Claim

by Janet Nissenson

  Julia, for example, had oohed and ahhed over the Grecian-styled Vera Wang gown with the princess skirt and one bared shoulder, while Sasha had preferred the Zuhair Murad with its elbow-length lace sleeves and off the shoulder neckline. Joanna had liked the classic Armani gown with its empire waist, softly gathered bodice, and long train, and Tracy’s favorite had been a dramatic, more modern white sheath gown covered in lace and seed pearls.

  But the moment Tessa stepped into the seventh gown she knew that this would be the one. She fell in love with the sumptuous Marchesa ballgown immediately, and from the collective gasp that went up among the rest of the group, it was evident that they, too, thought it the perfect dress.

  It was strapless, the close fitting bodice styled like a corset, and embellished in an intricate pattern with pearls and crystals. The full ivory organza skirt was lightly gathered, and finished in a chapel train. It was a somewhat simplistic gown compared to a few of the others she’d tried on, but Tessa had never felt more beautiful in her entire life than she did at this moment. The gown was stunning, magical, and she knew instantly that Ian would wholeheartedly approve of it. The fact that it was probably horrendously expensive would only make him love it more.

  “This one.” She turned to face the five women seated in a semi-circle in the dressing area. “I don’t even want to try any others on, because nothing else could possibly be more perfect than this one.”

  Joanna stood and walked over to her, and Tessa was a little astonished to see the tears in the older woman’s eyes. Joanna touched her cheek softly, and gave a little nod.

  “Yes, this one for sure,” she agreed quietly. “I can already imagine my son’s reaction when he sees you walking up the aisle in it. You’re going to look like a vision in this gown, Tessa. A living dream. The dress could have been made for you, that’s how perfect it is.”

  Tessa gave her future mother-in-law a hug, and then stood back as the others approached, each of them concurring wholeheartedly with her choice.

  After measurements had been taken, order forms filled out, and her veil and other accessories selected, the attention shifted to finding dresses for Julia and Sasha. Fortunately, Julia loved all manner of clothes and would have been happy with almost anything Tessa chose, while Sasha admittedly knew very little about designers or styles, and she, too, was perfectly content to leave the decision in the bride’s hands.

  Tessa selected a floaty, feminine gown of pale blue for her attendants, with a strapless, gathered bodice, and a long skirt embellished here and there with sparkly diamantes.

  “What do you think?” she asked Julia and Sasha somewhat anxiously, not wanting to pick out something that one or both of them didn’t really like.

  But both women nodded eagerly, with Julia offering her input about the rest of the outfit.

  “Silver shoes, of course. Sandals, since it’s an outdoor wedding and will probably be hot, even by that time of the afternoon,” she mused. “A cuff bracelet, or maybe a single bangle. For the hair, maybe a jeweled clip or a headband.”

  “No.” Sasha shook her head. “First, with all this hair of mine, you won’t be able to see any sort of headpiece. And second, the dress is so pretty that it shouldn’t be over-accessorized. But it’s up to Tessa, really.”

  Tessa agreed, as did Julia, and Tracy was nearly speechless with shock that the three of them had been able to find something they all liked in less than fifteen minutes.

  “You would not believe some of the drama I’ve seen unfold when it comes time to chose the attendants’ dresses,” replied Tracy. “Arguments, tears, pushing and shoving, name calling. It’s like either really bad or really awesome reality TV.”

  Julia nodded. “You should have seen my sister when we picked out her dress last year. The words “giant pain in the ass” do not even begin to touch on what went down. You’d have thought she was the bride instead of me. And then, when she got married last October, she actually bought a vintage gown from some funky old store in Haight Ashbury. Picked it out in about ten minutes. Though I’m still not convinced she actually had it dry cleaned, in spite of what she told me. Sorry, I don’t mean to sound like a snob - or a germaphobe - but the idea of wearing used clothing just gives me the willies.”

  Tessa bid Tracy and Marlene good-by before heading off to lunch with Joanna, Julia, and Sasha. The bridal consultant assured her that the gown would arrive in plenty of time for fittings, and that someone from the store would call her when it had been received.

