Page 45 of When Fate Breaks
Yeah, that makes total sense.
Although I may not be the biggest fan of Lori Beth and all the quirks and unpleasantries that come with her presence, I can pretend for Remy’s sake.Leah, on the other hand…
“You remember my friend, Leah, I’m sure,” I say to Lori Beth, motioning behind me.
“No, we haven’t met,” Lori Beth states, outstretching her hand in the same strange way once again. “Hello, Lilah.”
“It’s Leah. And we have definitely met on at least four occasions. But, yes, hello,” Leah replies, subtly mimicking Lori Beth’s intense southern drawl as she shakes her hand.
I camouflage the chuckle that bursts from my throat as a strangled cough, covering my mouth to hide my dumbfounded expression.
Jesus, Leah.
Lori Beth turns her unnaturally tiny nose up at both of us. “Right. Well, you’ll have to excuse me. I do attend many occasions.”
“Oh, but of course. No hard feelings,” Leah replies with a tone and smile as sweet as candy, managing to keep her eye from twitching more than once.
“Well, shall we, ladies?” Lori Beth asks, motioning towards the dress shop. “Mustn’t be late for your appointment. That is never a good look.”
I glance at my phone, seeing we are over fifteen minutes early for our appointment that is taking place ten feet away. When I look up and meet Leah’s eyes, we exchange one of our wordless telepathic messages that we’ve been able to share since the second grade. We both turn to face Lori Beth at the same time.
“Well, we wouldn’t want that,” I smile. “After you, Miss Lori Beth.”
* * *
“This one’s cute.”
“That’s what you’ve said about the last seven,” Lori Beth exhales.
“Actually, she said the last seven werenice,” Leah corrects. “I think this is the best we’re going to get out of her.”
“Ugh, I’m sorry,” I dig my palms into my temples. “I’m just not feeling it for some reason.”
“Well, babe, you’re going to need to figure out how to feel it in the next ten minutes because you’ve got exactly one week until this shower,” Leah frowns.
I groan, twisting around in the mirror.
“And you’ll surely need alterations,” Lori Beth piles on. “You could probably help the snugness in the toosh area if you lay off the carbs for the rest of the week, but, regardless, your legs are absurdly long. If you don’t plan on going barefoot, you’d need most of these lengthened. I’m not sure how there will be enough time.”
Why is she here, again?
“I believe there is still one more dress in the fitting room for you to try on, Ms. Jacks,” the shop consultant I nearly forgot was there chimes in.
“Okay, thank you,” I say, stepping down from the pedestal with a huff and heading back into the fitting room, trying my best not to trip over the seven discarded white evening gowns spilling off of the bench inside.
“This one is the one! I feel it!” Leah calls.
“I think it has to be,” Lori Beth mumbles as I close the door.
I don’t even bother to look at the dress as I slip it on, shimmying the spaghetti straps over my shoulders. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve never been much of a dress girl anyways, but I have literally felt like I wanted to crawl out of my skin after every one I’ve tried on today. I feel the cool air conditioning hit my backside, causing goosebumps to prickle, and realize that most of my back is exposed. I turn my back to the skinny mirror set up in the fitting room, seeing that the strings of the straps continue in a criss-cross pattern all the way down, ending just above mytoosh, as Lori Beth would call it. I reach for the strings, tying them in a sloppy bow as I push the door open, feeling rushed as I know our appointment time is nearly up.
I don’t even get fully out of the fitting room before I see Leah’s jaw drop. I may be hallucinating, but I swear I also notice a flicker of emotion cross Lori Beth’s face. “Well, that’s almost lovely–” she starts to say, but is drowned out by Leah.
“Damn, Annie! Look at you, hot shit!”
“Really?” I chuckle, ignoring Lori Beth’s look of disgust directed at Leah as I move to look in the grand mirror. “Oh…wow.”
“Itoldyou,” Leah purrs, raising her brows in the mirror’s reflection. “That one fits you like a glove. Not a single alteration needed.”
