Bursting at the Seams
It only takes one glance down to my screen to confirm my suspicions. With a roll of my eyes, I retort. “You’ve called twice before. It hasn’t been hours.”
“We have a problem,” she huffs. “Some customer is texting me, complaining about their dress and the alterations. Can you please handle it?”
Even if she was sober, I wouldn’t argue—but I’m definitely not going to since drunk Hanna tends to be a bit on the unpredictable side of things. “Only if you agree to take the Uber I’m going to order you to get home.”
“Ugh, come on. I’m having a good time!”
“Yeah, and by the sounds of it you’ve had your share of it already,” I snort.
“Tell you what, I’ll cut my location on for you and I’ll send you a screenshot when I order my own ride. How about that?”
I contemplate before agreeing. Shortly after we hang up, I get an alert that she’s turned her location on and I open the app just to confirm it’s working. Then, a text comes through with just a phone number. I wonder if it’s a bride that picked up her dress the day before, as she definitely seemed to be a bridezilla. After stepping into the kitchen to drink some water to collect myself, I sat back down on the couch and texted the customer.
ME: Hi, this is Emanuel Efron from the dress shop. I heard you have an issue with your alterations?
Once I hit send, I mentally prepare myself for a difficult, annoying evening. There is no telling how long this will be or how involved the conversation will get. Preemptively, I pull out my laptop and go to the online shop schedule that Hanna, Justine, and myself have access to. Typically, I only look at it once a week to write my own work schedule, so I know when to have dresses ready by. If this customer is going to throw a fit and need a last-minute appointment, I need to figure out where to squeeze her in.
CUSTOMER: Is this some sort of joke?
ME: No? How can I help?
CUSTOMER: I don’t need anything from you.
ME: Well, I’m in charge of alterations. If you need another appointment, let me know and we can work something out.
CUSTOMER: I don’t need another appointment, jackass.
It clicks. It shouldn’t have taken being called jackass for the second time today to know that it is Wren. There’s a swirl of thoughts and emotions coursing through me so quickly that I can’t pin a single one down. But there’s an overwhelming anger that is hovering over all of it. So much so, that I feel nearly dizzied by it. I can’t tell if it’s all from the sort of betrayal I’m feeling from Wren, or if it’s the entire day piling up on me. Whatever it is, I’m moved enough by it to hit the call button next to her number.
As the other side picks up, I’m on my feet. “Why did you complain to my sister about me?” I demand from her. “What’s happened between us is just that. Between us. And if you don’t like my actual work, then you should tell me—”
“I don’t know what the fuck you are talking about,” she bites. “I haven’t complained to Hanna about anything. I haven’t even spoken to her since we first came to the shop.”
I shake my head and feel my lip snarl. “How in the hell am I supposed to believe that? How is it you’ll complain about me to her, but won’t own up to it to me?”
“I didn’t talk to her!” Wren shouts. There’s a tense silence between us before she adds, “Trust me, your name hasn’t passed my lips since I left that store. If anything, I’ve been trying to forget you.”
The edge of pain in her voice is enough to break through my layer of anger. Even though I would never consider Hanna to be a liar, I know a mistake has been made. And now I’m trying to argue with Wren, a woman who has done nothing wrong. “Alright,” I mutter and then hit the end call button.
Sinking back down, I cradle my head in my hands. Everything is such a mess. With anger draining from my body, depression is threatening to seep its way into my mind. I need to get out of the house before it does. Putting my phone in my pocket and grabbing my keys, I head for the door to go on a walk. Anything to clear my head.
Chapter Nine
Wren
As soon as the call clicks off, I start running harder than before. I run as fast as I can, welcoming the sting of the cool evening air in my lungs. What an absolute nightmare of a day. Emanuel has been the worst of it, but he hasn’t been the only actor at play, either. After leaving the dress shop, I was dragged along to more wedding planning events with Caroline and our mother. Somehow it all seemed to be alright up until we were trying to make dinner plans and I got a call from my boss. With everything going on with Caroline, and all the event coordinating I’ve been doing for her while at work, it seems as though I completely missed a deadline for submitting a presentation for a potential retailer. I have to go in early in the morning to fix it, so I told them I would have to skip out on dinner.