any time.
“Typical man,” she muttered. Did he even realize what a complete tool he was? He’d been ignoring her for months and now all of a sudden he wants to talk and she’s supposed to just drop everything and call him? She snorted with disgust. “Well…screw that.” Tossing the phone aside, Angie picked up the cookies and cleaned up the mess and then took a long drink of water before settling back in for another episode of The Walking Dead.
The phone was technically out of sight, but her gaze kept going in its general direction. So that was it? Three little texts and the ball was in her court?
As much as she wanted to focus on the TV, her thoughts kept straying to Sean. Maybe she should call Becca or Hailey. Calling Ella wasn’t really an option because as much as Angie loved her, Ella wasn’t the best person to give advice on situations like this. Then again, Becca was pretty jaded right now and probably wouldn’t be feeling too kindly toward any guy. That left Hailey.
“Screw it.” Muting the TV, she grabbed her phone and scrolled to Hailey’s number and hit send.
“H’lo.”
“Hails? Are you okay?” Angie asked.
“Sorry,” Hailey said around a yawn. “I was sleeping.”
“It’s nine-thirty on a Saturday night. Why are you already asleep?”
“Nothing else to do,” Hailey said, sounding a little more awake. “What about you? You okay?”
Angie told her about Sean’s texts. “Do I call? Or do I text him back and tell him to go to hell? Or maybe I just ignore him?”
“What is it that you really want to do?”
“If I knew that I wouldn’t have called!” Angie said with exasperation. “I want to do all of those things but I’m not sure which one of them I should do.”
“Okay…okay…give me a minute.” Hailey paused.
“I kind of want to ignore him—at least for now—just because I’m pissed.”
“But…?”
“But…part of me wants to call him and tell him directly how pissed I am.”
“Okay.”
“But then I think I should probably just text him so that I can’t be overly bitchy.” Angie sighed and then growled with frustration. “Can you understand my dilemma here?”
“I do, Ang. I totally do.”
“So if you were me, what would you do?”
“Hmm…honestly?”
“Seriously?”
“Fine, no need for sarcasm,” Hailey said wearily. “I’d probably text him back. Don’t give in and call him—especially if you don’t think you can talk to him without getting nasty and all that. Ignoring him just puts you on his level and really…you’re better than that.”
“Thanks.”
“What are you going to say to him?”
That was the million-dollar question, Angie thought. “I’m not sure. I can’t imagine why he’d contact me after all this time.”
“At least you know it’s not a booty call.”
“How can you be so sure? Maybe it is. Oh, God…do you think it is?” Panic began to choke her. She wasn’t ready for a booty call but man oh man could she use one.
“Ange, he lives like ten hours away. I would hope that if he were here in Raleigh, he would have given you a bit of a heads-up. Otherwise, it’s a complete douchebag move on his part—to be so presumptuous.”
“You have a point.”
“I normally do,” Hailey said before yawning loudly again.
“Go back to sleep. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“What are you gonna do?”
Angie considered the question. “Honestly? I don’t know.”
“Whatever you decide, good luck,” Hailey said. “And call me in the morning.”
“Okay. Thanks, Hails. Night.”
“Night.”
Turning off the TV, Angie stared at the phone in her hand while she tried to decide on what to do. Texting was the safest choice but the snarky shoulder angel kept poking at her to ignore Sean and make him sweat it out.
“I’ll never sleep tonight if I don’t do something,” she finally admitted and made herself comfortable. Pulling up Sean’s text, she took a steadying text and replied.
Angie: Just got ur message. What’s up?
As if Sean was sitting there waiting for her response, her phone instantly dinged with his reply.
Sean: How are you?
“Seriously?” she muttered. “Why can’t he just get to the point and forget about social chit-chat?” Rather than type the sarcastic comment like she wanted to, she went for vague.
Angie: Busy.
Sean: Oh. Is this a good time to talk? Can I call you?
Crap. The last thing she wanted was to hear his voice right now. Sort of. If she was going to hold on to her sanity and not completely unleash all of her anger and frustration on him, this conversation needed to stay digital.
Angie: Out with the girls. Just happened to see ur text.
Liar. Liar. Liar.
Sean: Can you call me when you get home?
Her patience hit an end.
Angie: What do you want, Sean? It’s been a while. I’m busy and I really don’t feel like chatting.
She held her breath while she waited for his reply. On some level, Angie had hoped to keep things light, civil, but he was being a little persistent and it grated on her nerves.
Sean: I’m sorry.
“For what?” she cried out, rather than typing it. “Sorry for blowing me off? Sorry for bothering me? Sorry for being such a jerk when I thought things were serious?”
