If The Dress Fits

by Debby Mayne

  “I’m sure you’ll find other successful businesses that can make you the profit without having to be there,” she said. “It’s just not gonna be this one.”

  Jeremy was at the door already. He turned back to her before he left. “I’d like to discuss this further, but now isn’t the right time for either of us. Just do me a favor and let me know before you sell to anyone else, okay?”

  “Bye, Jeremy,” Cindi said as she turned her back to him. She stood and waited until she was fairly certain he was gone. When the sounds of Atlanta traffic were muted by the closed door, she paused for a moment before turning around to face her shop.

  ❧

  Jeremy had no idea what had just happened. He’d been blindsided by her abrupt negativism toward him. Surely she’d gotten over their breakup from high school.

  But had he?

  His feelings toward her were as complicated as the business deal he couldn’t seem to snag. He’d been turned down by many sellers, and it had never bothered him before. He just moved on and found something else.

  Why was buying Cindi’s Bridal Boutique so important to him?

  Jeremy knew the answer without having to do much thinking. He wanted something of Cindi’s simply to have a part of her. Giving her up so she could pursue her academic dreams had been difficult enough. The only reason he let her go was to give her the freedom she needed, but he couldn’t tell her that.

  He met Fran at the real estate office. She drove him around to different houses and condos, but none of them seemed right. Finally, she pulled over and turned to face him.

  “What, exactly, do you want, Jeremy?”

  Alarms went off in his head as he remembered wondering the exact same thing of Cindi. He sucked in a deep breath and blew it out in a long sigh.

  Fran continued, “I have a feeling you know what you want, but you’re trying to deny yourself. If you’ll just say it out loud, maybe I can help you find it. I can see that you and Cindi have some unresolved issues. Care to talk about it?”

  He snickered and shook his head. “Afraid it’s not that easy. Tell you what. I’m really not in the mood to be looking at real estate today. Take me back to my car, and I’ll call you when I won’t be wasting your time.”

  “You’re not wasting my time. This is my job. But I do want to help you find a nice place to live and a fabulous business that you can enjoy. Why don’t we look at some other businesses? There are plenty in the book.”

  “Sounds good,” he replied, “just not today.”

  He stopped off at the florist and picked up some flowers for his mother. Then he headed to a bookstore, where he found a simple question-and-answer book on the Bible so he could gently witness to his father. They’d been exceptionally good to him, and all he’d given them in return was one night out at a nice restaurant. It was the least he could do for the people who had loved him unconditionally all his life. Besides, he needed something to get his mind off Cindi Clark.

  The instant he walked into the house, his dad greeted him. “How’d it go today, son?”

  Jeremy took off his suit coat and draped it over the back of a living room chair. “Not so good. I haven’t found the right business yet.”

  “Maybe you and your mother should think about opening a restaurant,” his dad suggested. “With your business sense and her cooking talent, it would be a huge success.”

  Jeremy already had restaurants he was trying to sell. They were profitable, but they required too many hours. He wanted to pull everything in and settle down, but he didn’t need to tell his parents that—not now, anyway. They’d worry something else might be wrong.

  “Jeremy, would you mind giving me a hand in the kitchen?” his mother asked.

  He was relieved to end the conversation with his father. He didn’t want to have to explain anything about Cindi’s bridal shop.

  “How did your day go?” his mother asked once they sat down to eat.

  Jeremy started to answer, but his dad stepped in. “He hasn’t found his golden egg yet.”

  “Give him time.” His mother grinned at him. “Our boy took his army talent and turned it into a gold mine.”

  “I was just a clerk in the army, Mom. All that did was give me time to think and help me grow up a little.”

  “It obviously did something good for you, son.” His dad folded his napkin and placed it on the table. “You certainly didn’t learn anything about business from us.”

  His mother immediately started clearing the table. “Why don’t you two go watch the news while I clean up?”

  Jeremy jumped up and took the plate from her. “I’ll take care of that. Sit down.”

