Sidney’s excitement perked. It overflowed when she saw her mother’s tears. “You look so beautiful, sweetheart.”
They oohed and aahed over it for a few more minutes, but finally Marcia asked the dreaded question. “Is this your dress?”
Sidney turned her back to the mirror and peered over her shoulder. The bustle hadn’t grown on her, but the framework could be tamed in alterations. Marcia had already indicated it could be ordered without the cathedral-length train.
Sidney took a deep breath and nodded. “I like this one the best.” It wasn’t fawning praise, but Sidney was finished shimmying into chiffon.
“Is it in my budget? I suppose I should have asked before I tried it on.”
“I’m sure we can work something out.” Marcia produced a leather portfolio and a calculator. She scribbled numbers inside, mumbling to herself. “Alterations. Floor model discount. Family discount. This is the best price I can offer.”
Sidney took the portfolio and breathed a sigh of relief. It was on the high end of her budget, but doable, assuming all of Colin’s great commissions materialized.
“Still a go?” Marcia asked expectantly.
Sidney nodded. She wasn’t exactly relieved, but she could check a box off the growing list of wedding plans.
Mom clapped her hands together. “It’s wonderful, sweetheart.”
“I’m so excited,” Marcia squealed. “I’ve been looking for the right person for this dress forever. It’s quite lovely.”
They returned to the dressing room to take measurements. Sidney watched Marcia closely to make sure she measured the proper places. It kept her mind from questioning whether she was settling for an acceptable garment because she wanted to move on to the next step, instead of waiting for the perfect gown. Thankfully, Marcia knew her stuff.
“I’m so glad this dress suits you. I always wonder about brides who can’t choose a dress.” Marcia slung the tape measure around her neck as she made a note on her clipboard.
“Why’s that?” Sidney slipped behind the screen to put her own clothes back on.
“I don’t know if there’s any basis to it, of course, but I wonder if they are reluctant about the wedding itself.” Marcia mused as she zipped the dress into the garment bag. “You know, like the struggle with the dress is that they’re not ready to get married or there are problems between the bride and groom. It seems like the process is easier with a bride who is sure about things.”
Sidney tried to smile, but Marcia had voiced the worries she tried to hush, especially with Colin and this Rough Diamond business. After she dressed, they went to sort out the bill for the dress, the alterations, and the fittings.
Marcia presented the total in a leather folder. Sidney studied everything and briefly wondered if she should be charging more for wedding dress alterations at her shop, but, she reminded herself, the typical clients of this store were not her typical clients. The total was on the top end of her price range, but since it included all the fittings, she wouldn’t have to do them herself. It’d save her time, even though it wouldn’t save her money. An ugly thought whispered Colin would be delighted she had spent so much. A bigger price tag seemed to be the theme behind all his wedding suggestions.
She slid her debit card into the slot in the folder and handed it back to Marcia. As she sank back into the loveseat beside her mother, her mom squeezed her arm. “I’m so happy for you, honey.”
“I’m just glad I finally made a decision. The whole dress thing has been hanging over my head like a rain cloud.”
“Planning a wedding can be a lot of pressure, but you’re doing fine.”
Sidney raised an eyebrow. Just because she hadn’t had a tear-filled breakdown yet didn’t mean one wasn’t knocking on her door.
“Now that’s out of the way…” Bailey bounced forward. “Now let’s talk about the important stuff. What am I going to wear?”
Sidney chuckled. Bailey had perfect timing. After the exhausting search for her own dress, she only cared that Bailey was dressed. “Pick something hunter green. Whatever you want. You know the cliché, something you’ll wear again.” She reached for a glass of champagne and drained half the flute.
“Woohoo!” Bailey skipped over to the bridesmaid section and shuffled through the dresses on the racks.
Sidney allowed herself to sink into the sofa, breathing away the tension that hovered around her. Another sip or two of the bubbly and the anxiety would drain away.
A few minutes later, Bailey had selected three dresses to try on, and Marcia approached with concern etching her features. She rolled her stool next to Sidney and sat down.
“What’s wrong?” Sidney asked. “Can they order the dress?”
“Yes. That’s not the problem.” Marcia pursed her lips. Her voice sank to a level only employed by the strictest of librarians. “Your debit card was declined.”
“What?” Sidney popped up from her reclining position. Why wouldn’t her card work? Had she given them the wrong one? No, she remembered sliding the blue card in the folder. The blue one was the new one, and she’d called to activate it more than a month ago. In fact, she’d used it Thursday without a problem.
Marcia bent her head closer to Sidney’s. “The message said insufficient funds.”
Sidney wrinkled her forehead. She’d deposited her weekly income last night. Maybe it hadn’t cleared yet. But it’d be unusual. Her deposits had always been available by the next morning, and even so, there should have been enough to cover the dress. Sidney fumbled for her phone. “I’m not sure what’s wrong.” Her fingers were shaking so badly she could hardly unlock the home screen. She stared at the screen, not recognizing the icon for her bank. Finally, she found it and pressed a trembling finger on it. “I know I put money in the account. There should have been more than enough.”
Sidney entered her login information successfully on the third try, the last chance before being locked out. Her accounts appeared on the small screen.
