Forever

Part 25

Sarah, Ang, Caro, and two other girlfriends, JoJo and Luanne, were at the bridal shop for her wedding dress fitting. She came out of the dressing room in her first dress, all the girls gasping when they saw her. She stepped up on the small platform, turning to look at herself in the mirror. She covered her mouth with her hand, loving the dress. 

"Oh my god, guys" she gushed. "You have no idea how badly I want to send a picture of this to Nick right now".

"You can't let him see the dress!" Luanne said. 

"He doesn't even know she's trying on dresses!" Caro exclaimed. 

"He doesn't know?" JoJo asked, surprised.

Sarah shook her head no, adjusting the train of the dress behind her. "I want to surprise him".

"More like torture him" Caro quipped. "Poor guy is head over heels and ready to marry this girl tomorrow, and she's playing it cool as a cucumber". 

Sarah rolled her eyes, shooting her best friend a look. She turned to show off the dress. "What do we think".

"Stunning", Angela said.

"Gorgeous" JoJo added. 

"Love it. But, try another one!".

Sarah went back in to try on her second dress. She loved this one even more than the last one. "Guys! I'm in love!" she said, walking out to the viewing area. "I feel like a princess!".

All the girls gushed over her, snapping pics. 

"You guys can't post these pics anywhere!" Sarah warned. "I'm serious. I don't want Nick to know a thing".

All the girls promised to keep her secret. She went to try on the third dress. She came back out, gasping at her reflection. She didn't think she'd like this one. She always imagined a poofy, princess style dress for her wedding. This was a sleek, mermaid cut dress, but she absolutely loved it. She turned to her friends, giving them a look.

"This is the one, mama", Caro said. "Definitely this one!"

"Your ass looks fantastic!" JoJo said "but can you twerk in it?"

All the girls laughed as Sarah turned to the mirror and shook her ass. "Nick is an ass man. He's going to love this". She ran her fingers over the deep v in the chest. "You don't think this is too much? I don't want to be trashy. I don't have cute boobs for classy titty dresses". 

"We can put a nude panel in the v" the stylist interjected. "The same that is throughout the bodice".

"That would totally work". Angela said. "Do it, Sarah!".

"Say yes to the dress?!" Sarah asked, excitedly. 

"Yes!!!" the girls exclaimed, holding up their champagne glasses. 

"Oh my god, I'm getting married!" Sarah squealed, taking a glass of champagne from the stylist and clinking glasses with her friends. "And, since we're all here....would you guys be my bridesmaids?" All the girls erupted in shrieks of delight, accepting. She turned to Caro. "Will you be my maid of honour?".

Caro hugged her best friend tightly. "Of course I will be" she said, fighting back tears. "I can't believe you're getting married!". 

Sarah hugged all the girls, saying "I'm glad you all said yes, because I have a surprise!" She pointed to each friend. " You get a dress, and you get a dress, and you get a dress! Dress fittings for everyone!"

Sarah got changed back into her regular clothes and explained what she wanted in the bridesmaids dresses. "I want everyone to have their own style, so no two dresses will look the same, but all same colour, black, and all the same fabrics. Floor length for all too, and nothing too crazy. I don't want any of them to outshine me" she joked. "For Caro, I think black, but with white accents?".

"That'll be dope" Caro said, excited. 

Sarah's phone rang. It was Nick, on facetime. She rejected the call, not wanting him to see where she was, but dialed his number right back. 

"What happened?" he asked, picking up on the first ring.

"I don't know. My face time is wonky" she lied, pouting to her friends. She didn't like lying to him. "What's up, baby?"

"What are you doing?"

"Hanging out with the girls. Say hi girls!" She held out the phone so everyone could say hi. Putting the phone back to her ear, she stood to leave the room for some privacy. "I miss you, baby. So much". 

"Really? I just checked your instagram. You went out, again, last night".

She was shocked by his tone. "Baby, are you serious? What's wrong with you?".

He sighed, frustrated. "I don't know. I guess I just miss you too. You're having so much fun without me".

"Are you sleeping well?" she asked, concerned.

"No", he admitted. "I'm exhausted. And, I can't lie. I wonder why you're out every night, making time for all your friends, but we have a wedding coming up, and you aren't doing anything for that".

"Oh, baby". She wondered if she should ruin the surprise and just tell him everything she had been doing. She decided against it, knowing he'd be home in just over a week and that he would be so excited when she showed him everything she had done. "I just don't want to be alone at night. I'm not putting anyone before you. I just don't like when you're gone".

"Can you come and finish the tour with me? Just take the time off work?".

"I really don't think I can, babe. I don't want to piss my boss off by asking for more time off so soon after Puerto Rico".

"Then what about next weekend? Come in Friday night, leave Sunday night?".

She bit her lip. She had booked a venue viewing on Saturday. It was a last minute squeeze in, because of a cancellation. Normally, the wait list just to view the venue was miles long. She couldn't risk losing her spot. "I don't know, Nick. I have an appointment on Saturday I really can't miss".

"Jesus, Sarah" he said, annoyance evident in his voice.

"Please don't be mad, baby? I can't stand it if you're mad at me and so far away".

"But, that's the point. I want you here. We don't need to be so far from each other". 

"Okay" she said, thinking quickly. "Let me see if I can switch the appointment -"

"Don't worry about it" he said, cutting her off. "Do you".

"Nicky..." she sighed.

"Listen, I gotta go" Nick said. "I'll talk to you later".

"Nick, don't hang up mad. Please baby?".

"Bye, Sarah". He hung up before she could tell him she loved him. 

Tears welled up in her eyes. He had never hung up on her before. She began to wonder if the secret was worth it. She went back to her friends, telling them the situation. She felt awful. 

"Honestly, just tell him", Angela said. "It's not worth it".

Sarah nodded. "It's ok, right? I'll tell him, and it'll be ok?".

All the girls consoled her, assuring her it would be. Sarah nodded, feeling better. Nick loved her. He'd feel silly once she told him the truth, but they'd be okay. She just knew it.