  She firmly held her ground. “We can clean the kitchen together.” She slanted her gaze toward Jeremy’s dad, who made a face but began to pitch in.

  It took the three of them five minutes to carry everything into the kitchen and load the dishwasher. Afterward Jeremy said he was tired and needed to go to his room.

  “Thanks for the flowers, sweetie,” his mom said as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “You’ve always been good to me.”

  His dad followed him to his room. “Anything you want to talk about?”

  Jeremy pondered the question for a few seconds then nodded. “Sure, Dad, come on in.”

  Once inside his room, he motioned for his dad to have a seat at his old desk while he sat on the edge of the bed. He pulled the package from the bookstore out of his bag and opened it. “You know, Dad, there’s something I’ve always wondered about.”

  “What’s that?” his dad asked as he glanced at the book Jeremy held.

  “Why didn’t you and Mom take us to church?”

  His father hung his head and stared at the floor before looking back up at him. “We worked so hard just to put food on the table and keep you and your brother in clothes. Sundays were our only days off, and we needed the rest.”

  “I understand.” And he did. “You know I’ve been going to church for several years now.”

  With a chuckle, his dad nodded. “That’s another thing that puzzles me. You’re a successful businessman who’s gone and gotten religious.”

  Jeremy opened his mouth to explain the difference between his faith in God through Jesus and his father’s perception of it being religious, but he needed to take this discussion slowly. He closed the book and handed it to his dad. “I picked this up for you at a Christian bookstore. It might explain some things better than I can.”

  A knock on the door brought Jeremy to his feet. “Mind if I come in?” his mother asked.

  “Sure, come on in. I was just about to tell Dad about today.”

  Jeremy started explaining that he thought the bridal business seemed extremely lucrative. “But the owner is digging her heels in because she doesn’t think I can run it successfully.”

  His mom tilted her head to one side. “What’s the name of the bridal shop?”

  “Cindi’s Bridal Boutique.”

  “Oh, now I understand.” His mother nodded and smiled. “Cindi Clark owns that place.”

  After Jeremy explained more, his father gave him a perplexed look. “I still don’t understand, son. What would you do with a bridal boutique?”

  “It’s a business, Dad.”

  “I’m sure it is to you,” his mother interjected. “But it’s really much more than that. I see Cindi’s point. You don’t know the first thing about what a bride wants or needs on her special day.”

  Jeremy groaned. “What’s up with you women?”

  His mother pointed her finger and shook it at him. “That kind of attitude is the very reason she’s not selling it to you.”

  With a surrendering sigh, Jeremy slumped. “I’m sorry, Mom. I guess I just don’t understand what the problem is. She wants to sell her shop, and I want to buy it. I’ve never seen this kind of resistance without a reason in business before. I’ve even offered her asking price, which is much higher than what it’s worth.”

  “Have you sto
pped to think maybe it’s not just a business to her? I remember Cindi. She’s a very sweet girl. Maybe a little too romantic for her own good, but that’s probably why she’s so successful as a bridal shop owner. Did she say why she wants to sell?”

  “She said she’s ready to move on.”

  “That’s not a good reason.” His mother folded her hands and looked pensively at them. “There has to be something else. Want me to find out?”

  “No!” Jeremy and his father both said at the same time.

  “Why not? It would be simple. I could just go into her shop and strike up a conversation with her.”

  “Mom, please don’t. I wish I hadn’t told you anything about it.”

  She stood up, a pained expression on her face. “Don’t worry, I won’t go near her if you don’t want me to. But if you’re serious about her. . .I mean about buying her shop, you should come right out and ask her why she’s selling. And don’t take her first answer, either.”

  “You don’t understand,” he said.

  “I’m your mother. I understand much more than you think I do. Don’t think I wasn’t aware of how hard it was to let her go.”

  “Mom—”

  She held up both hands to shush him. “I’m just saying that maybe the two of you need to sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk. Clear the air. Maybe then you’ll find out what’s going on with her.”

