I gave him a quick look.
“All tasteful shots, of course,” he smiled. “We’re thinking some shots of you looking at the dress, having your mom lace the dress up for you, and then you looking in the mirror.”
I rolled my eyes, “That’s pretty specific and almost the opposite of candid.”
Sam laughed, “Nothing on television is ever as candid as it appears.”
The doors to the store opened up and I caught my first glimpse of Nathan’s plan brought to life. The store looked amazing. I had walked through the doors of that store thousands of times, but I had never seen it like that. There were no signs hanging from the ceiling. The store was closed, so the usual beeping of the registers was replaced by the sound of a string quartet practicing.
“Marley will take you to the dressing room. Your dad dropped the dress off earlier. Your mom should be here shortly.” Sam walked me towards the same dressing room my dad and I had started at last night.
The bottom of the dress was sticking out from under the door and I bent down to sweep it back. As I did, a camera began flashing wildly. I looked up to see a photographer pointing a camera at me.
“Just act like I’m not here,” he said as he continued to snap pictures of me.
“Easier said than done,” I mumbled and stood up.
“Marley, can we get that door open and get a shot of Melanie looking at her dress?” the photographer gave instructions as he snapped more pictures.
“It’s Melody. My name is Melody, not Melanie,” I grumbled. I was starting to get a headache and the decision to skip breakfast was coming back to haunt me.
Marley pulled the door open and my dress came into view. As soon as I saw it, my stomach dropped. Nausea hit me and I grabbed onto the dressing room door closest to me to keep from falling over.
“It’s a beautiful dress!” Marley said excitedly.
“I need to sit down,” I muttered quietly.
Marley looked at me in panic, but the photographer pulled a chair out for me swiftly.
“It happens all the time. Most brides don’t eat enough in the weeks leading up to the big day and even fewer of them eat anything at all on the big day.” He started fanning me, “Just keep fanning her and I’ll go get her something to eat.”
Marley waved her hands frantically in front of me. “Oh God, please don’t pass out. I only have one thing to do this whole day and I cannot mess it up!”
I forced a small smile, “I’ll try my best to not get you fired.”
Her face relaxed, “Thank you! Please tell me what I can do to help you today. As long as you stay conscious all day, I will get you whatever you want.”
I looked up at her, “Can you get me some alone time with Josh? I really need to talk to him privately before the ceremony.”
She lowered her eyes at me and studied my face. After a few seconds, she nodded slightly.
The photographer came back with a plate of cut fruit and they both watched me as I ate. My stomach was twisting into knots and the last thing I wanted was to put something into it, but I didn’t want to let Marley down. When the plate was empty, Marley took it and pushed me towards the dressing room.
Thankfully, the photographer didn’t follow me into the room, but he did take a few shots of my head and feet sticking out from the other side of the door. When I was ready, Marley came in and helped pull the dress over my head.
I walked out of the dressing room, holding the bodice of the dress tightly to me, just as my mom arrived. When she saw me standing there in the dress, with my hair and makeup done, she started to cry. The camera went crazy as my mom sobbed.
I tried my best to make the appropriate facial expressions, but really, I just wanted to scream.
“Can you help lace me up, please?” I asked my mom, pulling her out of her emotional outburst.
“Of course, I can,” she pulled a tissue out of her purse and wiped her eyes dry.
Marley and my mom laced me into the dress, while the photographer walked around us snapping pictures. He kept shouting at me to smile, but the tighter they pulled the dress against me, the harder it was to maintain control of myself. I could feel the anxiety rising up in me.
When the dress was on securely, everyone stepped away from me and smiled. I turned to look at myself in the mirror and felt my knees go weak. My mom rushed to my side and held me up.
“You look so beautiful, honey.”
“Thank you.”
We smiled at each other in the mirror.
“That’s what I’ve been waiting for!” the photographer said excitedly as the camera clicked madly.
“Wow, Mel, that dress is amazing! It’s going to look great on camera!” Sam smiled as he walked towards us. “We need to get some family shots before the ceremony. Are you ready?”
I looked at Marley and she nodded quickly in reply.
I took a deep breath, “I’m ready, as long as you can promise me a few minutes of alone time before the ceremony.”
Sam gave me an odd look, but agreed. He led us out into the store where my dad was waiting for us. My dad greeted me with a tearful smile and sweet kiss on the cheek.
“You look so beautiful, Melody.”
“Thanks Dad.”
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and squeezed me against him, “Are you ready for all of this nonsense?” he whispered into my ear and tickled my side.
I giggled and relaxed just a little bit. My dad kept me smiling as the photographer placed us in various poses.
“Okay, let’s send the blushing bride back to the dressing room and get some pictures with the groom. Marley, will you wait with her?” Sam, who had been standing with the photographer, came over and offered me his hand. Marley picked up the back of my dress and carried it as we walked back to the dressing room.
I stood awkwardly in the dressing area as Marley sat in a chair.
“I’m sorry that you can’t sit down, you must be tired.” Marley gave me an apologetic look.
