Chapter 5
“Are you ready?” Lizzie popped her bright fuchsia colored head into the dressing room. Just beneath the top layer of eye-burning pink was an underlayer of soft sky blue. The underlayer matched her bridesmaid dress almost perfectly.
I looked down at the white lace covering my legs and torso. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I shot back with a wry grin.
Lizzie took one look at my face and stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "You're not getting cold feet, are you?"
I shook my head. "No, of course not. I'm just..." I glanced up at the mirror, taking in my reflection. I didn't even recognize myself. The makeup. The hair. The big fucking rock on my finger. It all felt so surreal. Lizzie bounded up behind me, her brightly colored hair popping up at my side in the reflection.
"You're just what?" she asked.
I shrugged. "Ready to get all of the pomp and circumstance out of the way. I wish we were already on our way to Key West."
She made a face. "Why you'd want to go to Key West instead of one of the many countries Marv and Grayson suggested, I'll never understand. Who gives up Ireland?" she asked. "It's Ireland!"
I put my bouquet on the cushioned stool beside me and chuckled lightly. "Where we go isn't important," I replied.
"No, of course not. It's not where you go, it'swhoyou go with." She shook her head in mock disgust. "I can't stand how fucking happy the lot of you are. It's sickening. I'm gonna need my prince or princess charming to arrive for me sooner rather than later or I fear you'll turn me into a bitter old woman."
My mouth popped open on an unexpected laugh. "You're barely twenty," I reminded her.
She pouted. "Which makes you having champagne at your wedding all the worse," she muttered. "I can't even indulge. There are adultier adults present. The shame if I were to get shmammered in front of them."
"It wasn't my idea," I said. "It was—"
"Marvs," she said with me at the same time. We paused for a moment, staring at each other in the reflection of the mirror before we burst out in giggles.
"Stop," I gasped as I put a hand to my stomach. "This dress is too tight—I can't breathe!"
"You stop!" she replied just as quickly. A knock on the door interrupted our girlish enjoyment and I half turned towards it, wiping tears from beneath my eyes. Before I could reach for the handle, Lizzie stepped in front of me and shot me a look of faux outrage. "Don't you dare," she hissed. "It's probably one of them and I'm not letting them see you in that dress before the ceremony."
I put my hands up in defeat and nodded for her to go forward. Eyeing me with suspicion, she reached for the handle and cracked the door just a bit to see who was on the other side.
The deep baritone of Knix filtered through the negligent space she allowed. "Is she ready?" he asked.
Pursing her lips, Lizzie looked back at me and I shrugged with a nod. Sighing, she turned back to one of my soon-to-be husbands. "Yes, she's ready. We'll be out there in five minutes." He said something else, lowering his voice so that I couldn't hear and it made Lizzie's lips twitch in amusement. "I'm sure you and the guys can wait another five minutes," she replied. "You'll have a friggin' lifetime after that."
"Tell her I love her," he said, louder this time.
I smiled, a flush stealing across my cheeks.
"She knows," Lizzie replied tartly, snapping the door closed.
I chuckled again and reached for the bouquet I'd set aside earlier. I turned back to the mirror and smoothed out the fabric of my dress as Lizzie approached from behind. "I'm ready," I said, feeling more confident than I had a moment before.
"Moment of truth," she replied. "I hope you are because otherwise, it might be a little difficult to get away. I'm pretty sure Marv is waiting to walk you down the aisle and he'll catch you before you can make it to the front door of the church."
I shook my head at her irreverence. "Let's go."
The doors opened and I held my breath for a moment as a pair of gunmetal gray eyes met mine. Marv held out his arm and I moved forward reaching for it.
"You look beautiful, Sunshine," he whispered as Lizzie took her place in front of us. The wedding march began and she looked back once before starting forward. Through the French door windows that had been pulled to the side, I watched as people I'd come to know so well over the last few years stood in preparation.
I reached up and fingered the lavender colored tie Marv wore, frowning when I noticed a scratch on the side of his neck. I touched it lightly and sent a questioning glance up. Grinning, he took my hand in one of his and brought it to his lips. "Cleo," he murmured.
It was impossible to resist a smile. "I'm sorry," I said.
A smile spread his lips. "You can make it up to me later," he offered lightly.