by Jea Hawkins
Emma knew Waverly meant her own sister. Avery had no tolerance for quite a range of things. That included normal, natural weaknesses, like the one Waverly had hidden from her for many years.
“Don’t worry. One of these days, your sister is going to learn that she’s not so immune to feelings.”
Chapter 28
With only a month until the wedding, Emma and Crystal accepted that they would have to be flexible about everything. The food was easy enough – they booked local catering. The flowers were easy, too, once they settled on the colors. That was the only disagreement they had. Once decided, though, they picked a day to go dress shopping.
“Jeez, I wish I could just wear a Huskers shirt and call it good,” Crystal moaned as she stepped out of the changing room.
Bridal shops weren’t exactly their thing, but once they got past the overwhelmingly white sea of tulle, satin, and lace, they found more distinctive dresses. It wasn’t that the white wasn’t lovely, but it just wasn’t Emma’s color and Crystal hated tradition. So they had agreed to look for the colors they really wanted to wear and, fortunately, the saleswoman helping them was up to the task.
Now Emma looked at her own reflection in the mirror, very pleased with what she saw, and stuck her tongue out at Crystal. “Trust me, if anyone could get away with wearing an entire Huskers uniform for a wedding, you could. But let’s try to make this at least a little bridal. You look good in that shade of purple.” She turned, still adjusting her own gown as she looked at Crystal.
As far as she was concerned, though, Crystal looked gorgeous in and out of anything. The benefit of her being so slender was she also had a larger selection of dresses to choose from. Emma had less, with her thicker, curvier body. But she had found a pale gold dress she liked and spread her arms to either side in a “ta-da” motion.
“Wow.” Crystal looked her up and down. “That’s gorgeous on you. Does it feel as good as it looks?”
“Oh yeah, it’s the one. I love it.” Emma twirled back toward the mirror and put the back of her hand to her forehead in a mock swoon. The dress was made of a soft, flowing fabric, with wide, gathered shoulder straps. It wrapped around her upper body, hugging her breasts. From beneath there, the empire waist flared out, giving her plenty of room to move. The silky material felt lighter than air and Emma felt beautiful in it.
“Good. At least one of us is having success. Three stores, eleven dresses, and I haven’t liked any of them.” Crystal smoothed her hands down the front of the pale purple gown. “They look good on the rack, but not on my rack.”
Emma turned back to her and considered the gown. It was pretty, but Crystal was right. It was lovely, but it didn’t suit her. “Maybe the problem is you’re trying for something too obviously bridal, even with something that’s not white. What if instead of something long and flowing, you went with a shorter dress or even pants?”
“No, I definitely want to wear a dress, but I suppose you’re right. Maybe I could try something shorter or in a different style. Unlike some people, we can’t all look like Grecian goddesses.” The way Crystal glared at her was almost accusatory, and Emma reached up to tug at her own ponytail.
“Me? I look like… me,” she said, letting go of the hair so it slipped from her fingers and fell over one shoulder.
“Right? And you always look gorgeous. With that dress, you just need an up-do and a few tendrils around your face, and you’ll have kind of an Athena-meets-Hera vibe going on. As for me… Ugh.” Crystal sank down in one of the plush armchairs, her legs splayed apart and her hands clasped between them. “This is hopeless.”
The saleswoman came into the circle of mirrors just then and asked, “How is everything going?”
“Well, I think I found my dress,” Emma said, twirling yet again, “but we’re going to need to see something from your bad-ass-bride department for my picky fiancée.”
The saleswoman looked Crystal up and down, folded her arms, and tapped her chin with the knuckle of one hand. “Okay, why don’t you tell me what your idea of a good time is,” she said.
“A Huskers game with good beer,” Crystal answered immediately.
“And out of everything you have in your closet, what’s your favorite pair of shoes?”
Crystal narrowed her eyes. “My cowboy boots. Why?”
“What’s so great about them?”