“Yes, well, sitting down will wrinkle the dress and since everyone will be staring at my ass, I don’t want to mess up the back of the dress.” I said angrily.
Marley sensed my frustration, “I’ll go check to see if they are done with pictures yet.”
She left me alone as she checked.
The knots in my stomach were tightening the closer we got to the wedding ceremony. Something was nagging at me, but I just didn’t know what it was.
What I did know was that I needed to talk to Josh.
“Mel?” I heard Josh’s voice whispering softly.
I turned around but didn’t see him.
“Josh?” I called to him.
“Yeah, it’s me. Marley said you wanted to see me.”
“Wait!” I shouted at him. I gathered up the bottom of my dress and squeezed myself back into the small dressing room. I had to press myself up against the back wall in order to get all of me, and the dress, in the room. Once I was in, I twisted around and locked the door behind me. The bottom of my dress twisted around me and I pulled on it to make it right.
“Can I come in now?” Josh said with a giggle. “I can hear the ruffle of fabric, so I know what you’re doing!”
“Yes, you can come in now.” I puffed and blew a hair out of my face. My hands were still full of dress, so I dropped it and smoothed it out as best as I could. With my heels on, I was just tall enough that my whole head was above the door of the dressing room.
Josh stepped timidly around the corner and searched around for me. When he spotted me, he smiled and stepped into view.
A smile spread across my face. Josh always looked handsome in a suit, but in a tux, he was irresistible.
“Do you like?” he pulled on the coat and twirled around dramatically.
“You look gorgeous, Josh.”
“I would have to agree with you on that! You are one lucky girl, Trip.” He winked at me. “I can’t see all of you, but I like what I can see.”
“Thanks,” I smi
led sheepishly. “The dress is a little over the top, but it was free and the salesgirl said it looked good on me.”
“I’m sure I will agree with her.”
I cleared my throat and shifted nervously. “I need to ask you something.”
He smiled, “Go ahead, and ask me anything!”
“Are you in love with me?” I asked bravely.
“You know I love you, Trip. You’re my best friend,” he answered jokingly.
“That’s not what I asked, Josh. I asked if you were in love with me. Are you?” I looked directly at him when I asked this time.
His face went red and his gaze dropped to the floor, “Is this because of that kiss last night? I’m really sorry about that, I guess I just got caught up in the moment or something,” he stumbled over the words.
“It’s not because of that kiss, or at least not just the kiss. It’s because of all the things that people have said to me in the last two weeks. Please Josh! I need to know, are you in love with me?”
He sat down in the chair that Marley had been using. He stared at the floor and twisted his hands in his lap. He didn’t look up at me, but said quietly, “Yes.”
I sighed, “For how long?”
“I don’t know Mel, what does it matter?”
“For how long, Josh?” I demanded quietly.
He turned his head away from me, “Since you hit the floor your first day at Nelson.”
“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“I wanted to. I tried to. I just couldn’t seem to get it out right.”
“What about all those other girls?” I stood on my toes to look at him.
“Don’t say ‘all those other girls’ like I’m some kind of man whore! I’ve been with five women, Mel. Five! For a guy my age, who looks like me, that’s not a big number!” He defended himself with excitement.
“Okay, fine, what about the five other girls? If you were so in love with me, why were you with them?”
“Distractions,” he sighed. “Haven’t you ever noticed that I’m always single when you are? I don’t let things get too serious with the girls in case you become available.”
“Were you ever going to tell me?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“I was thinking about doing it when we were in Hawaii. Paradise seemed like a good place to break the news to you.” He looked up and gave me a smile.
“After you’d already trapped me in a sham marriage?” I asked with a hint of a smile.
“Pretty much so, yeah,” he said with a grin.
“What were you going to say?”
He stood up and walked over to the dressing room I was in, “I was going to tell you that you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever met. I was going to say that I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you, and that nothing would make me happier than for you to let me try and make you happy forever.”
“That’s not fair. No one could say no to that, especially not in Hawaii.”
He sighed, “I know. I was counting on that.”
I pressed my head against my side of the door, “I’m so sorry, Josh. I should have known.”
I saw his feet as they appeared under the door. I felt him lean against his side of the door, “I thought you knew, or at least knew that I liked you.”
“It seems obvious now that I look back on it, but I guess I just thought that if everyone was right and you really did have feelings for me then you would tell me.” I sighed loudly, “I think I needed to hear you say it.”
“I’m in love with you Mel. I love everything about you, even the annoying things that drive me crazy. I love the way you walk around the apartment in your pajamas all day on Sunday. I love that when you are sick, you turn the whole living room into your bedroom and demand to be taken care of. I love the whole you, the good, the bad, and the adorable.”
A small tear ran down my cheek. “I don’t think I love you like that, Josh.”
I could hear him breathing from the other side of the door, but he didn’t say anything.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
“Do you think you can try?” he whispered softly against the door.