Meow…beside her Trampus looked up at her like he had an answer. Then he licked his paw and cleaned his face before getting up and leaving the room.
“Traitor!” she called after him. The dinging of the phone had her looking down again.
Sean: You still there?
Angie: Yeah
Sean: I really didn’t want to apologize over a text but I kind of got the feeling you weren’t open to talking with me
Angie: You would be correct
Sean: Wow. Okay.
Dammit. Now she actually felt bad.
Angie: Did you really think I’d want to talk to you after you pretty much blew me off?
Sean: I know. It was shitty of me.
Angie: That’s not gonna cut it.
Tears welled in her eyes and she wished he would beg—maybe just a little—for her to understand. Maybe he had a good reason for blowing her off.
Sean: Five minutes. Just give me five minutes on the phone.
For a minute, all she could do was chuckle. It was like the man was living right inside her head and knew exactly what she was thinking. And quite honestly it was freak
ing her out.
Sean: Please
Angie: It’s not going to change anything
Sean: Then use the time to yell at me. I promise not to stop you
She laughed again.
Angie: Tempting but I gotta go
And then that was it. He didn’t respond and Angie felt like there wasn’t anything else she could do. Yelling at him would have felt good in the moment, but ultimately it wasn’t going to change anything. And until she had a clear idea of what she was going to say and knew she’d be able to say it like an adult, it was for the best that she stay quiet.
With a sigh, she put the phone down and went in search of the television remote. Settling back in her comfy chair, she started up the next episode of The Walking Dead.
Sort of felt like the current story of her life.
****
“What about this one?”
Wednesday night they were all gathered at Enchanted Bridal as planned and were now staring at the sixth gown Ella had tried on. Judith fussed around her—fluffing the skirt, adjusting the train.
“Are you sure you didn’t try this one on already?” Angie asked. “It looks a lot like the second one you tried on.
“She hasn’t tried this one on yet,” Judith said with a smile as she continued her work. “That’s why I gave you girls a scorecard.” She rattled off the item number of the dress for them to write down. “Trust me. I have all of Ella’s choices on different hooks all over the room. I just took this one out of the garment bag.”
Turning to Becca, Angie murmured, “Still looks exactly the same to me.”
Becca nodded. “After a while they all do. Now that she’s narrowed down the style, the differences in them are going to be minute.”
“Do you guys not like this style?” Ella asked nervously. “I thought we all agreed this looked the best on me. Should I try something else?”
Judith stepped in front of her and gently grasped Ella by the shoulders. “Deep breaths,” she said softly. “I want you to pretend that no one else is here and you’re looking at these dresses for the first time. Don’t think about what other people tell you looks good on you. What style do you want?”
Nancy, Ella’s mother, stepped forward. “We talked about this all day, Ella. You wanted a traditional gown. Lots of lace, remember?”
One look in Ella’s eyes and Judith had her answer. “Why don’t we take a break and have a little something to eat? I’m going to help our bride here get out of this dress while you all get the food set up in the back room. We’ll be there in a jiff.”
Luckily no one argued and quietly she led Ella back to the dressing room. Once the curtain was closed, she faced her.
“Okay, sweetheart, we’re all alone. Why are you trying on dresses you don’t want?”
Ella’s eyes immediately went misty. “I…I didn’t say that.”
Judith smiled at Ella in a way only a mother did. “You didn’t have to. Those blue eyes of yours gave you away.” She cupped Ella’s cheeks. “What’s going on?”
Sighing, Ella turned and faced her reflection in the mirror and grimaced. “Mom and I were going through some bridal magazines today. She had a snarky comment for every gown I picked out. It didn’t take long for me to realize she had something completely different in mind and I thought it would be easier if I just went along with it.”
Judith stepped behind her and began unhooking the long row of buttons down the back of the gown. “From what I’ve been hearing, you’re doing an awful lot of that lately.” She paused and finished her task before asking, “You know this is supposed to be your big day, right? No one else’s. Well…except for Dylan.”
Ella smiled at the mention of her fiancé.
“What does Dylan have to say about all of this?”
Ella told her about the last conversation she and Dylan had about the wedding Friday night after the show. “He doesn’t think any of it’s bad, but he’s a guy. The less decisions he has to make, the better. At least that’s what it seems like.” She stepped out of the gown and reached for her jeans.
“I’ve known you since you were five, Ella, and we’ve talked a lot about weddings over the years. For as long as you’ve talked about marrying Dylan, your description of your perfect wedding never changed—small, intimate ceremony and you were going to wear a strapless, princess-style gown and tiara.” Judith motioned to the gowns hanging around them. “And that doesn’t describe even one gown you chose to try on tonight. I’ve worked with enough brides and their mothers. It may not be comfortable for you, but you’re going to have to talk to your mom and tell her how you feel.”