The look Crystal shot Emma said, You’ve got to be kidding, but she turned back to the saleswoman and shrugged. “They’re comfortable as heck, even though they’re kind of fancy. I feel sexy in them. I don’t know how else to explain it.”
“Oh, that’s all I need. I think I have just the thing.” The saleswoman winked at them both and sauntered out of the area.
Crystal tossed her hair and looked up at Emma. The pout on her face was equal parts frustrating and precious. Emma wanted so much for the wedding to be special for her, but she looked more stressed out than excited. Before Emma could say a word, though, the saleswoman had returned.
“Since traditional isn’t doing it for you, give this a try. We’ve had a heck of a time selling it, but you might just be that special, brave bride it’s been waiting for.”
Crystal rose to her feet and accepted the dress. Following her into the dressing room, Emma said, “I’ll help you with it.”
As Crystal slipped into the dress, Emma knew it was the right one for her. It was sleeveless with sheer fabric for the bodice. Underneath was shimmering, scalloped fabric that covered her breasts, leaving a deep V between them, almost to the waist. The dress was made of the same iridescent cloth with a layer of the sheer fabric over it. Emma wasn’t at all surprised that the gown fit Crystal like a glove, almost like it had been made just for her.
“What do you think of this one?” Crystal asked, not yet turning toward the mirror. Emma folded her arms and smiled. She didn’t want to say just yet, so she simply smiled at her. “That’s helpful,” Crystal said, her shoulders drooping.
“Come take a look for yourself.” Emma took her by the hand and led her out of the dressing room. The circle of mirrors and light gave the gown even more shimmer and deepened the contrast between her skin and the lustrous shine of the gown.
Crystal turned toward the mirror and let out a long breath. “Okay,” she said. “This is the one.”
By the time they paid for the dresses and made it home, they were both exhausted and giddy with relief. Side by side, they collapsed onto the bed and let out a shared sigh.
“This is ridiculous,” Crystal announced. “Who knew getting ready for a wedding – even a simple one – was so damn hard? Everyone makes it sound like booking the officiant and the space are the hard parts, but they’re wrong. They are so wrong.”
“I know, right? I’m not sure I can take anymore. I thought choosing colors and flowers would be the death of me, but it’s the dresses that did me in.” With a groan, Emma rolled onto her stomach and rested her head on her folded arms. “We’re going to need a spa day after this. You can’t refuse me this time.”
“Well, I can’t give you a spa day right now, but I can give you the next best thing.” Crystal rolled toward her and then lifted herself upright. When she straddled Emma’s hips and pressed her hands into her shoulders, Emma groaned again.
“That feels so good.”
“Good. Just relax and let me see if this helps.”
As much as Emma didn’t want Crystal going through any extra effort for her, she had to admit it was nice to just lay there and get a massage. Even nicer was the heat radiating from Crystal’s body. Her hands, her legs on either side of Emma… Even her pelvis was hot. The waves of warmth relaxed Emma almost as much as the hands rubbing and kneading up and down her back.
She doubted they would ever learn to slow down in life or that they would ever have a spa day. Still, it was a nice thought and she closed her eyes as she imagined it. Especially when Crystal shoved her shirt off of her, leaned over for a moment, and then rubbed oil into her shoulders.
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br /> “Oh, yes.” The words came out in a long, low moan.
“I mixed in a few drops of lavender,” Crystal said, “to relax you. How does it feel?”
“So good. Makes me think… you and me,” Emma muttered through half-closed lips. Her grasp on awareness was slipping away as she relaxed into the sensation of Crystal kneading her tired muscles, caressing her skin with long, gliding strokes.
“Yeah?” Crystal asked from above her, her hands moving down to Emma’s mid-back. “Tell me about it.”
“Mm. I see a tropical beach, warm sand, turquoise waves, and margaritas in our hands.”
Crystal also let out a hum and said, “I don’t think you see anything. That sounds more like a dream to me. Speaking of which, have you planned a honeymoon?”
