“Yes!” She sends me the link and finally starts eating.
“I don’t know my measurements.”
“We’ll take them back at my place. Now finish your food so we can go.”
“You’ve barely even started yours, and I’m almost done.” I shove another bite of steak into my mouth. I hate how much I love that dress. It’s so girly. I never dreamed of my wedding. I dreamed of spending my life with Abby. I didn’t think this wedding was actually going to be such a big deal. Hell, we’re having it where I work. It should be a cute little thing where we kiss in front of a handful of our friends and then I take her home and have my way with her. Why is it becoming such a thing? Maybe Ashley’s possessed me. Can ghouls do that? It’s the only logical explanation.
Looking up, I find that Sandra has finished her sandwich. I shouldn’t be surprised. Sandwiches are the second most important thing to her after weddings. “There’s a bridal shop nearby that has that exact dress. Let’s see if their model fits, and we can take your measurements there, and we can pick out my bridesmaid dress. I’ve been thinking red. It’s pretty standard, right? Besides, I look so good in it, so how could we not go with red?”
I wonder if red attracts vampires. “Fine, red, whatever you want. I don’t care.”
“You will. Come on, they close in two hours. Let’s hurry.”
I follow her, and we head to the little bridal shop.
* * *
The dress fits. It’ll need a few alterations, but it looks amazing. The modern sleeveless top with its swooping neckline shows off my biceps and my cleavage, as Sandra promised, but once it’s taken in, it’ll cling to my waist above the skirt. I’m not terribly out of shape, but I didn’t expect any dress to look this good on me. A nice suit, on the other hand…well, I’ve already committed. I’m not sure I could imagine wearing anything but this dress. Its blend of old and new should be more jarring, more anachronistic, more off-putting in some way, but it comes together perfectly, and it’s genuinely the first time I’ve ever liked how I look in a dress. It doesn’t even clash with my short hair. My heavily emphasized biceps save that, giving it just the slightest bit of dapper on top of the mountains of femme the skirt and lace provide.
“Let me see,” Sandra says.
I walk out of the changing room and twirl for her. “Happy?”
Her jaw drops. “Oh wow. This is the happiest moment of my life. You look so beautiful. Can I give you away? I mean, your parents aren’t coming, right?”
I blink. I haven’t thought about them in ages. Should I invite them? It seems like it’d be rude not to, but we’re not exactly close, and they don’t know about fiends. It would be weird.
“Liz? You there?”
“Sorry. I…” I blow out a breath. “I haven’t talked to them in a while.”
“Maybe you should call them? You don’t have to invite them or anything, just let them know.”
I nod. I wonder if the store would mind if I wore this for a little longer. It makes me feel more confident. “Yeah, I might as well. You pick out your dress, I’m going to do this while I still have the courage to.”
She doesn’t even try to insist that I look with her. It’s a miracle.
The phone rings a few times before my mother picks up and asks in a concerned voice, “Liz? Are you okay? Do you need money?”
“I haven’t borrowed money from you in years.” I cover my mouth. I do not need to be yelling at my mother in the middle of a dress shop. It sounds too much like my childhood.
“Well, it’s not Mother’s Day or my birthday, so excuse me for being a little surprised.”
I throw myself into a nearby chair. I hope I don’t damage the dress. My head bangs on the wall as I try to make it through a single conversation with my mother. “Can’t I call you without it being a big thing?”
“Well, I’m sure you could, but it would certainly be a first.”
“Fine, I guess it’s a big thing.”
“Are you okay?” She sounds panicked. “Did you get an STD? Are you in the hospital?”
How big a slut do they think I am? Okay, I might deserve it. I’m just amazed she knows lesbians can get STDs. “No, Abby and I are getting married.”
There’s only silence on the other end of the line.
“Mom?”
“Could you repeat that?”
Rolling my eyes, I say, “Abby and I are getting married.”
“So you finally found her again?”
“Yeah, it’s a long story.”
“Well, when’s the wedding? I can’t wait.”
“We’re eloping, Mom. It’s just gonna be her, me, and a judge.” I was always going to lie to keep her away no matter what happened, but I actually have a good excuse now that it’s happening for real.
She snorts. “Fine, we’ll just send you a gift in the mail. I can’t believe I won’t get to see my own daughter’s wedding. Will you at least send me photos?”
“Sure.” Another lie, but it’ll get her off the phone quicker. “Can I talk to Dad? I want to tell him too.”
“Oh, all right. I just wanted to ask you about everything. How long have you two been back together? What happened with her? Will you at least tell her that I’m mad at her for sending you into a crippling depression from which you’re only now recovering?”
“No. I will not say that. That sounds terrible. Please give me to Dad.”
With a derisive snort, she hands me over. “It’s your daughter. She has big news that she wants to tell you.”
“Thank you, Catalina.” Static crackles over the phone as he takes it from her. “Hey, kiddo.”
I look at my reflection again. I really do look amazing in this dress. “Hey, Dad.”
“So what’s the big news?”
“Well, I finally got together with Abby a few months ago, and now we’re getting married. That’s all. You have a good day.”
“Wait just a second. So you two are really doing it?”
