I just stood there in the doorway, thinking about how drastically my life had changed over the course of the last month. I couldn’t be happier than I was right then.
“You gonna come over here and eat? Or do you plan on just standing there staring for the rest of the night?” As Alena sassed me, I knew things were gonna be just fine between her and me.
Chapter Nineteen
Alena
I was sitting in the design room at the store with my head down, focusing on pinning the hem of a dress I was altering for a customer, yet my mind was wandering off to my last few nights with Noah.
We had spent every night together for the past week. He would stop by my place or call and insist I come to his. Either way, I had been in his arms every night, and I was growing accustomed to the security of having him near. And the way he touched me was incredible. Each moment with him was amazing.
The chimes of the bells I had installed above the door caught my attention, and I hurried to step out from the back room. I smiled instantly when I found my two very best friends standing just beyond the counter.
“Well, my oh my, look at that glow, Amber. I’d say Little Miss Alena has been having herself a taste of a Sawyer brother. She now understands just what the hype is all about.”
I rolled my eyes at Bailey as she fanned her face, pretending to grow flushed from the thought. She was such a weirdo. I picked up the pen lying on top of the counter and flung it in her direction. It bounced off her forehead, causing Amber to snicker and me to snort in laughter.
“Okay, horn dog, enough about me knocking boots with the other brother. What are the two of you up to?” I asked as I leaned over on the counter, resting my elbows against the cool surface.
Tammy was covering the bakery, but Amber still rarely left before closing even if she had help. So for them to walk across the street during opening hours meant they were up to something. When Bailey looked over toward Amber and they shared some sort of knowing look, I cocked an eyebrow at them.
“I’m waiting.” I drummed my fingers on the marble beneath my hand, trying to give off an impatient vibe.
“I was actually hoping I could convince you to make my wedding gown for me,” Bailey said with a shrug.
My fingers stopped their incessant tapping, and I was momentarily speechless. “Really?”
She laughed at my surprise. “Yeah, really.”
“Bailey, you could order any dress, from any top designer. Hell, you could even have your daddy purchase you the most gorgeous Vera Wang you can find.” I was suddenly breathing a little heavier than I had been five minutes ago. “Why would you want some knock-off design made by a nobody when you could have the best?” Just the idea of disappointing her was overwhelming.
Bailey stepped around the end of the counter and stopped near me. Leaning forward, she placed her hand on my shoulder, forcing me to look at her.
“Len, you know me. You know how picky I am, and you know my tastes. You and I have talked about every detail of how our wedding dresses would look for years. There is no one that knows the perfect dress for me better than you do.” She looked at me with a serious expression, which only made me panic more.
“But I—” She couldn’t mean this.
“But nothing, Alena. There is no one else I would entrust. I only want a dress designed by you. Because I know that’s the only dress I will truly love.”
“Len, there is seriously no need to argue. She isn’t gonna change her mind,” Amber added from the other side of the counter, where she had been quietly observing the entire exchange. “I loved the dress you made for me, and no one could have made me one I would have adored more.”
Amber was different than Bailey. Yes, Am was picky to a certain extent, but she was nothing like Bailey was. Our dear friend had always been a fashionista. She wore all the newest fashions, knew all the latest trends, and had more damn top-end high heels than half the city of Chicago.
But looking at her now, you may never have guessed it. Jackson had really rubbed off on our city girl. Bailey still loved her fancy cowboy boots and matching hats, but these days she looked like a ranch girl. She was the best of both worlds, and she was asking me to make the most important piece of her biggest day.
Tears instantly sprung to my eyes, and my lip began to tremble.
“Ah damn, Lenny Lou, don’t start with the waterworks. My hormones can’t take that shit,” Bailey announced with a sniffle. “At the rate I’ve been going, I’ll be a bawling mess for the next seven months for sure. Shit gets worse with each passing day.”
Amber and I shared a look of confusion, but Bailey continued, oblivious to her slipup.