I studied the forsaken lingerie set as I struggled to unzip my reception dress. The intricate lacework seemed to have been handwoven, carefully designed and strategically stitched onto the set by a skilled artisan. It made me wonder who had ordered such an expensive piece. Usually a bride might wear something like this under her reception dress, so why would anyone leave this as a gift on the bed?

I realized I had gotten nowhere with my zipper. Whichever way I twisted, I risked a torn sleeve or a ripped bodice, and I couldn't possibly just slide the thing off. I sighed.

"Heeey," I drawled, peeking out the door into the dark bedroom.

James rolled over to look at me, his phone still shining into his bare chest. "Heeey. You done already?"

"Not exactly. Can you help me unzip?"

"Yeah of course."

I watched him turn off his phone with a click and slide off the bed. The bathrobe he was wearing when he came out of the bathroom had been abandoned on one of the bedposts. It suddenly hit me that that was how he planned to sleep tonight.

James pulled the bathroom door open further and stepped in. "Okay show me where."

I lifted my left arm where the off-the-shoulder sleeve got in the way of me undoing the zipper myself. "Be careful. The zipper caught a couple of times when they were dressing me."

"I'll go slowly. Can I move your hair?"

I nodded and let him sweep his hand across the back of my neck to collect the strands that had fallen out of my chignon. I prayed he was too sleep-deprived to notice how irregular my breathing had gotten.

I was busy being mesmerized by his quiet breath down the nape of my neck and the feel of his fingers tucked into the top edge of my dress to grip it as he steadily undid me when I tragically remembered his conversation this morning with Eleanor. My back stiffened.

"Sorry did something catch?"

"No I just thought I felt something."

He continued.

What if he secretly thinks I'm ugly? That would explain his response this morning. Actually, what if he sees me as a child? And that's why he laughed when Eleanor called me adorable. Is it because I'm short? Or maybe he thinks we're too far apart in age. Is this whole situation grossing him out? Do I disgust him?

"Sorry about that," I whispered when he was done. I turned my eyes from the floor to his face but quickly looked away again, afraid he would see the moisture prickling my eyes. My teeth clamped down on my inner lip.

I didn't see his face as he said, "Hey it's no big deal. I'm gonna head to bed now. Night."

"Night."