Winning Her Heart

"Well I'm really happy that you like the dress. There's no need to thank me, this is what I do. I really hope that you have a truly memorable and beautiful wedding day," I reply. I'm momentarily caught up in her emotions and happiness and my throat tightens a little.

She lets me go and smiles at me. "I hope that you find someone to make you happy too. Soon. Very soon!" She replies.

We exchange brief smiles before she leaves the shop.

I sigh once again, but this time it’s a happy sound. I forget about my own problems for a second, just reveling in the joy of another happy client. And a friend to boot. It makes me feel really good, and proud of my job.

I take the bag with her dress and move it behind the counter. I'm actually excited to start working on it later. It's a beautiful dress, perfect on her curvy figure,, and she really seemed to like it. I should have it finished in a couple of days. It’s actually quite a relief that she only asked me to shorten the hemline a little because of her height.

I check my registry. Another bride is scheduled to arrive shortly before closing for a final fitting. This one might take a little more work because it's been a while since she first chose her dress. I prepare myself for that appointment by pulling out the tape measure and pins that I'll need.

I take Tammy’s gown to the back room to exchange it with the dress for my next appointment. Once I locate it, I unzip it to check it for imperfections. Afterwards I zip it back up and move it to the front of the store. I decide to busy myself with checking our website and email for incoming orders and questions. It keeps my mind occupied for a little while.

I truly do love the work that I do. I always have. It’s why my grandmother left me the shop in the first place, I grew up surrounded by the clouds of beaded silk and taffeta.

But more than anything, it's happy clients like Tammy, that make it so enjoyable. I love to turn a bride’s special day into a dream come true by making her feel like she just stepped out of a fairytale.

I just hope someday I’ll get that fairytale feeling, too.

Chapter 2 - Lorelai

After closing the shop, I head home, fix a quick bite to eat, then to settle in front of the TV and relax. After my last appointment, I’d stayed past closing to work on some of Tammy's gown. I wanted the stitching of the hemline to be perfect, so I was taking my time.

I’d managed to get about halfway through before my eyelids had started to droop. I left the dress in the workroom, ready for a start bright and early in the morning. I don’t like leaving work unfinished, and I know I won’t be happy until Tammy’s dress is perfect.

After a nice meal, and a small glass of wine, I'm relaxing on my couch in my pajamas. I'm watching a romantic comedy on TV, and to my surprise I'm actually enjoying it. Maybe it's the wine, or maybe it's because I had a great day at work today. Whatever the case may be I find myself utterly absorbed in the movie.

Eventually I can feel my eyes starting to close. I realize that I'm too tired even for television. After a quick cleanup of the kitchen and living room I turn out the lights and walk to my room, yawning all the while. I pause to brush my teeth and get ready for bed. I set the alarm on my nightstand, deciding to set it about an hour earlier than usual. This will give me plenty of time to get to the store and finish Tammy’s gown.

On a whim, I glance through my phone real quick. No emails or texts. I can't tell if that's good or depressing, but I decide not to think about it. I plug my phone into the charger, turn out the light and lie down. I pull the covers over my shoulders and fall asleep almost instantly. After a long day, it's nice to have a deep, dreamless sleep. To be able to forget all about your thoughts and worries of the day.

But the peaceful darkness doesn’t last. It takes a moment to rouse me, but I can hear a distant buzzing and ringing. I fight my way through the fog of sleep, and force myself awake. Disoriented, I look around the room for the noise. I realize that it’s my cell phone vibrating on the nightstand, the ringer blaring and an unfamiliar number flashing across the screen. "Hello?" I ask sleepily as I answer it.