“But…”
“Go and eat,” Judith said, an understanding smile on her face.
“Let me help you hang this back up,” Ella said quietly after she finished dressing.
“I got it. I’ll be out in a minute.”
Ella walked out and joined everyone in the back room where there were sandwiches, salad and cookies set out for everyone to enjoy.
For the next thirty minutes, everyone talked and laughed and asked about the wedding plans. Ella did her best to look cheerful, but Judith’s words kept coming back to her. She knew she was going to have to sit her mother down and remind her of whose wedding this actually was. She just wasn’t looking forward to it.
“Okay,” Judith called out when everyone was done eating, “are we ready for round two? I think I found the perfect dress!”
There was a round of oohs and aahs as everyone went back to the showroom and took their seats.
Ella stepped into the dressing room and stopped short. “What…?” She quickly looked around. “What happened to the dresses that were in here earlier?”
Smiling, Judith closed the curtain. “Those were all wrong for you. I did a quick run through the store and found several that I think fit the criteria.”
“But…I…I didn’t get a chance to talk to my mom yet,” Ella stammered.
“And now you won’t have to. At least…not alone.” With a wink, Judith began removing the first gown from its garment bag. “I already talked to Hailey, Becca and Angie. We’ve all got your back.”
Ella just stood there staring as if in shock.
Gently, Judith pulled her into her embrace. “If I thought for a second that any of those other gowns made you happy, I wouldn’t have said a word. But like I said before, I’ve worked with a lot of brides and their mothers and I know when to send in the troops. And you, my dear, need your troops.”
A lone tear trailed down Ella’s cheek. “I…I don’t know what to say,” she said quietly.
Stepping back and going back to the gown, Judith grinned. “Say we may have a winner in this one. You wore it last month in the show at the Hilton. I didn’t say anything then but…” She shrugged. “As soon as I saw you in it, I just knew.”
Ten minutes later, Ella got the first glimpse of herself in the gown she had marveled at when she wore it in the show Judith had mentioned. It was beyond stunning—the perfect balance between ornate beading and simplicity and the skirt was full enough to make her feel like a princess. She couldn’t help but smile.
“Are you ready to knock their socks off?” Judith asked.
Ella’s smile grew. “Just as long as you’re ready to swoop in if I need you.”
Stepping back, Judith let Ella walk out of the dressing room first and then bent down to pick up the train. “Always, my girl. Always.”
****
It was the usual after-show chaos Friday night and as much as Becca wanted to chip in and help, she needed to go find Max and give him the pictures for the DVD he was putting together. She had already changed back into her street clothes and was making her way around the boutique in hopes of finding him.
After stopping a few times to talk to some brides-to-be, Becca spotted Max heading toward the back room carrying all of his photography equipment. She quickly made her way across the room and followed him out the back door. “Max!”
The wind was
whipping but the torrential rains that had come through earlier had finally stopped. She would have preferred to talk with him inside, but she could make do with the crappy weather—even as she cursed her long hair and did her best to keep it pulled away from her face.
He stopped and turned around, smiling when he spotted her. “Hey, Becca,” he said, making his way back toward her. “Great show tonight.”
She blushed. “Thanks. I um…I have those pictures for you. You know, if you still want to do the DVD.” Reaching into her purse, Becca pulled out a large envelope and handed it to him. “There are a couple of picture CDs in there and a flash drive too. Hailey’s been trying to organize a project like this for years so she was able to get them in some kind of order for you. I hope it’s okay.”
Max continued to smile. “I’m sure it’ll be great. I’ve been thinking a lot about how I want it all to look so all I should have to do is plug in the pictures. If all goes well, I should have something for you to look at by next week. There’s another show Friday, right?”
“There is. It’s an off-site event at one of those massive bridal expos. Mrs. J tries to get into all of the local ones and occasionally we travel to the tri-state area to participate.”
“She told me,” Max replied. “I guess she wanted to make sure I’d be okay with traveling along with the show to document it all.”
“I’m glad this one is only an hour away. It makes for a late night but the driving is doable.”
They both grew silent and Becca wasn’t sure what else to say to him. They didn’t really know each other and as much as she found him to be a nice guy, she also couldn’t forget how he had pretty much seen her at her lowest moment, one that she wanted to forget.
“So I should go,” she finally said. “I need to go make sure the girls don’t need my help.”
Max nodded. “Thanks for the pictures. I think Judith is going to like what we put together. Since the show is out of town next weekend, maybe I’ll send the DVD home with you and you can show it to Hailey and the girls and give me some feedback before anything is finalized.”
Friday Night Brides Page 5