Page 49 of Cut The Cake

Despite her tiny frame, Cheri enveloped her hand in a firm grip while they exchanged the usual pleasantries. Like a reporter drafting a story, Cheri asked the standard who, what, and when questions about the wedding and nodded her approval in the appropriate places. When the conversation started to lag, the woman suggested they get started.

“Nick, have a seat right there,” Cheri said, directing the baker to a couch and chairs in front of a three-way mirror. “Jenny, can I offer you anything before we try on the first gown? A mimosa? Something sweet to nibble on?”

“No, thanks.” She needed to get this over with and get on with her day. With Kay and the entire wedding party set to arrive bright and early Friday morning, she had a long list of final preparations to handle in a limited amount of time. She couldn’t afford to start the day off with champagne. As for the treats, she eyed the petit fours and told herself she’d lost her taste for anything from I Do Cakes.

“Well, let’s see what you think about this gown, then. Shall we?”

In a dressing room painted the same soothing ecru as the walls in the viewing area, Jenny slipped out of the yellow sundress she’d worn and wrapped herself in a soft lavender robe someone had thoughtfully hung on the back of the door. She’d barely finished before Cheri returned with the dress Kay had ordered. Standing on tiptoe, the owner hung the gown on a display rack and stood back.

“Isn’t it lovely?”

“It’s quite something.” The gown was even more form-fitting than she’d feared. Doubly glad she’d skipped the second cupcake at I Do Cakes last night, Jenny skimmed one hand over her thigh. Even the Spanx she’d wiggled into this morning might not be enough to let her pull the tight fabric down over her hips. Suddenly worried, she longed to tug on a strand of hair but had to settle for giving her smooth chignon a pat.

“It’s not what you expected? I assure you, it’s the one you requested.” Cheri fluffed and fussed with the layers of satiny fabric that started around mid-thigh. She turned over a discreet ticket. “And it’s in your size.”

“It’s not that. It’s—” She stopped herself. The dress was about as far from what she would choose for herself as she could get, but this wasn’t the time to share that tidbit of information. She needed to protect Kay’s secret for two more days, until her cousin delighted everyone in town with a grand entrance. She could manage that much, couldn’t she? She schooled her features and summoned an awed tone. “It’s lovely,” she agreed.

Cheri’s pensive expression said she wasn’t entirely convinced by her client’s reassurances. “It can be hard to imagine yourself in a dress when it’s on the hanger,” she offered. “Let’s try this one on and see how it looks.”

The dress was pretty enough, but so skin-tight that Jenny needed—and gratefully accepted—Cheri’s help in shimmying into it. Once she had it on, she ran a hand over the rich fabric. She didn’t have to be a fashion expert to see it had been exquisitely made. The lace and beadwork alone had to be worth a king’s ransom. Which was appropriate, since by the time they squeezed and tucked and nudged her into place, she felt like she’d been encased in a tight-fitting suit of body armor.

“That’s right—nice and tall. Throw your shoulders back. There.” Cheri gave the corset a final tug, then moved to the other side of the dressing room. “You look fabulous. It fits you perfectly.”

Jenny studied her image in the mirror. Kay’s flair for the dramatic called for something extraordinary. With a sweetheart neckline and a back that redefined the term “backless,” the gown certainly fit the bill.

“Are you ready for the three-way mirror?” Cheri asked.

Walk out there wearing this?

Honestly, she’d rather curl up and die, but she didn’t have much choice. No matter how ill at ease she felt, she’d agreed to play the part of an enthusiastic bride-to-be. And what bride spent thousands of dollars on a wedding gown without seeing it from every angle?

Fighting an urge to cross her arms across her chest, she trailed Cheri into the main room. On the dais, she strutted from one end of the platform to the other. Determined to carry out her role, she gave her image in the mirror a cursory glance. A thousand tiny crystals sewn into the fabric sparkled. The layers of silk that formed the mermaid’s “tail” rustled. As much as the dress was so not for her, she had to admit her cousin would love it.

“Yes.” She nodded her approval. “This is the one.” She had turned, intending to make a beeline for the dressing room, when Cheri held up a hand.

“Wait now. Don’t you want a second opinion?”

Oh, yeah. Nick again.

Either by design or haste, she’d overlooked the man who’d broken her heart. He sat on the edge of the couch, his body tense. Seeing his clenched jaw and fixed gray-blue eyes, she straightened the tiniest bit. It’d take a very special dress indeed to put that particular mix of regret and desire on Nick’s face. She’d seriously underestimated the impact of the one she wore.

“Well?” She skimmed one hand over her hip. Her lips a thin line, she stared at Nick over her reflection in the three-way mirror.

His face hardened. He crossed his ankles. “Well, what?” he challenged.

“Does it fit?” She cocked one hip and anchored her hand there, knowing full well that the movement tugged the fabric tighter.

Conceding defeat, Nick swallowed. “Like a glove.”

“Uh-huh.” Despite her efforts to hide it, a smile tugged at her lips. When it came to things she hated, breaking in a new pair of leather gloves was at the top of a very short list.

“Well, that settles it, then. I’ll take it.” She turned to Cheri, who lurked in the shadows. “You’ll have it ready for a final fitting Friday morning?” Although the dress didn’t require alterations, Kay would no doubt expect to try it on the minute her plane landed.

“Yes. We can definitely do that,” Cheri said all smooth assurance.

From his position on the couch, Nick coughed. “Wait a sec. That’s it?”

“That’s it.” Poised at the edge of the dais, Jenny lifted the skirt off the floor. “We won’t take up any more of Cheri’s valuable time.”

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