Jessica’s Perfect Wedding Dress

Chapter one

Jessica stood behind a big stack of different kinds of clothes. Her hair was tied in a tight bun and she was putting on a loose joggers and sweat shirt as she arranged the new arrived bridal stocks in their shelves. Her face was squeezed in concentration as she was hoping to finish off before any of their customers walk in and it would be hard to cope with the workload.

Damn. She needed a helping hand. Ever since Mary Jane her best friend and Boss left for a vacation with her newly wedded husband Jeffrey it had been really tough on her, alone at the shop as brides kept trooping in at all times for a dress. After successfully piling up the dresses to each shelves and put out some on the hangers, she took out a satin bodice bridal gown and put it on the mannequin. Staring at it lovingly she wondered if she would ever be able to put one on soon enough. She was clocking thirty but there was still no one in her life, no suitor at all. Well let’s say she was exaggerating.

Jessi as she was fondly called by her friends and family took out a rag out from behind the counter, squirted some furniture polish on it and took one more swipe at the wooden shelves by the desk.

“That will be enough,”she muttered under her breath as she tossed the rag in to the hamper and came back to the front of the store turning the sign from close to open.

Jessi turned towards her office in the back, then someone came in. She quickly glance back thanking her stars she made it just in time. Her eyes came in contact with a harried looking woman who was nearly dragging a younger woman who looked as though she would rather be anywhere but there. She put on a bright smile revealing her perfect set of teeth’s and her big brown eyes sparkled as she looked forward to picking out a dress. It was what she loved doing most in the world and she wasn’t sure she would trade it for anything.

“Good morning,”She greeted with her welcoming smile still right there on her face.

“Morning,”The young lady replied while the older woman kept looking all around ignoring her totally.

“I need a gown in a size five,”the woman demanded before Jessi could say a word. “What do you have in stock?,”

“What time is your Appointment?”Jessi asked.

The woman finally stared at Jessi and said. “I don’t have an appointment, I don’t have time for that, but I just caught my son in the nick of time, he was about to elope and get married to her without my consent but I caught him and I need a gown real quick for her.”She ended with a wave of her hand.

“We normally get our dresses booked by appointment but I will see what I can get for you,”Jessi said choosing her words carefully while she decided what to do. This wasn’t the first time someone needed a wedding gown on the spur of the moment and she was already used to the rush. She licked her lips and smoothed her hands over her joggers.

“We keep a few samples in stock, or do you have a particular style in mind?”She asked staring at the young lady whose head was hung low.

“Something decent,”the middle aged woman said. “I don’t want anything showing, if you know what I mean.”

Jessi leaned over to get a handle on what the bride wanted. “Do you prefer a full grown, or something fitted?”

The younger lady just shrugged and turned completely around. Her mother in law on the other hand, knew exactly what she wanted for her son’s bride. “I want long sleeves, full gown, less of lace, a long train the whole nine yards. He is my only son and I want his bride to be the talk of the town for months to come, not get married in secret.”

Jessi’s heart went out to the young lady, but she sure couldn’t get involved.

“Ma’am we have a problem on choice of dress,”She said softly

“What do you mean by that?”

“There is no size size on the choice,”

“Then just get me something else that fits off the rack,”

“Ok ma’am,”She replied and set to work to her surprise, the young lady whose name was Fiona finally gave in and tried on everything her mother in-law picked out. However she clearly looked and felt miserable in all dresses.

Exasperated, the mother in-law said they weren’t leaving until they found the perfect dress, leaving the Fitting room to make some calls Jessi found the chance to speak to the bride.

“Do you have anything in mind? Any particular design or style?”She asked.

The young lady Fiona sighed. “I really didn’t want a dress, but what can I say to a fussy mother in-law,”

“It’s your big day my dear, and I am sure you and your groom probably wanted it to be simple but you have to accept the fact that it is one of the happiest day in your lives so you will need a dress that fits perfectly, I will try and help you get something simple since we carry a collection on that,”Jessi urges gently with grin on her face and paused to give Fiona a chance to think about her proposal.

Fiona shrugged after a while. “Since it doesn’t look like I have a choice in this anyway, I guess I will have to try them on.”

And just then her mother in-law breezed back in to the fitting room with ornate dress that looked really smug and heavy and shoved it at Fiona. “Here, go on and try this.”

Jessi offered Fiona a sympathetic smile. “Why don’t you try that dress on while I find a dress in our most exquisite line that’s the latest rage with celebrity brides this year.”

“What? You have the latest rage on celebrity brides?” The mother in-law asked. “Get them here immediately!”

“Ok ma’am I will do just that,” Jessi replied. “In the meantime why don’t you help her into the dress?”

She walked out and closed the door behind her, going to the area where she kept samples that was up for sale and pulled out one of the dresses with the cleanest lines. It was a satin with a lovely round neckline and it was just two quarter sleeves. It had a short train and just a small amount of lace overlay on the bodice, just enough to make Fiona’s mother in-law happy.

When she opened the door to the fitting room, she saw the anguished look on Fiona’s face and she had to admit the dress that the woman had picked overwhelmed the petite young lady.

“Now that’s what I call a perfect wedding dress,”The mother in-law said. “Isn’t she the most gorgeous bride you have ever seen?”

“She is very pretty, but I don’t think this is....”Jessi paused midway. She wanted to changes her sentences, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“What is that?”The older woman suddenly asked after a few seconds of silence, pointing to the dress in jessi’s arms.

“Oh this, it’s one of the celebrity dresses I told you about, brides are going well over there head for this one.”

Jessi’s wasted no time in hanging it on the hook because she knew quite well that the best way of selling a style was the unveiling. After hanging it on the hook she ducked in her breath as she turned to see the reaction, at first there was none as they all stared at the dress in what seemed to be shock but soon a wide grin spread across the mother of the groom’s face.

“Oh my Good lord, I have seen this dress on a magazines it was worn by Ferrel Morgan.”

Fiona’s lips turned up into a bright grin and Jessi could tell she was smitten by this dress. Few minutes later Melissa stood in front of the mirror while Jessi and the woman admired her.

“I like it,”Fiona mumbled with a smile on her face.

“We will take this one.”The mother in-law said.

“When do you need it?”Jessi asked

“Today, we are having the wedding tomorrow but I want it today,”

“As in right now?”Jessi asked her voice cracking.

“Yes, Right now,”

Jessi said nothing again and managed to get the dress ready and soon the two women was out of the door.