Vivianne

I hurriedly grabbed the dress closest to my hand and pulled it from the rack. It was sleek and simple, with a sleeveless mermaid silhouette and a deep v-neckline that dipped low enough to expose my chest. Darla gestured me over and moved the curtain aside to reveal another full-length mirror. 

At least I could look at the result before I stepped out in front of everyone…I removed my familiar business attire and stood stock-still as Darla pulled the dress up and zipped it closed. She spent a few moments adjusting the fabric and clipped it tighter. “What do you think?”

The dress was pretty, but my lips fell into a frown. 

“I agree. We can find something better, Miss Sinclair.” She poked her head out of the changing space, gave it a shake, and accepted another dress from Caleb. “Let’s try this one?” 

“Okay.” I waited while she unclipped and unzipped the first gown, then stepped to the side so she could hang it back up. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of myself in my bra and panties in the mirror, and instinctively wrapped my arms around my chest and stomach. 

I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had seen me like this. High school gym class, maybe? Well, if you didn’t count my ex. Not that I wanted to reminisce about those terrible years. Thankfully, I was pulled from my thoughts by Darla getting me into place to try the new dress. 

“You can’t just say no to every dress without letting me see any!” Analise’s annoyed voice cut through the curtain and I stuck my tongue out at her, despite knowing she couldn’t see it. “I don’t care if you like the next one or not. I want to see.” 

“Fine!” I yelled back. Darla tried valiantly to hide the smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she settled the second dress into place. This one had a bit more volume at the bottom, and a tight-fitting sleeveless top with beads sewn in elegant swirls into the fabric. I thought it boosted the ladies a little too much, but exhaled and stepped out of the dressing area. 

I stood on the pedestal and slowly turned while my sister stared at me through squinted eyes. I felt like a ballerina atop a music box. After I completed my circle, I locked eyes with her. We both shook our heads at the same time. “Definitely not. Let me pick something?” 

“Go ahead.” 

Analise popped up from her chair and began browsing the rack with a serious look of concentration. I couldn’t help rolling my eyes as she theatrically examined each piece, until she found one she liked. “This is going to be the one!” 

The dress she chose was another sleek, elegant gown with a silk top, a deep v-neckline, and capped sleeves. But this one also had a long, intricate train that reminded me of a white peacock. 

I wasn’t so sure about it, but what did I know? I spent most of my childhood wearing jeans from the boys’ section because ‘they were bigger than the ones for girls.’ At least, that’s what Mom always said. As if simply going up a size in the girls’ section was more shameful…

Darla and I returned to the dressing room and swapped the dresses. I didn’t even bother looking in the mirror before returning to the pedestal. 

No sooner did I move the curtain than everyone in the room gasped. I tried to ignore the feeling of seven sets of eyes on me as Darla and Caleb spread the train. Was it a good gasp? I didn’t dare look anywhere other than my feet. 

“That’s the one.” 

The unexpected voice caused my head to shoot up. In the mirror, I saw the grinning face of Dominic. “What are you doing here?” I barely resisted the urge to spit the words, remembering we were supposed to be madly in love at the last moment. “Aren’t you supposed to wait to see the dress until I step onto the aisle or something?” 

He looked at me with a darkened gaze that felt almost predatory. “That’s such an outdated tradition. I would rather see you for the first time twice.” I watched his deliberate footsteps as he crossed the room to stand at my side. 

Every eye in the room burned holes in my back as Dominic leaned in close and whispered in my ear, “You look…perfect.” I’d never heard that voice come from my boss before. It was low and velvet, and somehow seemed to hold a thousand unspoken promises. A shiver raced down my spine and I shook slightly to get rid of it. 

But I finally looked at myself in the mirror. A pang of emotion started somewhere in my chest and settled low in my stomach. The stranger I saw did look perfect. Perfect hair, perfect makeup, perfect silhouette…a perfect bride. 

Not that she could possibly be me. 

Dominic stared into my eyes in the mirror, and for a moment, it felt like something had shifted between us. Nope, absolutely not. That was not happening. “Great acting skills, Dominic,” I whispered in his ear. 

My thick sarcasm seemed to break the spell. He turned away from me and stepped off the platform. “I’ll leave my black card with you, my love. Choose whatever you like, but I definitely think that’s the one. Oh, and I wanted to remind you that we’re having dinner with my family tonight. I’ll meet you at your office when I’m done with my meetings.” 

He pulled out his wallet, handed me his card, and left the shop without a further word. Probably so I couldn’t argue about me meeting his family. That was not part of the deal! 

Annalise and I shared a look. We would definitely be discussing that later. For now, I returned to staring at the reflection in the mirror. Dominic was right. This was the dress. The elegant lace of the train and the delicate beadwork, paired with the cut of the dress accenting all my curves, won me over. The fact that it fit perfectly also made it feel like fate. “I don’t need to try anything else on. This is the one.” 

Everyone began to clap, and I caught Analise wiping a tear from her eye. I tried not to think too hard about that, because I knew it would make me cry, too. And that was the last thing I wanted to do.

“Two more choices, lovey. We have to see the dress with a veil and shoes!” Caleb brought over three pairs of shoes and a rack of veils. I chose the strappy silver shoes with transparent beading, and a veil with lacework that matched my train perfectly. 

Darla helped me put on the shoes and gently pressed the veil’s comb into my hair. It flowed down my shoulders like a silk waterfall. When I looked into the mirror one more time, I felt my eyes grow misty. 

The woman looking back at me was the kind of bride you’d see on the cover of a magazine. I don’t know how Mr. Vincelli’s people managed it, but they took an ugly caterpillar and turned her into a butterfly.