  Marlene gave her a quick hug. “I’m so pleased that you chose that particular dress,” she confessed. “When I saw it on the racks, I set it aside for you immediately, and had a feeling that’s the one you would pick. Mrs. Gregson is right - the dress could have been made for you, dear. And you’re going to look like a queen in it.”

  Tessa smiled. “I had a feeling you were the one who selected that gown for me. It doesn’t seem quite like Tracy’s style. It reminds me - just a little, of course, because it isn’t really the same color or anything - of, well, Cinderella.”

  Marlene nodded. “I thought the same thing. Do you remember what you told me the first time we met, when Mr. Gregson sent you to see me?”

  “Yes,” replied Tessa. “That with the new dress and shoes and hairstyle, I felt a little bit like Cinderella.”

  Marlene gave her hand a little squeeze. “And I knew the minute I saw you and Mr. Gregson together that he would turn out to be your Prince Charming. The way that man looked at you, Tessa - well, it was very obvious that he had no intention of ever letting you go. You’re definitely going to have your happily ever after with him, Tessa, and no one deserves it more than you, my dear.”

  Tessa blinked back the sheen of tears that momentarily blurred her vision. “I wonder sometimes,” she confessed. “I worry that all of this is too good to be true, and that it’s all been just a dream. Or that something bad is going to happen, and it’s all going to be taken away from me.”

  “Nonsense,” insisted Marlene. “You and Mr. Gregson are a perfect match, Tessa, and nothing is going to change that. Now, stop worrying about such silly things, hmm? Nothing bad is going to happen. Mr. Gregson wouldn’t permit it.”

  As she headed off to lunch with the others, Tessa forced herself to stop being such a pessimist. Marlene was right. She and Ian were meant for each other, and after overcoming all of the obstacles that had previously been thrown in their way, surely nothing could stand in the way of their happiness now.

  When she didn’t recognize the number of the incoming call on her cell phone, Tessa was just about ready to let it go to voice mail when some odd sort of sixth sense prompted her to answer it instead.

  “Hello?” she asked somewhat warily, fully expecting the caller to be a telemarketer.

  But instead she was nearly bowled over in surprise to hear an achingly familiar voice reply, “Tess? Am I catching you at a bad time?”

  “Peter.”

  The sound of his beloved voice filled her with joy, and she was almost giggling in delight at his very unexpected phone call.

  “Where are you calling from?” she asked. “It must be the middle of the night in Bahrain.”

  There was a slight pause before Peter replied. “Actually, I’m right here in San Francisco, Tess. My flight arrived in a couple of hours ago, and I’ll be in town a few days. A journalism conference that the agency wanted me to attend.”

  She was thrilled at this news, and was quick to inquire, “Will you have any time to get together while you’re here? We could have lunch, dinner, both. I’d love to see you, Peter.”

  “That’s actually why I was calling. The conference doesn’t officially start until this evening, and I can’t check into my hotel room for a couple of hours. I know it’s last minute, and you’ve probably got much better things to do, but I was hoping you might want to meet up for lunch,” offered Peter hesitantly.

  “Of course I do!” she exclaimed. “Where were you thinking of meeting and when?�
�

  Peter named a sushi place that wasn’t far from his hotel, and they agreed to meet up in just over an hour’s time.

  “I’m looking forward to seeing you, Tess,” he told her. “We have a lot to catch up on, don’t we?”

  “We definitely do,” she agreed. “I’ll see you there in a little while.”

  She was so excited at the prospect of seeing her ex-husband, the man who’d really been more of a brother and best friend to her for seven years, that she found herself rushing around rather frantically to get ready in time for their lunch date.

