“And a princess needs a tiara,” Trinity informed me.
I stood and then crouched down in front of the two. “Thank you so much, girls. I won’t take it off all day. I swear.”
They beamed up at me, and I hugged them both. Taking their hands, I put on my smile, the one I always hid behind, and looked at my mom. “We’re ready.”
The moment we walked into the exclusive, appointment-only dress shop, I caught my breath at all the beautiful dresses. There had to have been ten thousand dresses in the entire store. How was I going to pick just one?
But I already knew roughly what I wanted. Between Kin, Angie, Jenna, and Lana, we had sorted out what I liked and what I didn’t. I wanted something sexy that wouldn’t cause my dad to have a coronary, but also something classic. Long sleeves and lace were something I had been dreaming of, so that had to be a must.
The receptionist had one of those smiles that was so white it was blinding. I figured she did toothpaste commercials in her spare time or was the poster child for expensive cosmetic bleaching. “Mrs. Armstrong. Mrs. Thornton. Mrs. Cutter,” she greeted. “Paul will be right with you.”
Before she could even finish speaking, a man I had only seen in pictures appeared. Paul Worley was the biggest name in the world of bridal fashion. His every move was documented by the ever-hungry pap vultures. Everything from his latest boyfriend to being named the sexiest designer in the entire fashion industry with his lean body and model-perfect good looks. He had made a name for himself not long after graduating from one of the top design schools in New York. He’d worked hard to get to where he was now, with three shops in the States and two overseas, but Los Angeles was his home base.
His four other shops had a waiting list for appointments six months in advance, but in this location, a bride was lucky if she could get one starting a year out. That Aunt Emmie had gotten us one not six weeks after the ring had been slipped on my finger was proof alone to me that my honorary aunt had connections that offered endless possibilities.
“Emmie, beautiful, so lovely to see you again.” Paul greeted her with an air kiss to each cheek. “And your clone is with you, I see.” He shot a wink at Mia, who gave him a small wave. Turning, his gaze went to the rest of us. “And who is my bride today? Where is Lucy?”
I lifted my hand, but I shouldn’t have even bothered. The moms were already talking. “My daughter.”
“We called ahead and had the dresses set out for us,” Natalie told him, both of them stepping forward before I could even move.
Paul gave them tight smiles. “Yes, we have them already waiting in the changing room.” He walked around the two mothers and took my hand. As soon as I felt his cool touch and the way he squeezed my fingers, I relaxed. “Ladies, my assistant will show you where you can wait. Lucy and I will be trying on the dresses.”
Trusting him completely, I went with him. We walked through the store to the changing rooms in the back, passing even more dresses that were so beautiful they took my breath away. But not a single one of the dresses I saw on the long walk was what I saw myself walking down the aisle in.
“So, tell me about this boy who has captured your heart,” Paul encouraged as he opened the door to a spacious changing room where three thick bags were already hanging.
I relaxed even more, happy to share everything about Harris with this man who had helped thousands of other women find the perfect dress for their special day. “Harris has been my best friend since I was nine. We grew up in the same world with the same problems. Being rocker brats.”
Paul grinned. “I’ve seen you quite often in the press over the years, dear. So I can imagine that must be a crazy lifestyle. Do you ever wish your parents had a different career?”
“It’s exhausting,” I told him honestly. “But I love my dad, and I wouldn’t trade him for any other one in the world.”
“A daddy’s girl, I see.”
“To the day I die,” I said with a genuine smile.
He turned to the three dress bags, and I noticed the Post-its on the hangers. The one on the left had Natalie’s name on it, the one in the middle my mom’s, and Aunt Emmie’s was on the right. The bags were solid white, so I couldn’t see what the dresses looked like underneath, but they were so bulky I instinctively knew without having to look that these dresses were nothing like what I wanted.
“Let’s start with Emmie’s choice,” he suggested when I just stood there staring unenthusiastically at the closed bags. “I have a feeling that the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom want to see their choices last.”
All I could do was nod because my throat had tightened up and my voice refused to work.
Paul carefully unzipped the bag and took the dress out. It was a beautiful ball gown with enough tulle to make three more dresses. The bodice was covered in crystals, and it had a pretty sweetheart neckline. It was an amazing dress, but this one just wasn’t me.
But what Lana had said at breakfast came back to me, and I put on my public smile and stepped into the dress. I grimaced at myself in the mirror as Paul did up the buttons on the back. With the pretty little tiara Arella and Trinity had put on me earlier, I did look like a princess, but at the same time, I felt fat. The dress hid everything on my body except for my boobs, which were very much on display due to the corseted bust.
My dad would flip if he saw me in this thing.
“I can see that this dress is not something you like.”
“I’m excited,” I assured him. “Excited to take it off.”
Paul threw back his head and laughed heartily. “I love your honesty, Lucy Thornton.” He opened the door for me and helped me get the mountain of tulle through before leading me to where my entourage was waiting.
They were seated on three long sofas in front of trifold mirrors, drinking bottles of water. As I approached with Paul’s help so I didn’t get tangled up in the dress, all eyes zeroed in on me.
“So pretty!” Arella and Trinity said with soft, dreamy sighs at the same time.