Designing Abigail Kilton's Dress - #1 The Wedding Dress

Chapter 39 - Can You Almost Break the Internet?

Kayleigh never dreaded the sound of her alarm as much as she did that Monday morning. She winced, almost as if in pain, when the light made it through her shades, and cursed at the sound of the traffic outside her window. Her head throbbed terribly when she tried to lift it. Kayleigh cursed again, three times, as she grasped her head and pushed it further into the pillow.

She couldn't fathom how quickly her dreamy day at Southwold had turned into a nightmare. She had left Marcus's car feeling high and giddy, their kiss goodnight a mere whisper. But once she was alone in her apartment, the reality of her situation caught up with her quickly and settled in her stomach like an oil spill. She tossed and turned all night. 

Finally, at two in the morning, she gave up all hope of sleep and decided to pour herself a glass of wine. She took out her sketch pad and drew three haute couture dresses, all of which were perfect for Maleficent's night drawer. Within two hours, the bottle was empty and Kayleigh went back to bed. She slept instantly, but not peacefully. Her dreams were full of monsters, shadows and secrets that only she could see or hear.

Kayleigh defied her protesting muscles as she finally got out of bed. "Serves you right, Kayleigh Moore," she muttered to herself. But despite her self-chastising mood, she was anything but ready to face the day. 

She showered, put on the first dress she found, and swallowed two paracetamol tablets before leaving for the tube. She kept her head down and her sunglasses on throughout her journey. Even as she walked across the reception, heels clicking painfully on the marble floor, clutching her black coffee like a lifeline, she wished the day would be over soon.

The lift took her up to the fifth floor and she was relieved to find that most of the staff had not made it in yet. The bridal hall was still empty and the offices were relatively quiet save for the interrupted syllables coming in from the sewing room. She walked over to her cubicle, eager to hide behind the banana leaves and press her head against the cool glass surface of her desk, but what she saw made her stop in her tracks.

In the middle of the otherwise clear work-top was a small, zip-lock bag with six green M&Ms inside and a sticky note stapled to it. Kayleigh tore off the note and smiled involuntarily at the familiar handwriting.

Two canals, an artist and a bear. Meet me on the waters where puppets drink coffee and lovers are unaware.

M.

Something fluttered in Kayleigh's stomach and somehow, she new it had nothing to do with her hangover. It was no secret she'd always wanted to go to Venice, especially during Carnival season. It wasn't Carnival and it wasn't Venice, but it was just as sweet of him to remember.

She slipped the note into her dress pocket and  popped an M&M into her mouth, thinking maybe the day wouldn't be so bad after all. Unfortunately, she almost choked on the sweet when Abigail Kilton called her name from behind her.

"Kayleigh, darling, I'm so glad you're here early. I was wondering if we could chat for a minute." 

Her long legs transported her across the hall in the blink of an eye. She dropped her despicable Prada bag on Kay's desk and fixed her penetrating blue eyes on Kayleigh. After a few seconds, she squared her shoulders and crossed her arms across her chest as though readying herself for a long and difficult 'chat.' Kayleigh leaned against her desk, thinking she was going to be sick, and again, it wasn't because of her hangover.

And yet, she gave her boss a shaky smile and said, "Sure. What's up?"

Abi's eyes darted around the hall. She was clearly uncomfortable and Kayleigh's nerves doubled. "What is it, Abi?"