Page 47 of Feels Like the First Time
“A whole week of festivities?” There was no amount of signature cocktails to make that week pass quickly.
“The fitting, the bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, then the wedding.”
Bridget wasn’t kidding when she said that proper planning was important.
Ali did the math in her head, wondered how many slices of cake Marty would sneak, then that nagging feeling in her skull went nuclear.
“Wait,” she said, blowing out a breath. “That is the same Wednesday as the shoot at Nolan Landon’s house.”
The dayArchitectural Digestwanted to talk about her work, her inspiration. Her big moment.
“I swear, Ali, I had no idea when I agreed to that date that it was the same timing,” Bridget said, and to her credit, she did sound apologetic.
“Can you change it?”
One wouldn’t think it was a huge request, considering the wedding had only been finalized last night. However, the look on her sister’s face suggested that Ali wanted to walk down the aisle in nothing but her birthday suit while flipping the bird.
“That’s was the only booking Raoul had.”
“Is there another seamstress who could do it maybe Thursday?” Ali asked, knowing that there had to be more than one seamstress in the state of Florida. “I can catch a red-eye right after the shoot.”
Even before Bridget shook her head, Ali knew it was a no-go. Marty couldn’t take a red-eye. Not if they expected him to enjoy himself. And she wasn’t all that thrilled about him flying alone.
As if reading her mind, Marty said, “I can fly out with Bridget and Jamie, and you can join us later.”
“I can totally take Dad,” Bridget offered. “But it still doesn’t solve the problem of the fitting.”
“Easy, I’m a size four.”
“You’re five-foot-one in heels, and depending on what bra you’re wearing, you fluctuate between cleavage and small lady lumps,” Bridget said. “Plus, there is my bachelorette party and the pre-wedding preparations, all of the things I’d want my sister to be at.”
Arguing aside, Ali wanted to be there for her sister, too. And for her dad. But she also wanted, more than anything, to be at that shoot. Meet people from the magazine who could be important contacts to grow her career.
Experience what it’s like to be first pick.
“What if I get fitted here and then get to Florida in time for the bachelorette party?”
“The dresses are already on their way, so unless you want to drive to Boise to get one, the fitting has to happen in Florida. Come on, Ali, this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Bridget said so seriously, Ali laughed—she couldn’t help it.
“You know what?” Bridget’s face went hard, but not before Ali saw a flash of hurt there. “Forget it. Come when you feel like it.”
“Hey,” Marty said, his face a puzzle of lines and creases. “We can figure this out. That’s what family does.”
Ali stood and walked over to Marty and sat next to him. “We’ll figure it out.” She looked at Bridget and willed her with her eyes to agree.
“Yeah, Dad. We’ll figure it out,” Bridget finally said and then looked out at the water, making it clear that the family bonding time had reached its bitter end.
The rest of the trip home was in silence, Marty behind the wheel and Ali watching the steady current move across the top of the open waters. And thinking.
Thinking that this was exactly why she was still treading water, because anytime she started to make headway, it always ended up with her sacrificing for the greater good.
