It’s time to make this all about me and Candace. And only all about me and Candace.
***
Candace
Suddenly, I’m blinking awake to the sound of my alarm and gasping to realize I fell asleep. And now, it’s my wedding day. It’s here. Today is the day I marry Rick Savage. I glance at my phone and it’s almost ten, which was the plan. I wanted to sleep late and look good today. But now it’s really today, the day. I sit up, and I’m so overwhelmed with emotions that I don’t know if I want to laugh or cry. There’s a knock on the door, and Linda pokes her head in. “I brought coffee.”
“You’re a goddess,” I say. “First you drug me and now you bring me coffee.”
She grins and crosses to join me, her blonde hair sticking up all over the place. Maybe she isn’t flirting with Smith. I sip from the cup. “You ah—let Smith see you like that?”
“He did,” she says. “And he laughed. And I don’t care that he’s a hot guy who saw me look like shit. I don’t want him to want me. I don’t want to want him.”
“I see,” I say, grinning and sipping my coffee. “But you do, don’t you?”
“No,” she snips. “No. No. No.” She glances at the clock and changes the subject. “It’s ten. The wedding is at two. You’ll have a light lunch catered in here at eleven, then we leave for the church, where the stylist will meet you. There will be a one o’clock snack to ensure you don’t fall on your face walking down the aisle. Do you want to shower before or after lunch?”
“After. And you have it all under control, don’t you?”
“What’s a maid of honor for if not to take care of the bride? Especially since you declined a bachelorette party. What do you need or want to do before the food arrives?”
“Where’s the remote?”
She reaches in her pocket and sets it on the bed. I grab it and turn on Fixer Upper. She rolls her eyes. “Are you serious?”
“It calms my nerves, and besides, Rick and I are going to buy a house in the Hamptons. I love seeing the inspiration for décor.”
“Oh, the Hamptons. Fancy, my queen.” She bows and laughs. “I’m going to get coffee and then I’ll watch with you.”
I smile and my cellphone buzzes with a message. I grab it from beside me where it’s fallen to find a message from Rick: Finally. Today.
My heart squeezes and I reply back with, Finally. Today.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Candace
It’s one-twenty, forty minutes before I’m to become Mrs. Rick Savage.
At present, I’m in a pink robe, standing in the dressing room in the section of the church used for wedding preparation, staring into a three-way mirror. My hair is glossy and around my shoulders. My makeup is pale pink perfect. Both thanks to the stylist, Jessica.
“Are you pleased?” Jessica queries eagerly, shoving long locks of curly red hair behind her ears, waiting anxiously for my reply.
I don’t know how she can be anxious at all. She’s brilliant, a true artist and suddenly, I am emotional, so very emotional, and I think I might cry.
“You did a perfect job,” I say, my voice a rasp, my eyes burning. “I love it.”
“Yay!” she says, clapping her hands. “I’m so pleased, but my job was easy. You're gorgeous. We’ll get you in your dress and your veil in,” she glances at her watch, “in about fifteen minutes. I don’t want you to have time to step on it. And you can’t sit once you put it on.”
“I think I’ll sit now, actually,” I say, making my way to the vanity chair and I ease to the cushion, grateful as it absorbs my unsteady weight.
There’s a knock on the door and Linda peeks her head in. “You nervous?”
“So bad,” I admit and I hold out my hand. “I’m trembling.”
“That’s natural,” she assures me as she steps into the room, looking gorgeous in a silver floor-length, figure-hugging gown. Each of my girls are wearing different colors. I wanted them to pick something they’d wear again and love forever.
“Everything is going as planned,” Linda says, shutting the door. “Adam has the rings. I made sure he has yours. And I brought champagne to calm your nerves.”
Seeing her dress fully now, I give her dress choice a critical inspection. The conclusion is perfection. “You look beautiful,” I proclaim and motion to her updo. “Your hair is amazing.”
“Jessica’s sister did it,” she says. “I love her.” She eyes Jessica. “And you, too.” She offers her one of the two glasses in her hand. “For you.”
Jessica waves her off. “I’d better not. I need to take care of Candace now and through her change of clothes.”
“Understood,” Linda says, “and that proves why I love you and your sister. You’re professionals.” She offers me the glass.
I try to wave it off. “Oh no,” I say. “I can’t be drunk for my wedding. Rick will think I needed to be drunk to go through with it. He’s always afraid I’ll decide I’m marrying a monster.”
“Drink,” she orders. “I know you don’t handle it well, but next to a Xanax that would knock you out, this is the next best thing. You can’t walk steadily if you’re shaking.”
She’s right. And I’m a wreck. I accept the glass and sip. “How is Rick?”
“Pacing his room, so I hear.” She sips the champagne and sets her glass on the vanity. “He sent you your ‘something new’ to wear.”
I blink. “He did?”
“He said he knew you were fretting about something new, something borrowed, and something blue, so he thought he’d cover two for one for you.” She pulls up a chair and sits beside me, slipping the small silver bag hanging at her shoulder around to her lap, as she reaches inside.
A moment later, she produces a velvet bag. “It came in a box and bag, but I took it out of the box because I didn’t have enough hands to carry it,” she explains, offering it to me.
Anxiously, I open the bag to find a thin silver bracelet with delicate little turquoise hearts dangling from the strand.
“It’s beautiful!” Linda and Jessica exclaim at the same time.
“It is beautiful,” I whisper and I give a little laugh. “I have a blue button I borrowed from Jessica pinned to my garter, and I decided my dress was new, so it counted as the something new.”
“Well you were wrong but he made it beautifully right.” Linda and Jessica say at the same time, only to laugh at the shared moment.
I try to put on the bracelet, but my hands are trembling too much to get it done. Linda orders me to drink, and then finishes the job for me. “And you can give back the button,” she says when the bracelet is secure. “I have your something old and borrowed.” She’s back to digging in the silver bag and she pulls out a mesh black bag this time.