Love on the Dotted Line

Chapter 18: Naked Ambition: Grace's Revenge Dress Saga

Jade, with her bright eyes, leans in eagerly. "So, what did he say?" she asks, hope bubbling up inside her.

Grace, her normally rosy cheeks now pale, lets out a sigh. "I'm sorry, Jade. Things aren't going to happen the normal way. The wedding will be a small one, and there won't be any maids of honor or best men. I'm so sorry, Jade," she says, her voice heavy with sadness.

Jade's eyebrows, which haven't been plucked in ages, furrow in confusion. "Grace, why aren't they having a proper wedding?" she asks, surprised. Her heart sinks for her friend, who won't get the big day she deserves.

Grace runs her fingers through her brown hair. "It's because of her dad's condition. Dion says the doctor thinks he might lose his memory soon. So there's no time to plan anything big," she explains.

"Oh, that's understandable," Jade says, reaching out to squeeze her friend's hand. "Anyway, I'm glad he loves you," Jade says, and Grace manages a weak smile.

—----------------

Although Antonios asks Dion to go with Grace, he doesn't tag along. Dion refuses to go with Grace because, well, he just doesn't want to. The thought of selecting a wedding gown, knowing women take ages to pick a dress, makes him feel as bored as watching paint dry.

At the same time, Antonios's words are still ringing in Dion's ears, stinging like a swarm of angry bees. It hurts him so badly, and he feels sick to his stomach about this fake wedding. Dion doesn't want this wedding, not even a little bit. He's counting down the days until he can get a divorce, faster than you can say, "I don't." Don't get him wrong, he doesn't want Kostas to kick the bucket, but boy oh boy, he can't wait to untie this knot!

Dion, looking sharp as ever in his tailored shirt that shows off his broad shoulders, heads to a shop to buy his suit all by his lonesome. At first, he toys with the idea of buying an ugly suit for this sham of a wedding, just to get Antonios's goat. But Dion's always been a looker, and he can't bear the thought of not looking his best, even for a wedding he's not jazzed about. So, he decides to wear whatever tickles his fancy.

After trying on more suits than he can count, Dion finally settles on a dark blue number that fits him like a glove. The sales boy, probably no older than 20, pipes up, "Sir, will this match the bride's frock?"

"Yes, this will match," Dion says, not even knowing what Grace will be wearing. Truth be told, he couldn't care less if Grace showed up to the wedding in her birthday suit. He tries to imagine the shocked faces of his family if he and Grace waltzed down the aisle together. The mental image of both of them standing stark naked in front of everyone on their big day pops into his head, and a wicked grin spreads across his perfectly chiseled features.

A cruel sort of happiness bubbles up inside him at the thought of embarrassing them like that. 'Maybe I'll make the dress code for the wedding "birthday suit only,"' Dion thinks, barely containing a chuckle as he imagines everyone at the wedding in their birthday best. And the poor registrar? The only one with clothes on! Oh, and maybe the photographers too. Dion's face turns as red as a tomato as he tries to stifle his laughter.

But then, like a bucket of ice water, Antonios's cruel words come flooding back. He says Dion embarrassed them. Try as he might, Dion can't shake those words from his mind. He never in a million years thinks his family would treat him like this, not even in his wildest dreams. The pain in his heart is like nothing he's ever felt before, a deep ache he can't explain to anyone.

So, Dion, now clouded with hurt, decides to hit the club tonight. A few shots to numb the pain and maybe a roll in the hay with a pretty girl—that ought to do the trick, right? At least for tonight, he can pretend his world isn't crumbling around him.

—----

While Grace is choosing a dress, Dion's cruel words echo in her mind like a broken record. She feels both upset and angrier than a hornet's nest, all at the same time. He said he doesn't care if she comes to the wedding naked.

"Okay, Dion," Grace mutters, her normally soft voice now sharp as a tack. "So you don't care if I come to the wedding naked, huh?" She grabs a dress off the rack, her delicate fingers gripping the hanger tightly. Staring at the dress, she thinks, "In that case, this looks perfect." With a determined glint in her brown eyes, she marches to the changing room to try it on.

When she emerges, Jade's reaction is priceless. "Holy moly, Grace! What the fff..." Jade's mouth drops open in surprise, her green eyes nearly popping out of her head. She looks around the boutique like she needs someone to pinch her, just to make sure she's not dreaming.

Grace, with her brown hair cascading over her shoulders, can't help but smirk. "Actually, I have a good reason for choosing this one," she says, her voice dripping with mischief.

Jade's face lights up like a Christmas tree. "Well, I like that!" she exclaims with a grin wider than a football field. "Hope your Dion won't whisk you off to the honeymoon right away before even saying those 'I do's' when he sees you in that dress," Jade adds with a wink.

Grace gives a mischievous grin that would make the Cheshire Cat proud. "Dion, honey, you are going to be surprised," she purrs. Both of them burst into laughter that fills the entire boutique, drawing curious glances from other shoppers.