Her mom leaned closer. “I know you want to pay for the wedding yourself, but your father and I can help with your dress.”
“No, Mom. It’s all right. I have to figure out what happened with my account. It’s probably a simple glitch at the bank.” The network must be bogged down because nothing loaded.
Her mom squeezed her arm, then spoke to Marcia. “Is it possible to place the order on hold until we get this straightened out?”
Marcia nodded. “Of course, I’ll keep all your information separate. Just ask for me when you call, and I’ll take care of everything.”
“Thank you so much.” Then she addressed Sidney, “Find anything?”
The listing of her accounts finally filled the screen. “It shows my account is empty. I don’t understand. I put a deposit in last night. The detail of the transactions won’t load.” The stupid wheel spun on the screen as if downloading at the speed of dial up. She stared at the screen, wanting to shake the phone to make the information load faster. Had the bank made a mistake? Put her money in someone else’s account? There still should have been enough for the dress. Why was the balance less than a hundred dollars?
She drummed her fingers against the overstuffed arm. Her mom tried to appear nonchalant, chatting amicably with Marcia, but the sound of her voice multiplied Sidney’s agitation. She couldn’t focus, but until the information appeared on her screen, she had nothing to focus on.
Finally, after agonizing minutes, the transactions appeared. She saw her deposit, then a large withdrawal. What was that? Had her account information been compromised? The consequences of identity theft spiraled. Her credit card, her social security number, etc. A headache she didn’t need right now.
If it wasn’t identity theft, what or who could have emptied her account? The withdrawal wasn’t the correct amount for the deposit they had made with the caterer. She tapped the transaction to see if she could learn anything more about it. What if her account had been hacked or the bank made a mistake by debiting her acc
ount instead of someone else’s? A strange transaction code appeared on the screen, but she recognized enough of the code to spark her memory. Shock and anger warred within her, yet she stared numbly at her phone. How could he do this? What was she going to do?
Bailey skipped out of the adjoining room, throwing in a twirl every third step. She showcased a sage green halter dress with a tulle skirt skimming her knees. “I love this dress! How do I look?” She took another pirouette in front of them. “Sidney? What— what’s wrong?” She plopped on the coffee table in front of them, her skirt mushrooming out around her legs.
“I need to go home,” Sidney said, wrapping her phone in her hand. She clutched the phone to her chest as if holding it close would protect her bank account and herself from any other blows.
“We can straighten this out later. It’s Saturday. The bank won’t do anything to correct it until Monday,” her mom said. “Try not to let it ruin the rest of your day.”
Sidney shook her head and marched toward the door. “I need to talk to Colin right away.”
****
After a dozen phone calls, Sidney tracked Colin down at the Rough Diamond promotional open house in the park. She stalked across the grass, taking in the salesman vibe emanating from the group under the tent. Normally that predatory smog would drive her to the opposite side of the park, but today she was prepared to stomp right into the middle of it and yank the tent poles out of the ground.
Tables were spread around an open-sided, banquet tent. People, wearing Rough Diamond logos emblazoned on their shirts, milled about with their fists full of brochures. Whenever someone came near on one of the paths converging in this area of the park, one of the people from the tent swerved in their direction. The walkers and runners stepped up their pace to avoid the solicitation.
Sidney sighed. This wasn’t at all what Colin had described to her. She had pictured sales seminars and contacting people, but accosting them in the park and shoving brochures in their faces was more aggressive and offensive than she had imagined. Something she wanted no part of.
One eager beaver rushed her way with his fan of brochures. She held up her hand as the man started his spiel, cutting him off before he got past the name of the company. “I’m looking for Colin.”
He still waved a brochure. “If you have any questions—” he started, but Sidney nixed it with a laser-like stare. The person’s face fell, probably thinking he’d lost a commission or a sale or whatever. He was lucky he didn’t lose his tongue. She didn’t have the patience for a sales pitch. He coughed. “He’s in the tent.”
“Thank you,” Sidney snapped as she rushed forward, hoping her murderous demeanor would dissuade any other hard-sellers. Colin held court with three women, not in Rough Diamond apparel, near the coffee and cookies. Not a bad strategy. Everyone came for the food, but then she saw the way the women eyed Colin. Either they didn’t care what he was selling, or they thought he was selling something more personal. Colin could charm people, especially women, and make them believe just about anything because he usually sold things he sincerely believed in. As pumped as he was about the Rough Diamond scheme, he probably had them reaching for their checkbooks and thinking five figure commissions every month.
She’d never worried about Colin straying from her before, but now she questioned his commitment as well. In order for him to succeed, he had to be charming, but that repartee could deceive both parties.
She knew the moment he saw her in the tent. The charming facade faltered, but jumped back into place. He excused himself from the women, touching the nearest one’s elbow as he left the group and made his way through the tables to her. She noticed he didn’t take a direct route. He wove in and out of tables and stopped at a trash can to deposit his cup, before he arrived at her side.
“I’m so glad you could come. I can introduce you to all the great people I’m working with.” The greeting had a false note. Was it because he could lose a couple sales because he couldn’t flirt with her around, or was it something else?
