Behind The Scenes

[Chapter Seven]

Chapter 7

        

"It's not that big of a deal." I insisted.

Today was Saturday, the day of Ryan's cousin's wedding, and after asking a rather excited Emily if she minded babysitting Abbie for the day, one quick phone call was all it took for my name to be added to the guest list.

"Not that big of a deal?" Emily repeated incredulously. I was currently finishing up my makeup while Emily sat on my bed, but as she replied, I turned around to face her with a shrug. "Okay, let's forget for a second that he's one of the most sought after guys on the planet right now; let's talk about the fact that you're going out on a date with the hottest guy I've ever laid eyes on."

"Nobody said anything about it being a date," I mumbled nervously, turning back around to conceal the heat that greeted my cheeks.

"Come on Zoe, I can see you blushing," she pushed, coming over to stand beside me. "Just talk to me."

I sighed. "Honestly," I started, looking up at her expectant face, "I don't know if I want it to be a date."

"But why?"

"Because he shouldn't have to be tied down to a girl like me," I admitted quietly. "Ryan's one of the nicest guys I've ever met, and even when he found out about Abbie, he just said that her dad was a dick for leaving and then went on as if nothing happened. I mean, I have a kid, and it's not like I've been dating much in the past few years, so why would he want to be with me?"

"Zoe," Emily started, placing her hands on my shoulders in comfort, forcing my eyes up to meet hers, "You're being too hard on yourself. I know you haven't had the best luck with guys in the past, but if Ryan, who's constantly surrounded with supermodels and gorgeous actresses, wants to get to know you, then you're obviously doing something right."

A small smile graced my face at her words. "That still doesn't mean it's a date," I pointed out, standing up to grab my handbag from the corner of my room.

"Well, you look pretty good for somebody whose not going on a date," Emily said, smiling at me in encouragement.

Taking a quick peek in the mirror hanging on my closet door, I smiled at my reflection. Not wanting to show up to the wedding in rags, I had pulled on a long sleeved peach dress from my closet that had two slits running down the majority of the arms. I hadn't worn it since I started university, but when I saw it hanging at the back of my closet earlier in the week, I knew it'd be perfect for today. On top of the dress, I'd curled my hair so that it rested loose against my shoulder, as well as thrown on a few pieces of jewelry and done my makeup.

"It's a wedding," I rolled my eyes, "I'm supposed to dress up a bit." However, her words suddenly threw my nerves into a frenzy. "Why? Do I look like I'm trying too hard?"

Emily shook her head. "Don't worry about it Zoe, you look great," she reassured me before her smile turned into a smirk, "And I'm sure Ryan will think so too."

A blush came across my cheeks again, however I didn't reply, simply giving my sister a shy smile before walking into the hallway towards Abbie's room. Standing in her doorway, I saw her playing with a handful of her toys next to her bed.

"Knock, knock," I said out loud as I brought my hand up against her door a few times, smiling down at her as her head popped up in my direction. "How's my little angel doing?"

"Hi momma," she smiled, holding up the doll in her hands as I walked over to her, "I'm dwessing Angie up for a wedding."

"Oh yeah," I asked curiously, "Who's getting married?"