  Jeremy thought about what his mother had said, and she was right. This was the first time he’d ever had a hard time being rejected. It was obvious it wasn’t because he wanted to be in the bridal business so badly—even to him.

  He wanted to be near Cindi.

  ❧

  The next morning Elizabeth was at the shop waiting for Cindi. “What’re you doing here so early?” Cindi asked.

  “I thought I’d unpack some of the accessory samples that came in yesterday.”

  “I have to finish entering the deposits, so I’ll be at the computer until our first appointment.”

  “Cindi,” Elizabeth said, then paused.

  “Did you need something?”

  “If you feel like talking, I’m all ears.”

  Cindi chuckled. “Thanks, but I really don’t feel like talking. Sorry if I’m acting like a grouch.”

  “You’re not a grouch, but I can tell you’re bothered.”

  “It’s just the shop. I wish someone would make a decent offer. Someone who cares as much as I do.”

  “I’m afraid that won’t happen,” Elizabeth said. “This shop is your baby. The only reason it’s so successful is because of the time and energy you’ve put into it.”

  “With your help, of course,” Cindi added.

  “Yeah, well. . .”

  Suddenly an idea dawned on Cindi. “Hey, it’s really not a bad idea if you want to buy the shop. I can work out terms. I know you want to have children someday, but if you’re in charge, you can bring the kids here.”

  “No thanks. I like working here, but I don’t want what goes with owning a business. And Mike wouldn’t want me to be away from home all those hours. You have to admit it can be pretty consuming.”

  “Good point.”

  “Besides,” Elizabeth added, “without you here, it won’t be as much fun.”

  Cindi glanced at the wall clock. “We have an appointment at eleven, so I need to get this work done.”

  “Who’s the appointment?”

  “Gail from church.” Cindi pushed the power button on the monitor. “She wants to try on some bridal gowns and get color swatches for bridesmaid dresses.”

  “I’ll get them ready,” Elizabeth said as she disappeared around the corner.

  At 10:55 the front door opened. Cindi grinned as she looked up, fully expecting to see Gail breezing in. But it wasn’t Gail. It was Jeremy.

  He marched right up to where she stood, stopped, and looked at her. She frowned. “Did you forget something?”

  “We need to talk, Cindi.”

  “Not now. I have an appointment in just a few minutes.”

  He didn’t move an inch. “When will you be available?”

  Cindi pushed away from the computer and came around from behind the desk. Jeremy followed her to the storage room, where she turned to face him. “Please, Jeremy, don’t keep doing this. I don’t want to sell my shop to you or any other absentee owner.”

  “What if I agree to work here—full-time?” he asked. “Will you sell it to me then?”

  She laughed. “As if I actually believe you’d do something like that.”

  “Are you assuming things?”

  “No.” She knew she was scowling as she folded her arms, but she couldn’t help it.

  “Cindi!” Elizabeth called. “Gail’s here.”

  “I’ll be right there!” Cindi called back.

  “Why don’t I observe while you work with your customers?” he offered.

  “Right.”

  “Seriously, Cindi. I’m very interested in what goes on here.”

  She turned at an angle as she thought about it. Five minutes with a future bride, and he’d run out of there screaming for mercy. “Fine. You’re welcome to observe for a couple of days. But that still doesn’t guarantee I’ll sell the shop to you.”

  “Understood.”

  “When do you want to observe?”

  He shrugged, palms up. “How about today?”

  Cindi thought for a moment then nodded. “Remember Gail Rhodes, the music teacher?”

  “Of course!” he replied. “I always liked Ms. Rhodes.”

  “She’s out there waiting.”

  “Cool.” Jeremy didn’t wait for Cindi. He just turned around and headed out to the showroom.

  The instant Gail spotted him, her face lit up with a huge smile. “Jeremy! What are you doing here?” Her smile was replaced by a puzzled expression as she looked at Cindi. “Are you two. . .well. . .”

