The Wedding Date

Chapter Four

Amelia

"She is literally glowing!" I heard one of the other brides maids screech. The tone was high pitched and i recognized it immediately. It belonged to my sister's long time friend Anne. Short for Annabelle. Since freshman year of high school she and another girl named Cheyenne had been my sister's closest friends.

Her minions, I had used to call them. I couldn't help but notice the side glances they had been throwing me since Lizzie and I had arrived. I could feel them trying to intimidate me, little did they know that at one time I had been them. I had dressed like them, walked like them, I was willing to bet my life I even thought like them. I knew they were sizing me trying to determine if I was a threat to their presumed event hierarchy. I showed them my belly as quickly as I could without looking completely spineless. I smiled, only spoke when asked a question, and faded to the back as I sensed they wanted me too. As soon as they felt me bowing to them it was as if the energy in the room changed, they felt as if they could be themselves now.

They both knew who I was, knew I could destroy them in seconds. Their entire routine had been intended to discover if I truly had changed. As soon as they felt I wouldn't be a threat to their "position" as top dogs of the wedding party they seemed to come out their shells. I nearly laughed, they were so easy to read it was mind boggling. I wondered if I had been so easy to read. I had once been them. I looked at them with their fake smiles and sneaky snide tone and I wonder if this is how I had looked then too. I felt sick seeing the way they behaved, just the way they carried themselves. Like their s**t didn't stink. Like nothing had ever happened to them that changed their perfect little world. A little world were only cars and money and men mattered.

The first on the list of tasks for day one was a dress fitting. The entire bridal party was dragged to the designers to play dress up and try on bridesmaid dresses. Before this would have been right up my alley. The glamor, the attention, the silk, the smell of the fabric. It was all enough to make a girl's heart race but, I wasn't that girl anymore.

We had been trying on dresses for three hours and Abbey had not even bothered to show up yet. The seamstress doubled as a photographer snapping photos to no doubt send to my sister. After the fourth dress change, I had had enough. I marched up to the front count trying not to let me irritation show.

"Can I speak with Maurice?" I asked the girl behind the counter with my best sickly sweet smile. She looked at me as if I had lost my mind before slowly walking away to find the designer.

Five minutes later a familiar face came around the corner. I smile as he greeted me with kisses on each cheek.

"Tell me you still have my measurements," I laughed exasperated gripping his hand as if I was desperate for a savior.

"Of course, Are you kidding!? You were once my best customer!" He laughed in a thick French accent. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank God, I don't think I can stand another second around those women." I told him. He clicked his tongue at me in suprise.

"I had heard you had changed. For the better, i see." He said making me laugh. I let my fingers run over his long broad shoulders as I walked away teasingly. Without attracting anyone's attention I slipped out of the bustling store quiet like a cat. I felt bad leaving Lizzie behind but, I'd call her before the next schedule activity.

I stepped out onto the street. The pacific sun beat down on my skin. I stood there for I few long moments feeling the sensation of it on my skin. I could smell the ocean from here, refreshing on the wind. I closed my eyes, hugging myself, I leaned into the sun's warmth taking in the sounds of the city. I focused listening to the bustling of the street. Conversations happening nearby, music playing in a car parked nearby, the sound of tropical birds calling out to one another. I allowed myself to get lost for a few seconds taking in the sounds of the market place in the middle of the beautiful island.

I slowly took a breath, savoring the smell of the water, the sand, and food cooking somewhere nearby. I had been to Jamaica once, when I was sixteen. It had left an impression on me even then. Now it was like experiencing heaven, it was truly paradise.

I opened my eyes smiling to myself. I pulled my purse over my shoulder and started walking down the street, deciding to explore the marketplace. The small street was dotted with stores and stands. I stopped for a few long minutes to look at jewelry being sold by an elderly looking Jamaican woman.

"Dis' one," She told me in a heavy accent showing me a necklace made from hundreds of tiny white shells. Her huge gap toothed smile was contagious and had me grinning from ear to ear.

"How much?" I asked her pulling out my wallet.

A few minutes later I walked away from the stall smiling adjusting the necklace around my neck. I started humming as I made a path back to the resort.

The next event was scheduled to start in the next hour. I wasn't in any rush to get back however, I had seen my sister had rsvped for this one. She had confirmed her attendance. Part of me was so nervous to see her, the other part just excited to be reunited with my little sister. For the life of me I couldn't remember what was scheduled but, knew that the meeting location was set as the lobby. I could have pulled out my itinerary to see but, i decided just as i was reaching for the schedule i just wanted it to be a suprise. I quickly packed a bag full of things i may need and changed my clothes before heading to the spot.

Lizzie was already there waiting with a group of the girls from the dress shop. She broke away from them when she saw me approaching.

"What do those two have to say about me?" I asked motioning at Anne and Cheyenne. Lizzie giggled leaning in close.

"Oh so much, I mean I've certainly never heard more versions of that story. And in such little too." Lizzie told me almost casually. Just as I suspected, I'm am going to be the talk of this wedding. But, what does my family have to say about me? I wondered. A lump in my throat formed and for a few long seconds I struggled with the anxiety cause by my thoughts.

"Amelia," Lizzie who seemed to be a mind reader reached for me whispering in a concerned tone. I grabbed her arm gently using her to steady myself. Lizzie looked me up and down with big green concerned eyes. "What really happened six months ago?"

I was speechless. What lie do I tell now? I was so sick of all the lies but, I somehow still wasn't ready to tell her the truth. Maybe, because I was having a hard time facing it myself.