  It had been a busy morning already, and she’d really only been back at the house for less than an hour. She had risen at her usual early hour to prepare morning tea for herself and Ian, and then accompanied him to the private health club they both belonged to. For the next ninety minutes, she’d been put through a grueling workout by Ramona, the super-buff, almost insanely disciplined trainer Ian had arranged for her to work with several months ago. She’d showered and changed clothes at the club, then headed out to run a list of errands, including stops at the grocery store, pharmacy, dry cleaners, and office supply store. She had just finished putting away her various purchases when the call had come in from Peter.

  She fretted a bit over what to wear, not wanting to appear over-dressed for a casual little sushi place, or making Peter feel ill at ease by wearing something that was obviously expensive. She settled on a pair of skinny jeans, gray thermal knit top, low heeled black boots, and a black leather bomber jacket. The outfit was casual, but Tessa knew that each piece had still cost far more than she had ever been able to afford to spend during her marriage to Peter.

  Acknowledging that midday traffic in the area near Peter’s hotel would be horrendous, Tessa took a cab to their meeting point rather than driving her own car. She knew that Simon would have gladly driven her, but she always hated to bother him, especially for a social occasion like this one.

  Belatedly, she realized that in her haste to leave the house, she hadn’t let Ian know about Peter’s call, or that she was meeting her ex for lunch. She recalled that he had a lunch meeting of his own today, so she sent him a quick text rather than interrupt his meeting with a phone call. Tessa couldn’t imagine that Ian would take issue with her seeing Peter. He knew most of the details about their relationship, after all, and there was no possible way that he could feel threatened by their innocent lunch.

  Peter was already waiting outside the unassuming little restaurant when she alighted from the cab, and Tessa was astonished at the changes in him. He seemed a bit taller, and had definitely added some bulk to his previously skinny frame. His face was lightly tanned, and he was sporting a few days worth of stubble. He’d also cut his hair, the ponytail now a thing of the past, and though he was dressed in much the same casual style he’d always favored, his cargo pants, shirt, and jacket were more tailored and appeared to be of a better quality than anything else she’d ever seen him wear.

  His face lit up with pleasure as she approached, and they exchanged a warm, affectionate hug. He kissed her on the cheek, then placed his hands on her shoulders as he took in her appearance.

  “You look incredible,” he told her in awe. “I mean, you were always a knockout, but now - wow, just look at you, Tess. And it’s not just the clothes and hair and makeup. You’re pretty much glowing, and I know that can only be because you’re in love.”

  She placed her hands over his. “You look good, too,” she replied earnestly. “Not as thin, and you’ve actually got a tan. And you look - happy, Peter.”

  He nodded. “I am. In my own way, at least. Hey, let’s go inside and we’ll talk about everything. I’d forgotten how cold it gets here in the winter. When I left Bahrain, it was over eighty degrees.”

  They found a small corner table in the crowded little place, and ordered a pot of hot tea while they perused the menu.

  “I wish you’d have let me know sooner that you were going to be in town,” Tessa told him after he placed their order. “I could have planned something special.”

  Peter gave her hand a squeeze. “This is special, Tess. Seeing you again is a wonderful treat. And you know me, I wouldn’t have been comfortable at anyplace fancy. I, uh, hope that your - that Ian is okay with this.”

  Tessa shrugged. “I didn’t have a chance to talk to him, just a quick text. But I can’t imagine why he would mind. He knows how much you mean to me, how close you and I were. Besides, it’s not like I have to check in with him about my every move, you know.”

  “I know,” he assured her gently. “That’s not what I meant. It’s just - well, I’m guessing he’s pretty possessive of you. He didn’t waste a whole lot of time before asking you to marry him, after all. Not that I blame him, of course.”

  She took a sip of her tea. “He is possessive,” she acknowledged. “But not controlling. There’s a big difference. It was his idea, for example, for me to get my degree. And he’s been teaching me lots of different things about the company and business in general. Ian is a good man, Peter. The very best. And he’s been good to me in so many ways, not just materially.”

  “I didn’t mean to imply anything negative, Tess. Or that he thought of you as a possession or his plaything. You know I always used to tell you how smart you were, and how crazy it always drove me when you thought less of yourself. And I know just by looking at you how much that’s changed. You look confident and self-assured and really, really happy. And I know your fiancé is largely responsible for all that. So I would never think something like that about him, especially not when he’s helped transform you like this.”