I’ve told them all I wanted to say. Can’t I just hang up now? “Yep.”
“You know it’s not really marriage.”
“Nope, totally is, more real than yours.”
“And just what do you mean by that?”
I groan. “Nothing, Dad. Have a good day. I’m gonna go.” He was actually the easier parent to talk to. He wasn’t even bothered by my being gay, just the marriage thing. My mom was the one who freaked out.
“All right. I love you.”
“You too, tell the same to Mom. Bye.” I hang up. There, at least that’s over with, and they don’t know where the wedding is, so they can’t try to crash it.
“How do I look?”
I turn to find Sandra in a floor-length red dress that clings to the edge of immodesty. “I know it’s a bit much, but you gotta admit, I look good in it.”
“Trying to pick up a new guy? I’m sure you could find someone pretty interesting.”
“I’m sticking with my own species, thanks.”
I give her another look. She does look pretty good. Though not quite as good as me. I think that’s the general rule for weddings. “Fine, whatever, get it. I really don’t care.”
She kneels in front of me, places her hand on my chin, and tilts my head up. “What happened? Did the phone call go okay?”
“It went like I figured it would. I’m not that upset. I just am not capable of putting any more emotion into dresses than I already have today.”
She pats my back as she stands. “I understand. Go change back into that T-shirt and jeans. I’ll pay for the dresses.”
I stare up at her, utterly confused. “But I lost the bet.”
“Yeah, and I talked you into dealing with your parents. It’ll count as my wedding present. Go get changed, and I’ll meet you at the front.”
I’ll talk to my parents again if it means she’ll spend another few grand on me. “Thank you.” I change back and feel a lot more like myself.
Once I make it back out to the front,
she’s finished paying. The alterations will be done within the week, which gives us more than enough time for the wedding. I lean against her shoulder as we walk out. It was a long day and so far out of my comfort zone, but it’s worth it if it means I’m marrying Abby. With her, even a wedding is fun.
Chapter Twenty
Abigail
“She proposed! Ashley, I can’t believe it. I never thought it would really happen. I’m gonna get married.” I stare at the ring. I’ve barely been able to take my eyes off it since she placed it on me. “Can you believe it?”
Ashley bares her teeth. “Yeah. I had no idea. That’s great. The ring is so pretty. It’s even prettier than a diamond ring would be.” She pokes it with her finger.
That’s not like her. She thinks pretty much all other gemstones are tacky. “Really? I mean, I certainly think so. Plus, it matches my necklace.” I wish it still matched my eyes. “But what’s going on with you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I think it’s a very nice ring. Not everything has to be diamonds, and I adore the double design. They look amazing together. I love it.” She leans over, almost falling off her bed as I show it off.
That much makes sense. She loves ornate rings. When I borrowed her computer, half of her bookmarks were wedding and engagement pages. I didn’t know there were that many different designs of rings. There was also a lot of porn, but I’d expected that. “Ashley, I appreciate that you’re putting me first for once, but you’re acting really suspicious.”
Her eyes widen. “No, I’m not. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I glare.
“Okay, fine. She told me, and I helped her pick out the ring. It really is beautiful, though. I tried to talk her into a diamond, but you always wear that necklace, and it looks so pretty on you, and she’s totally right, and I love it. Please don’t hate me for not telling you.”
So that’s why she was talking about Liz and me getting married at group. I can be so dumb. I pull her to me, hugging the life out of an undead girl. “Thank you.”
“What?” She pushes against my chest, giving her enough space to stare. “Why?”
“I’m glad the two of you are finally becoming friends. She hasn’t tried to steal you away as her maid of honor, has she?”
Her awkward smile finally fades into a genuine one. “No. I saved that for you.”
“Will you?”
“Do I get a ring?”
“No. That doesn’t even make sense.”
With a big sigh and her lower lip protruding in the most pitiful pout imaginable, she leans back against her bedpost. “I guess I’ll still do it. Only because I love you.”
“You can bring your gargoyle friend.”
Her face lights up, and she pulls herself forward. “I can? But we just met. I don’t know if he’ll even want to come. Do you think he’ll want to come?”
“Who wouldn’t want to go to a wedding with you? Have you two had your date yet?”
Fidgeting with her blanket, she looks away. “I haven’t had the nerve to call him.”
My mouth drops. “What do you mean you haven’t called him? You were freaking out about him giving you his number. It’s been four days. What are you doing? You’re wasting time. Do you not want to have a date to take to my wedding?”
“No, I do.” She lets out a deep sigh, her eyes turning back to me. “I’m just scared. What if he doesn’t want me? I mean, why would he? I’m…” She gestures at her body. “Just look at me. Who could possibly want this?”
Planting a light kiss on her forehead, I place my hands on her shoulders. “Any guy would be lucky to have you. Now, call him. When you’re done, we can go meet Liz at the Community Center.”
“Will you call?”
“I’m not the one talking to him.”
“Please.” She squeezes my forearm, panic clear in her eyes. “Just call and put it on speaker? You don’t need to say anything. I just need you to do it for me.”
With an exasperated groan, I take her phone and place the call. I set the phone on the bed and sit on the coffin.