I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to fight back the tears. In my mind, I replayed the dream from that morning. I remembered the way it felt to have Josh’s lips pressed against mine, like they had been in my parents’ car last night. I thought about all the ways Josh was perfect for me and was probably the only person who knew all my faults and still loved me.
“Yes,” I sighed, “but I don’t know if marrying you is fair.”
“I’m a big boy, Mel. I can take care of myself, but it’s your decision.” Josh reached his hand over the door and held it out for me.
I reached up and grabbed it.
“Um, you guys,” Marley’s voice interrupted our moment, “Sam says that all the guests have arrived and it’s time to get started.”
“It’s your decision, Mel. I’ll be up there waiting for you.” He whispered against the door, gave my hand one last squeeze then pulled it away.
20.
Josh left, and Marley went to get my dad. I squeezed myself, and the dress, out of the dressing room and tried to smooth the dress out. I turned to fix the back of the dress and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I was wearing so much makeup that the tracks of my tears had drawn lines down my face. I grabbed a tissue and tried my best to fix it before anyone could see my face.
My dad came around the corner and stopped when he saw what I was doing. “Don’t cry, Melly.” He rushed to my side and wrapped his arm around me.
“I need makeup at the dressing room, stat!” Marley said into the headset she was wearing.
My dad took the tissue from me and wiped a few of the new tears away. ‘What’s wrong?”
I shook my head and held back the tears.
“It’s going to be fine, baby. Trust me. The ceremony goes so quickly that you don’t even have time to be nervous about it.” My dad smiled brightly at me as he continued to wipe the tearstains off my face.
The makeup artist showed up and did a quick touch up while Marley tapped her foot frantically and checked her watch every few seconds.
“Don’t mess it up this time! We’re on live television. I can’t rush out in the middle of the ceremony and touch up your face if you start crying again.” The makeup artist warned me as she packed her things.
“It’s time. Let’s go!” Marley waved to us.
As we walked past her she handed me a bouquet of roses and lilies. I gripped it tightly with one hand and hooked the other one around my dad’s arm.
When we stepped out of the dressing room area we were face to face with a television camera. We walked slowly past the women’s clothing section towards the main aisle. The string quartet changed from Pachelbel’s Canon to the bridal march just as we turned the corner. The television camera stayed in front of us and other cameras clicked madly as we walked.
My eyes wandered around and I caught a few familiar faces; Jody and Carrie smiled and waved as I walked past. Mike gave me a thumbs-up sign and a wink. I saw a few relatives and even recognized a few faces on Josh’s side of the aisle.
Straight ahead of us, I saw Josh standing next to the preacher, looking just as handsome as he had a few minutes ago. He was smiling, but I could see the worry in his eyes.
I looked away from him.
When I’d left the dressing room I didn’t know what I was going to do. But when I saw Josh standing at the end of the aisle waiting for me, I knew what had to be done. As we reached Josh, I took a deep breath.
“You’re finally here, Mel. I love you.” My dad leaned down and kissed me on the cheek.
We’d opted to not do the verbal hand off, but my dad unwrapped my arm from his and placed my hand in Josh’s. He gave Josh a smile and turned to leave, giving me one last wink.
“Are you okay?” Josh mouthed the words to me before anything began.
“I’m so so
rry,” I mouthed back to him and turned around to face the crowd.
The room went silent as I took a deep breath and looked up.
“I’m so sorry everyone, but I can’t go through with this.”
The silence of the room was broken by several gasps.
“This was never supposed to go this far. I should have stopped this a long time ago, but it all just got out of hand so quickly.” My voice started to get frantic and I took a deep breath to calm myself. I was absolutely sure of what I was doing. It was just doing it that was so difficult.
“The whole thing was just a joke, a prank. Josh and I were never dating, and we weren’t really engaged. It was just a stupid prank that got out of control.”
I took another deep breath.
“Please don’t blame Josh for anything, he wanted to stop it, but I told him we had to go on. I didn’t want to hurt any of you,” I waved the bouquet towards all our friends and family members. “I lied. I lied about everything, and I am so sorry. I can’t do this to Josh. He never lied. He meant everything he said. I was the one who was lying.”
I could see Sam and Nathan squirming in their seats. I took a few steps towards them and spoke directly to them, “I’m so sorry that we used you, but we never meant to. Everything you gave us was your idea. You wanted all this,” I waved the bouquet around at the ridiculously lavish set up in the store, “We never asked for anything.”
Nathan and Sam exchanged a quick glance then looked down at their feet.
“You used us for far worse than some free furniture and groceries. You wanted to use our wedding, our marriage, as a way to improve your ratings and public approval. But a marriage isn’t a ratings gimmick. It’s an agreement between two people who love each other and want to be together.”
I looked at my mom and dad, who were both too stunned to react to what was happening.
I turned back to look at Josh.
My eyes welled up with tears, “I love Josh too much as a friend to hurt him by pretending to be his wife. He deserves better than that, and someday I hope he finds it.”
I dropped the bouquet, picked up the bottom of my dress and walked as quickly as I could towards the automatic doors and to the parking lot.
Nuptials for Sale Page 11