He looped his hand around her shoulders and steered her toward the other side of the tent, away from the women he’d been chatting up.
“Can we go somewhere private?” She insisted before he steered her into another group.
“I’m in the middle of something here. I’m building clients.” Colin stopped and put his hands on his hips.
“I see, but this can’t wait.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Okay.” He caught the eye of someone wearing long pants and a tie, then pointed to Sidney and jerked his head away from the tent. The person gave him a thumbs-up. Sidney started walking at a quick clip, and Colin had to scramble to keep up with her. As she headed for a place that would shield them from the Rough Diamond observers, she realized Colin hadn’t kissed her cheek like he usually greeted her. So far, Rough Diamond took away more than it provided.
When they arrived at a grove of trees that garnered sufficient privacy, Sidney stopped walking. Suddenly, she didn’t know what to say. Her fury boiled. Hurt and anger kept trading places for the top spot on her crap list. It formed a storm cloud, but words to describe it eluded her. Her fists clenched.
“What’s going on? Is something wrong?” Colin asked. He wasn’t meeting her eyes. His gaze kept straying to the sliver of the tent they could see.
Is something wrong? “I went wedding dress shopping today.”
“You didn’t find one again. I’m sorry, Sidney.” He reached for her arm and tried to pull her into a hug.
Sidney jerked away. His touch burned. It held none of the comfort she had found before. “I found one, but there was a problem when I went to pay for it.”
Colin gasped, “Oh no, honey. I’m so sorry. I’ll have the money back for you on Monday.”
“Monday? Colin, you didn’t even tell me how much you were taking.” She rubbed her forehead. “I thought you only needed a hundred dollars or so. But over three thousand? Three thousand! Did I finance this whole event?” She swung her hand to encompass the elaborate set up on the other side of the trees.
“It’s an investment. I should be able to double it by Monday. If I could get back to the group—” He stepped away as if their conversation was finished.
“We are not done here.” Sidney grabbed his elbow to keep him from hot-footing it across the park. “Why didn’t you tell me you needed so much?” She shoved her hands through her hair. “And why do they need money from you? Aren’t they supposed to be paying you?”
“I told you it’s an investment. It gets me to the next level, and I can offer more to those I recruit. The old adage ‘you’ve got to have money to make money.’ I’ll have it back by Monday. Why is this such a big deal?”
“Are you serious?” She wanted to grab his shirt and shake him. How could he not understand?
Colin shook his head. His face thoroughly confused. “I know it’s a lot of money, but we’ll have it back in two days.”
“But you didn’t tell me, Colin.”
“I’m telling you now. I don’t understand why you are so upset.”
Sidney let her breath out slowly, counting, forcing herself to not stomp her foot with each number. It wasn’t often she and Colin had disagreements, but this one was serious. There were so many scenarios where this could have been a disaster. She could have needed the money for something more than a dress.
“It’s this Rough Diamond stuff.” She jammed her finger toward the tent. “You don’t talk about it. What are you trying to hide?”
Colin scowled at her, but didn’t say anything. He wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“You’re not telling me anything. I have to drag it out of you.” A tinge of hysteria crept into her voice.
“It’s business, Sidney. You don’t tell me every little thing you do all day.”
“I would tell you if I needed to empty your bank account for a few days. We’re getting married. We shouldn’t have secrets like this.”
Colin sighed. “Look, I�
��m sorry, okay? I didn’t think it would be this big of a deal. In a few weeks it would be our money anyway.”
“So when we’re married—” Sidney started, trying to puzzle out what Colin said. “You’ll randomly empty our bank account without telling me first.” Had Rough Diamond scrambled Colin’s brain?
“Only when the investment is a sure thing.”
“It’s never a sure thing.” The Colin she was engaged to would be the first to agree. What happened to him?
“Well, it won’t be, if I stand here yakking with you all afternoon. If you want any return on your investment, I have to get to work.” Colin cast a furtive glance toward the tent again, treating her as if she wasted his time.
She couldn’t believe he didn’t get this, and even worse, that he wasn’t interested in hearing her out.
“Fine, go.” She flung her hand toward the tent, squeezed her eyes shut, turning her back to him. She couldn’t deal with this right now. She couldn’t sort it out. It was a mass of lightning, flashing and burning. There were too many questions. Colin patted her shoulder, then disappeared. Was this a deal-breaker? Her stomach lurched. She hadn’t thought about breaking up, had she? Was this money withdrawal a precursor to calling off the wedding?
How could she even be thinking that? She clutched her stomach and dropped to her knees. She’d chosen her wedding dress less than two hours ago. How could everything go wrong so quickly?
Chapter Twelve
It had been a rough morning. Joshua’s dad’s color was weird, and his breathing labored. He had spent the morning with his phone in his hand. He talked to the doctor twice. Then the coughing started. Hacking like he’d swallowed a bug instead of reclining and clicking the remote. The doctor said if it got worse or lasted more than an hour to bring him in. Joshua had perched on the edge of the couch until his butt was numb counting the minutes. The couch springs had long since given way, and the support was solely from the board across the front. Joshua wouldn’t be surprised if his hamstrings had a permanent indentation.
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