Fake Marriage Box Set

“I can't sleep with both of them.”

“Why not?

I tilted my head at her. “Wait? You were serious?”

She laughed. “Okay, so you won't, but my point is this: don't make all your decisions based on geography. And I may or may not want to live vicariously through you, so you need to start sleeping with one of them.”

I smiled at her, and we laughed.

“Okay, enough about boys for now. You have twenty minutes, and then we are going to Jenna’s to look at dresses.”

“Yes ma’am.” I turned my cup up and finished the coffee.

***

Rachel walked out of the dressing room and slowly twirled, the off-white fabric slowly following her movements.

“I don't know,” she said when she stopped. “It doesn’t really make me feel something.”

“If you don't know, then move along.” I smiled and shooed her back into the dressing room.

I waited a few minutes while she tried on several more. She shouted no a few times and then opened the door. She came out in a silver dress with pink flowers along the bottom and several going up the side and connecting at the bodice. The flowers encrusted the heart-shaped neckline. When she turned, there was a pink bow tumbling down the back. While it wasn't my style, it was exactly what I would have picked out for Rachel. When my eyes traveled back up the dress to hers, I saw the tears as they dripped down her face.

“It's perfect.” She smiled and wiped at her face.

“Do you like this one?” The lady that had been helping her asked.

“This is it!” Rachel stated. The lady turned around and hit a bell, and cheers broke out across the small shop.

Once we had grabbed a bite to eat, we went to the cake shop to taste several flavors of wedding cake.

I didn't much care for the red velvet. Why would you want that as a wedding cake? I always thought wedding cake was white, but I was educated about it today. I chuckled to myself as the plates were set in front of us.

“What?” Rachel looked at me as she stabbed a piece of white cake with her fork. I watched her face as she rolled the cake around in her mouth. I took a bit of mine and decided it was going to be my favorite no matter how it tasted.

“That's really good.” Rachel smiled over at me.

“It's my favorite.”

“It's the only one you’ve tasted.”

“And?” I smiled. We moved along to several other flavors, and even after we tasted all the cakes, the white cake was my real favorite.

“I like the white cake best.” I pointed at it. Then swiped my fork through the icing again.

“I really like the marble cake, but I think I agree that the boring old white cake is the best one.” She took the last bite from my plate, and I groaned. “I hate that you’re always right.” She pointed out then laughed when I grinned. She stood and said to the lady behind the counter.

“We will see you next week. Please look over our online catalog and also send whatever pictures you find, and we will see what we can come up with for your special day.” As she was talking, I pulled my phone from my pocket and looked down hoping for a message from Luke. Still nothing. I looked at the time, knowing my flight would be leaving that evening. I was kind of hating that I had to leave.

“I am so thankful you’re here to help me get all this done. I’d been dreading it. I just always thought you’d be here,” Rachel said, threading her arm through mine as we walked.

“Well, I am here. And once I’m done with this grant and start working for Granddad full time, I’ll be able to come out more often.”

“I’d be okay with that,” she nudged me.

“The dress is amazing, you know,” I told her, trying to focus on something positive instead of the fact we were heading back to get my things and go to the airport.

“Yeah. It kind of is. And to think, I had to try on all those mediocre dresses until I found the one that made me feel something,” she bumped my shoulder with hers. “Ya know?”