Shifting my position so I was lying comfortably on the bed, he crawled up beside me and held me tight, the two of us gently kissing.
“So, I guess business is no longer first,” I said with a giggle.
“Nope. I always tried to put business first, but when I’m with you, it doesn’t seem to matter much anymore. I think I’m falling in love with you.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” I said.
“Why is that?”
“Because I feel the same way.”
He squeezed me tight and kissed me gently. The two of us held each other in his dimly lit bedroom until sleep took us.
Chapter Sixteen - Krystal
I’d always heard about ‘fairy tale’ weddings, but never really thought I would have one. I thought they only really existed in storybooks. I greatly underestimated the depths of Jayden’s genius and dedication when it came to bringing out the best in others.
“Are you ready?” Jayden asked, his voice muffled by the wood of the door.
“As I’ll ever be,” I replied.
The door to the ensuite came open and out stepped my knight in shining plate armor, helmet tucked under his arm.
“Are you sure about the helmet?”
“Hey, if I have to wear a veil, you can deal with a visor,” I teased.
“Those are not even close to the same thing,” he laughed.
He came over to the bed where I sat in little more than a corset and stockings and kissed me tenderly. The kisses soon migrated down my neck as they so often did, my legs instinctively opened for him as he ventured ever southward. We had lots of time before the ceremony. There might even have been time for a quickie before we made things official.
“Krystal, are you in here?” Emma asked her voice muffled by the bedroom door.
Jayden dropped his head into my lap, letting out a frustrated groan. I eased him up and gave him a kiss before gently pushing him away.
“Come in,” I called.
“Jayden, what are you doing here?”
“Talking to my fiancée?”
“You know you can’t see her before the wedding. It’s bad luck!”
“Only if he sees me in my dress,” I pointed out.
“Even so, we have work to do. Out you go,” Emma said, ushering Jayden to the door.
“You’ve gotten a lot more bossy since I promoted you to assistant manager.”
“And aren’t you glad for it,” Emma retorted.
She came back into the room shaking her head at her big brother’s silliness. There were times I wondered which of them was more mature despite the age difference.
“Right, where are they?” Emma asked, getting down to business.
Without a word, I went to the closet and retrieved the two garment bags. Unzipping the first, I handed the dress to Emma, and we started the dressing process. Even more elaborate than the elf outfits I’d done for the Christmas Ball, the outfits for the wedding were definitely a two-person operation. I’d already dressed Mary and Lorelai in their bridesmaid dresses. Emma, as my Maid of Honor, was the last, and part of her duties, at least in my case, was to help me get into my dress.
Inspired by the Disney adaptations, ‘Princess Dress’ really was the only way to describe the gowns I had created for the blessed event. The two layers of petticoats set, it was time for the over layer, which was the easiest part of the whole thing, despite the tiny hook fasteners.
“There you go,’ she said, patting me on the back.
“Your turn.”
I unzipped the second garment bag, keeping my back turned as Emma stripped down to her unmentionables. Getting her cinched up in the specially made corset, according to her exact measurements, I started in with the layers.
Having a general aesthetic philosophy, I tried to make sure all the dresses were of similar quality, not really buying into the idea about not distractions from the bride. The main difference was that the bridesmaid and maid of honor gowns were a bit less elaborate, which could really only be a good thing, and different colors. Baby blue for the bridesmaids, peach for Emma and ivory for me. I’d only really had one lover, and he was also the same one I was marrying, so I figured I was still entitled to the virgin white tradition.
“Done.”
“Already?”
“Yep.”
“You should work as a costumer. In addition to making and selling them, of course.”
“I did that, actually,” I confessed.
It was a chapter of my life I didn’t often go into, partly because I’d had to lie about my age to get in, but I’d volunteered as a costume assistant at the local theater all through high school. I figured it would be the best way to get practical experience, which turned out to be right. I didn’t mind telling Emma though. We had only grown closer in the months since the Christmas Ball and were about to become sisters, at least according to the law. Any kids we had would be cousins.