  Tessa nodded. “Okay. I just didn’t want you to think that Ian tries to control me or anything. I mean, he is a very controlling man, but mostly in business. At home, he and I are equal partners. He’s gone out of his way to stress that since our very first date.”

  Peter tactfully changed the subject after that, asking about the classes she was taking at college this semester. Their lunch arrived, and over sashimi and miso soup, they chatted for almost two hours - about Peter’s job and the places he’d traveled on assignment; Tessa’s own business travels and the sort of work she did for Ian on those trips; the plans she’d made thus far for the wedding. She hesitantly asked if he ever kept in touch with his mother, and was met with an emphatic shake of his head.

  “Are you still having sessions with that therapist?” she asked tentatively.

  He nodded. “We still Skype two or three times a month. It’s - he’s helped. Continues to help. I still have a long way to go, but at least the nightmares are starting to ease up. I’ve actually been able to sleep through the night as of late.”

  Tessa placed her hand on his forearm. “And you haven’t flinched even once when I’ve touched you today,” she teased. “So I would definitely say you’re improving!”

  Peter laughed, and they continued chatting easily about their new lives, the lives they had made without each other.

  “This is what you always wanted, isn’t it? To travel around the world, meet different people, write their stories.” She sighed. “And if it hadn’t been for me, you would have already been doing this for years now. You wasted a lot of time sticking around just for the sake of taking care of me. I’m so sorry, Peter. Sorry that I was so needy and stupid and helpless. Sorry that you had to put your dreams on hold for a silly girl you got stuck with somehow.”

  He gave her a stern look. “I thought we’d agreed that you were over all of that insecurity bullshit, that you’d stopped demeaning yourself that way. And if I hadn’t wanted to stick around as long as I did, Tess, I wouldn’t have done it. To be honest, I think a big part of the reason I stayed was because I was too afraid of failing if I tried to follow my dreams. Afraid that I couldn’t do it after all. Or, worse, that I’d realize it was all a mistake and that I didn’t want to be a journalist after all.”

  “But neither of those things happened, did they?” she reminded him. “You’ve been doing a great j
ob from what I gather, and you seem happier than I’ve ever seen you.”

  “I am,” he agreed. “But who’s to say it would have turned out that way if I hadn’t taken the time to get my degree, grow up a little, gain some confidence. I’m a big believer in fate, Tess, and that everything happens for a reason.”

  She smiled at him fondly. “You sound like Ian now. He’s always talking about fate. And how he and I were always meant to be together.”

  “He’s right,” insisted Peter. “I told you more times than I can remember that you deserved a man in your life who could give you all the things you deserved - love, a normal marriage, a family. And from everything you’ve told me, he’s given you all that and more. So there’s fate for you right there, Tess. If I hadn’t stayed with you all those years, we might never have moved to San Francisco, and you wouldn’t be with Ian now. Things happen for a reason sometimes, Tess, and the two of us are prime examples of that.”

  She walked the two blocks to his hotel with him, rationalizing that it would be easier for her to get a taxi there.

  “How long are you in town?” she inquired, belatedly realizing they hadn’t really touched on the subject of his conference.

  “Four nights. I fly back to New York on Friday, and will be there for about a week meeting with some people at the agency. Then I’m heading to Morocco for a few weeks to cover a story there.”

  “Will we - do you think we can get together again during your stay?” she asked. “I’m sure your schedule is pretty packed at this conference, but can you get away for lunch or dinner one day?”

  “Maybe. I’ll know more when I review the full agenda. Can I text you when I know the details?”

  She nodded. “Absolutely. I’d love some more time to catch up. I - I know you’ve kept your distance this past year, Peter. First to force me to look out for myself, and then because of Ian. But, well, you were my best friend for over seven years as well as my husband, and it makes me sad to not hear from you very often. Do you think - can we maybe try to do a better job of that from now on?”