Jessica’s Perfect Wedding Dress

Chapter Two

After they left Jessica busied herself with arranging the dresses she had brought out, halfway done the phone rang and she dropped everything she was doing and went to pick the call. A quick glance at the phone screen showed that it was her mum.

She said a silent prayer before picking up.

“Good morning Mum,”She greeted. Her heart thudded with a mix of Anticipation and sadness as she knew why her mum was calling and guilt washed over her.

“Jessica, my dear. How are you doing?”Her mum asked in her breezy and always happy tone.

“I am fine mum, How is you and Dad?”Jessica asked back.

“Definitely not Fine, Jessica, when are you coming back home,”Her mum asked sternly.

“I don’t know yet Mum, you know I am busy...,”

“No more excuses Jessica Clarke,”Her mum cut her short. “I want you home this weekend. Take a break from that tedious work of yours, you have always been busy for the past few months now that we haven’t set our eyes on you for a long time. We want you back this weekend,”Her mum berated her voice sounding every inch like the woman she grew up with.

“Fine, Mum I will try to make it this time around,”She replied.

“Don’t try Jessica, it’s I and your dad’s wedding Anniversary. Oh yeah I know quite well that you have forgotten all about it, so please my daughter come back and grace us with your presence.”Her Mum pleaded.

“Okay mum, I will.” She replied feeling sorry for forgetting her parents Anniversary. It has been 60years of the peaceful and envious Marriage and she sure wouldn’t want to miss out on the Anniversary. It was always a thing of joy to see her parent’s still together after all this years and that was one of the reason she had accepted her friend’s offer to work with her on a bridal shop where she gets to select their perfect dress for their perfect wedding and marriage.

“Good, we will be expecting you and oh least I forget your brother is coming back,”

“Gregory is coming back, OmG mum why didn’t you tell me at the first place?”Jessica asked her voice sounding all excited and happy. Gregory and she was the only children of her parents. After College Gregory had joined the Army and over the years as he rose in rank, they found it hard to see him since he was always out on a mission. Oh How she missed her brother!

“I just told you now, and with the excitement in your voice I guess you are definitely coming home, you are surely your brother’s pet,”Her mum teased and Jessi couldn’t hide the grin on her face.

“Yeah Mum, just as you are your husband’s pet,”Jessica teased back and her mum chuckled.

“Good bye dear, I have got to go, I have an appointment with the doctor.”Her Mum said and before she could ask her why, she heard a click. Typical Justina Clarke always hanging up whenever she doesn’t want to be questioned. What could be taking her to see the doctor?? Anyway she will find out this weekend, she just couldn’t wait to get home. As she was about to head back to what she was doing the phone rang yet again and this time it was her boyfriend Hayden.

“Hey Babe,”

“Hayden, I thought you had a board meeting today,”She asked surprised that he would call her.

“Yes, Babe But I just wanted to hear your beautiful voice,”He said sweetly and she blushed furiously.

“Oh please, Hayden not now,”

“Why My love? Isn’t your voice beautiful?”Hayden asked innocently and Jessi smiled.

“Of course my voice is beautiful, but I am at the shop and I am busy with customers, so please don’t make me blush,” She said shyly.

“What customers?”He asked.

“Brides of course!”She lied through her teeth’s.

“What bride?” He asked again.

“Geez, Hayden I know what I am talking about,”she said with a grin on her face.

“Oh my darling you lie too well,because here I am standing outside your shop staring at your beautiful face filled with a deep blush,”He said and heart skipped as her eyes instinctively went to her display window but there was no one there. She looked carefully but they was no Hayden and she breathed a sign of relief. “So I was right about my guess, you lied.”

“I am sorry, Hayden I but I am really busy, just entertained one of our many dramatic customers and it was as hectic as ever.”She explained.

“I understand, I will come pick you after work for dinner, 7pm prompt.”He said

“Can you...”She tried to say but he cut her off.

“Be ready by then, Bye love. I love you.”He Said ignoring her supposed argument.

“Ok then, Bye. I love you too.”She replied and he hung up. She sighed a little sad as she thought about the fact that he was always making decisions on her behalf, which was one of the things she didn’t like about him. She lunged back in to arranging the dresses and soon she pushed -lol thoughts behind her mind as she focused on the one thing that gave her unlimited Joy.

Soon her two o’clock appointment came in, so she spent the rest of their afternoon scurrying around, appeasing nervous Brides and demanding mother’s of the brides. Jessi sometimes considered her job more of a counseling position than that of a bridal gown salesperson.

Every one soon left at and Jessi had the rest of the evening to herself. She had no more Appointment so since it was almost 7pm and she knew that Hayden would certainly arrive on time, She decided to pack up and retouch her makeup and maybe straighten out her dress. It took her Twenty minutes to pack up, retouch her make up and straighten out her dress. Since she was in joggers and a sweat shirt, she had to rush home and put on a strapless red gown that was just above her knees and loosened her hair, using her brush to straighten it out and then rushed back to the shop at almost Six fifty and sat in the shop pretending to go through her ledger.

One other thing about Hayden was that he wasn’t a fan of a lady wearing boys wear and no matter how she tried to explain to him why she always needed to wear such, he would shut her up.

“A lady should behave like a lady,”Was his favorite sentence of shutting her up.The door opened and Jessi looked up to see Hayden walking in dressed in a gray turtleneck sweater and jeans. Always so good looking and every Fuzzy. She dropped her ledger and walked up to hug him, reminding herself to behave more like a lady.

“Hey Babe,”He said as they hugged and he pulled back and kissed her.

“I missed you.”She said and smiled into eyes.

“I missed you dear, Let’s get going.”He said and pulled her by the hand gently as he led her to his Jaguar. He opened her door and she slipped inside and he went round to his own side and slipped into the jaguar and turned on the ignition as they hit the road Jessi brought up a conversation.

“How was work?”she asked.

“Great,”He replied not bothering to ask her of hers. Well it wasn’t a shock anymore, he was always like that but that wasn’t enough reason to leave him.

“So where are we going?”She asked half hoping he would tell her but she was utterly disappointed.

“When we get there, you will see for yourself darling.”He replied. It didn’t surprise her any more since he was always like that.

“I didn’t see Mary Jane,”He stated and she knew he wanted her to explain in details why Mary Jane wasn’t in the shop.

“Oh, she went for a Vacation.”She replied making her voice sound really tired so he wouldn’t ask her more.

“With who?”He asked certainly not taking the hint and she mentally rolled her eyes.

“I really don’t know, but she will be back by sunday.”She said gently looking out of the window. She was expecting him to ask her about how she was able to cope with the whole work all by herself but he didn’t instead he turned up the radio as one of his Favorite music came on.