“Hello?” a gruff voice says.
“Hi.” Her voice is shaky, tentative, not at all the perky girl I know. “It’s Ashley. The girl you bought the scone for on Wednesday.”
“Oh. Hi, Ashley. I was starting to worry you wouldn’t call.”
“You know how it is. A girl has to have some mystery about her, right? I can’t just give it all away immediately.” Of course not. She has to wait until the first date for that. “So I was wondering if maybe you’d like to meet up tomorrow? I’d say today, but I have some important things I have to do with my best friend.”
“Sounds exciting. I would love to see you tomorrow. I’m sorry about the scone. I heard you were in that weird group thing. I swear I didn’t know. I think it’s cool.”
Her smile takes up her entire face. “Thank you. Yeah, I’ve been in it for ages. I probably shouldn’t have had that scone, but it’s not your fault. You were just being a gentleman.”
“That’s all I try to do.”
“Well, if you are such a gentleman, pick me up at my place. Tomorrow? Around one?”
“It’s a date.”
She puts her hand to her mouth to cover her squeal. “I’ll see you then.”
“I can’t wait.”
She clicks the end call button and throws her arms around me, squealing at the top of her lungs. My ears ring for a solid minute before I can understand what she’s saying.
It’s just more squealing. “Oh my God, I’m so excited. I have a real date. With a real live man. It’s going to be amazing!”
I grin, gently rubbing her back. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you.” She clings tighter to me. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you so much.”
“Anytime. Now, can we get going? I told Liz we’d be there at eleven.”
“Yeah. Of course.” One last squeeze and she releases me. “Just let me text him my address and throw on something cute just in case. You never know, he might be there.”
* * *
Liz wraps her arms around me. “My fiancée,” she murmurs, staring at my ring.
“Should I buy you one so you’ll stop ogling mine all the time?” I run my fingers through her hair, holding her close as she holds my hand before her.
“I wouldn’t say no, but you can save it for the wedding. So did you ask her?” She gestures toward Ashley.
Ashley squeals and joins in the hug. She squeals a lot. “She did. I’m so excited for you two. I might even have a plus one to bring. She told me how it went. It sounds like it was just as you planned. You two are the cutest couple. You’re like my goals.”
Liz pecks my neck quickly before pulling away. “I have another surprise for you. Come with me.”
We follow her. I didn’t even know there was a second floor. I have to practically walk on all fours to avoid hitting my head on the stairs. I grumble as they lead the way. I can’t believe Liz wanted to be a wendigo. There is literally no good part.
Once we arrive at the second-floor landing, I can finally stand straight again. Liz rushes through the door. Ashley and I catch up without issue and head toward loud hammering coming down the hall. How did I miss that noise until now? How good is the insulation here? Liz stops in front of the door where all the noises are coming from. There’s a stained-glass window above it. “What’s this?” I ask.
“I found a venue for our wedding.”
“You want to marry a corpse in a church?” I know it’s not the nicest thing to say about myself, but it seems appropriate.
“You’re not a corpse, Abby. You’re going to be my wife. I figured we’d get rid of some of the religious iconography, since it makes a few of the fiends uncomfortable, but it’s really beautiful, and I wanted to give you a proper normal wedding. I’m sorry. I know I should’ve asked first. We can pick someplace else if you want. I’ve just been exploring the building between a
ppointments, and I thought it’d be perfect.”
She opens the door, and I peer through. There’re half a dozen people working away restoring it. Including James. Is this where he’s been all week? “How the hell did you set all of this up?”
“I’m very persuasive.”
“So money, then?”
“Not for James, actually. He just wanted to do a nice thing for you. He said he still felt bad about something and felt like he owed you. He also said that he’s an ordained minister and wants to officiate our wedding. If that’s okay with you?” She smiles wide as if pleading with me to be okay with all of this.
“What’s he a minister of? Are we getting married through some sex cult?”
“I have to admit, I was a little scared to ask.”
I can’t blame her. “All right, let’s take a look around. We’ll see if it’s as perfect as you say it is.”
We all head inside. I barely have to duck under the door frame. Within, I find James, four fiends I barely know, and Sandra. I don’t think my brain can process her being here. I’m just going to assume it’s that crazy kitsune. That makes so much more sense than her being in the fucking Community Center. “Please tell me you didn’t tell Sandra about this place. There’s no way that’s a good idea.”
“She’s going to be my maid of honor. You said it was okay. She kinda had to know.”
“We said we were still considering it,” I scream, as quietly as one can scream. She absolutely heard me.
Liz sighs and stares at her feet, making the exact same look she made when her mom caught us stealing cookies that she’d made for a bake sale. “I’m sorry. I meant to tell you earlier, but I wanted this all to be a surprise, and I guess it slipped my mind.”
I groan, and almost everyone in the room steps back. But Liz doesn’t. Even when I’m irritated with her, she’s still not afraid of me. She trusts me. I should trust her. “Are you sure about this? I’m sure Ashley would be more than happy to go off the wagon again if it stops Sandra from spreading the word about this place.”
My Date with a Wendigo Page 20