  “No, I’m just here to observe the business,” Jeremy replied.

  “I heard you were a business tycoon.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t know about tycoon. I prefer to be called an entrepreneur.”

  “At any rate, welcome home.” She turned back to Cindi. “Ready to make me a gorgeous, blushing bride?”

  “The gorgeous part is easy because you already are, but I don’t know about blushing,” Cindi said.

  “Yeah, it takes quite a bit to make me blush,” Gail admitted. “I think I’ve seen everything.”

  “So who’s the fortunate fella?” Jeremy asked.

  “You probably don’t know him. Isaac McClaury.”

  “Oh, I remember Coach McClaury. He was the coach of our biggest rival and the reason we lost our last game of the season. His team went on to win the league championship.”

  “Yep, that’s him,” Gail said. “He’s still coaching.”

  “Well, congratulations,” Jeremy said. “So when’s the big day?”

  Cindi cleared her throat. “I hate to interrupt, but we have a fitting to do, remember?”

  Jeremy took a step back. “Sorry, I got carried away. I’ll see you at church tomorrow.”

  “When did you start going to church?” The instant the words came out, Cindi regretted the way she said it. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

  “I understand,” Jeremy said. “Look, why don’t you do the fitting, and we can talk about it later?”

  Gail walked around the showroom picking out dresses, and Cindi made a few suggestions. Jeremy started to help, but he quickly backed away when Cindi glared at him. Elizabeth went into the fitting room to help Gail into the dresses while Cindi gathered some accessories to complement them.

  “There’s quite a bit more to this than I realized,” Jeremy said as Cindi brushed past him.

  “Well, yeah.”

  “You’re extremely good at what you do, and you seem to enjoy it.”

  Cindi didn’t respond; instead, she focused on gathering things for Gail. He was right. She loved what she did. But she couldn’t hel
p but remember the statistics on marriage. More than half of them would end in divorce, whether they bought dresses from her shop or not.

  She got to the door of the fitting room, her arms full of tiaras, veils, undergarments, and a pair of shoes. Before opening the door, she turned to Jeremy. “Look, why don’t we talk later?”

  “When?”

  “How about after work?”

  He nodded and waved as he walked toward the door. “See you then.”

  As soon as he was gone, she knocked gently on the fitting room door. When Elizabeth opened it, she saw Gail standing on the platform, looking like a princess.

  “You’re absolutely gorgeous!” she said. “Here, try this tiara and veil. Are you wearing shoes?”

  Gail lifted the front of the dress and stuck out her old brown clog. The three of them laughed.

  “Now that’s a wedding shoe original,” Elizabeth said.

  “I brought some great shoes for that dress.” Cindi pulled the white satin pumps from the stack she’d placed on the floor. “All you have to do is step into them.”

  Once Gail had everything in place, she turned and got views from all sides. “Does anyone ever get the first dress they try?” she asked. “Because I absolutely love this one.”

  “Lots of girls do, but not until they try on other stuff,” Cindi said. “I want to see you in more than one style.”

  Gail laughed. “You just want to confuse me. You know how I hate shopping.”

  “I know, but this is different. It’s your wedding.” She nearly choked on the words, and she didn’t miss the knowing glance exchanged between Elizabeth and Gail.

  “Okay, you’re the expert.” Gail sighed as she slipped out of the shoes and turned so Elizabeth could unzip the dress. “How about that one?” She pointed to a beaded, fitted gown they’d just received from a new designer. “I can’t imagine liking anything more than this one, but I’ll try on a few more.”

  Six dresses later, Gail pointed to the first dress. “I still like that one best. I’ll bring the bridesmaids in for their fittings as soon as I decide on the color.”

  “Take your time,” Cindi said. “It only takes a week to order the dresses, then another two weeks for alterations.”

  Gail took turns hugging Cindi and Elizabeth after she changed back into her regular clothes. “Thanks, both of y’all, for taking all this time with me. I’m much more relaxed now that I’ve found the perfect dress.”