“Nuh-uh. Didn’t think of it.” Emma knew her words were muffled by the way her head rested against her arms, but she hoped Crystal could understand her. “There’s so much that goes into that, like finding a place, booking a hotel, getting a flight… I haven’t had time to even consider it until now.”
“Yeah. Plus, we’d have to find someone to mind the store for a week or so again. It might be kind of a hassle to get to your tropical beach, sweetie, but I have to say I like the idea.”
“But I think I really want to go. Fi would handle the store again for us. Maybe.” Emma was only a little surprised at the petulance in her own voice. As much as she had responsibilities at home, she remembered what those around her had been trying to teach her – she also had a responsibility to herself. That included taking time off when she needed it and, damn it, she realized now how much she needed a vacation.
She felt herself drifting off to sleep and when Crystal finally massaged her aching lower back, she moaned again.
“We need to get away, though, don’t we? We have no excuse for not discussing a honeymoon. Do you want to talk about it?”
Rather than answer, Crystal’s hands drifted down along her sides, caressing her from her breasts to her waist. Emma wiggled a little beneath her. As relaxed and drowsy as she felt, she doubted she had the energy to make love. After hours of being on their feet, her legs were as uncertain as jelly and her feet ached.
Crystal, however, seemed to feel the same. Because after a few more strokes, she stretched out alongside Emma and nuzzled her cheek. “If we’ve learned any lessons this year, I think number one is for us to slow down and just be with each other. Why don’t we begin there and worry about vacation planning when this wedding madness is all said and done?”
Opening her eyes, Emma felt her lips curve into a smile. “Yeah. I like that idea. You’re right. If we work on slowing down and enjoying each other, nothing can throw us off.”
Crystal pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Not a thing,” she agreed. “Tell you what, though – let’s order some take-out tonight. We’ll get the works, all the appetizers and some Thai tea. It’s not tropical, but it’s different than what we normally eat. Would you like that?”
Emma nodded wordlessly and scrunched her nose when Crystal kissed her again.
“Good. You just lie there and let me take care of you for once.”
Letting out a little snort, Emma said, “I couldn’t move if I wanted to.”
Chapter 29
With only a week until the wedding, Emma was relieved everything was about to come together. How they had managed to get the entire event coordinated in such a short time, she could hardly fathom. But they had done it down to every minute detail and the payoff was coming soon.
She sat at the cash register, a book open on the counter in front of her. It was a quiet day at the shop, the middle of a weekday, just after lunch. She knew it wouldn’t stay slow for long. Ever since the grand re-opening, they were busy from open to close, so she appreciated the quiet early afternoon moments. But not too much. She certainly didn’t make the mistake of asking the universe for more of them.
As if her thoughts about business picking up had intentionally conjured it, a customer stepped into the store. Emma looked up as the door opened and a familiar-looking woman walked in. She stepped in and shut the door behind her, looking around the shop, her head held high.
When Emma met her gaze, she recognized her. It was Madison, she realized, the woman Crystal had…
Emma swallowed and put a bookmark between the pages before closing the book. Regardless of who she was, a customer was a customer.
“Good afternoon,” Emma said out of habit, even though her jaw clenched slightly. “Let me know if I can help you with anything.”
There. She had given her the same greeting as any other customer. Of course, that didn’t do anything about the hot, sour feeling in her throat. She lowered her gaze to the counter and busied herself with a catalog instead. It wasn’t the distraction she needed, but it would at least make her look productive. The last thing she wanted to do was stare at Madison. In fact, she didn’t want to give her any attention whatsoever, so she would just have to do her best to appear unconcerned with her presence.
Emma grimaced at herself. She had never cared about how she looked to others. Why now?
The answer was obvious, but she refused to admit it to herself. She was supposed to be above jealousy or feeling like she wasn’t good enough, beyond feeling competitive for Crystal’s affections. But even her mother had affirmed that it was normal for people to feel that way. Like it or not, Emma wasn’t immune to fear or envy.
“Excuse me.” Madison approached the register and Emma had to look up at her again. Her heart lurched, driving that sour taste up into her mouth. Madison had been nice enough to look at in the club, but here in the light of day, she was beautiful.
