“It’s sooo cute,” Sophia says, drawing out her words.
Mom walks into the room in her mother-of-the-bride dress in soft gray. It looks very posh, but she isn’t thinking about herself right now. She covers her mouth, overwhelmed with emotion when she sees her daughter standing there in white.
“You look breathtaking, Sophia,” Mom says as she walks toward us, reaching for each of our hands and pulling us into a hug. It’s a sweet and tender moment, and it makes me excited to have one of these of my own in the future. One day.
“So,” Sophia starts, “have you made any headway on a date for the wedding?”
Mom’s eyes are on me. “Have you, darling?”
“No, I mean, let’s not make a big deal of this, okay? I don’t think I really need a date. The holidays are going to be so busy, and it’s not like someone is going to want to meet me and then be a date to a destination wedding a few weeks later. It’s just too much pressure. Can’t you just sit me with someone else who is flying solo at the wedding.”?
The attendant is back, telling my mom that she can go change out of her dress now, and then my sister and I are left alone again.
“There’s only one other person playing solo at the wedding,” Sophia tells me, smiling at her bridesmaids who are now standing at the mirror with us, examining how they look in their red dresses.
“And who’s that?”
Sophia rolls her eyes. “Samson, Taylor’s brother.” My stomach does a flip-flop at the mention of his name. I remember how this morning I touched myself, imagining his strong hands holding me, his body covering me — taking me.
“Great, sit me next to Sam. Honestly, I don’t care. I want to be focused on you that day.”
Sophia smirks. “No way... a little birdie told me you two had a thing...”
I blink.
“Seriously?” Cecily’s eyes are as big as saucers; Janet leans closer, eager for bits of gossip. God, the pair of them are like starved dogs desperate for a morsel of anything.
“Did you seriously sleep with Taylor’s brother?” Janet asks. “At the engagement party, he seemed like the sort of man any decent woman would avoid. If you know what I mean.” She stands with her hands on her hips and I can’t help it, I roll my eyes like I’m a twelve-year-old girl because are they serious with this?
“It’s none of my business,” Sophia laughs. “But Taylor mentioned it, and I was like, no way are they hooking up again at the wedding. You are sitting far, far away from him.”
I try to imagine Samson telling Taylor that the two of us had spent the night together. It’s impossible to imagine, it seems so unlike him. He came off as stoic and guarded, but it just gives me another reason to dismiss the ruggedly hot man from my mind.
Samson doesn’t matter. Especially if he’s a guy who kisses and tells.
Now, HeartofGold? He is a real man.
“You know what?” I sigh. “Fine, keep us far apart, but honestly, I am not even thinking about Sam. My mind is on other things.”
My sister purses her lips. “What aren’t you saying?”
This is the problem with sisters. They know you too well.
“I sort of met someone. But I don’t know where it’s going, so I’m trying to play it cool. I’m certainly not inviting this person to your wedding, but I want you to know that I’m totally over Samson.”
We all head back to the dressing rooms so we can change. Talking through the walls of the rooms my sisters asks, “So where did you meet this mystery man?”
I swallow, stepping out of the red satin and pulling on LuLaRoe leggings. They are patterned with peacocks and make me feel cute as hell.
“Um, online?”
“Really?” Sophia sighs. “You’ve done the online dating thing before and it never works. The guys you date never end up looking like their profile and you get annoyed and yet they still get laid. It’s not gonna end well.”
I slide on my Uggs, not wanting to say I have no clue what HOG looks like, where he lives, and how he knows me.
I just know how his words make me feel. Seen.
“Well, we haven’t actually exchanged photos. So, I guess I won’t be disappointed when I see him.” I step out of the dressing room the same time Janet, Cecily and Sophia do.
They all cock their heads at me in concern.
“Wait, isn’t that like a requirement on those online sites?” Cecily asks. Cecily met her husband online and she’s right. That is a requirement.
“We didn’t actually meet online on a dating site. I mean, he just emailed me out of the blue. And we started talking.”
“How did he know to email you?” Sophia presses.
Not feeling like I have anything to hide, I’m straight up. I am not in the habit of lying to my sister, and I’m not going to start now. Besides, I have nothing to be ashamed of. I needed to try a different approach to my life, be more open minded and accepting.