Her curves were well-proportioned and her skin had rich, olive undertones. The tank top showed off her firm, muscular arms. It was clear she was Emma’s complete opposite – graceful, slender, and athletic. Emma reminded herself that if that’s what Crystal wanted, then that’s what she would have. But she was with Emma, not Madison or someone like her.
“Yes?” Emma asked, hoping she wouldn’t throw up all over the counter.
“I was wondering if I could see Crystal.”
Emma knew she had two options. She could act coy, pretend she didn’t remember Madison from her brief glimpse of her at the club, and say while it was nice to have a fan visit, Crystal wasn’t in. She could ask if she was there for a tarot reading. Or she could be honest in how she reacted.
“Crystal is out at the moment. Would you like me to ask her to give you a call?” Even though she hated to ask, Emma added the question as a courtesy. It was how she would handle any other customer who walked in the store, asking to see Crystal.
“If I asked you to have her call me, would you?” Madison’s dark eyes narrowed into a glare. “You are her girlfriend, after all, and you might not pass on the message.”
“Actually, I’m her fiancée,” Emma corrected her. “But I’m not petty. I would make sure she got the message. After that, it would be up to her to decide what to do with it.”
Madison leaned away from the counter, but she didn’t step back. “You two are engaged now? Well, that’s unfortunate, especially since I can’t stop thinking about her and I was hoping to see her again.”
That was her response? As much as Emma wanted to tell her exactly what she thought about Madison’s words, she simply said, “Well, I guess you’re just going to have to stop thinking about her. I certainly don’t begrudge you your feelings, but Crystal is going to be my wife.”
“Well, your bride cheated on you earlier this year. With me.”
“Yes.” Emma closed the catalog with shaking hands and then folded them together, interlocking her fingers to keep them from trembling, from giving away her feelings. “Yes, I know. She told me because we have a relationship based on mutual trust, love, passion, and respect. And even with all of that, people do the wrong thing sometimes. Did she tell you why she was doing it?”
The smirk on Madison’s face was triumphant. “She tol
d me she wasn’t getting enough attention at home. No love from her long-time girlfriend, so of course she came looking for it from someone who could give it to her.”
“Mm, that sounds about right. We were going through a very tough time for about six months. And did she make you any promises after… after that night?”
Madison’s smirk faltered and her shoulders sank slightly. “No. But that didn’t mean anything.”
“Well, she told me about it not long after it happened. She wanted to wait to tell me, though, since my mother was dealing with cancer at the time.”
At last, Madison had the good grace to look horrified.
“Early stage three breast cancer. The treatment worked, but it took a very hard toll on my mother’s body. She’s still recovering from the cure as much as she is from the illness.”
Emma met Madison’s gaze and it felt good to look her in the eye. Somehow, her hands were no longer shaking and she thanked the goddess for small favors.
“I’m not telling you this to feel sorry for me,” she continued. “I’m telling you this because it’s what happened. I gave all of my attention to caring for my mother and trying to ease the burden on my father so, yes, Crystal wasn’t getting the love she needed at home. I won’t rehash the entire year for you, but I want you to know we learned a lot from it and, in a way, I’m glad this happened. We’re stronger now because of it.”
Madison took two steps back away from the counter and shook her head. “You don’t mean that. You… you’re just marrying her because you hope it will keep her from cheating again. People like her can’t just stay in one place.”
It was then that Emma realized this woman must have known Crystal before the one-night stand. Either they were old friends or acquaintances. Emma cleared her mind and let her intuition tell her. When she spoke, she hoped it wouldn’t sound like she was making a guess.
“I realize the foster system does a number on kids, and you and Crystal are part of those very unfortunate statistics. I’m sure being the same age and sexuality helped the two of you bond when you first met. It can’t be very easy to be gay and passed from family to family, can it?” Even though the sour taste still lingered in her mouth, Emma felt sadness diluting it. She felt sorry for what Madison had been through in her life.