So Ford was totally on board with going with Greer to the Dewberry and asked what the attire was. “Business casual,” she said.
“Then let’s dress up,” he said. “Drake and I are the same size, and he’s got a white tuxedo jacket. He goes to a lot of fraternity and sorority formals. I’ll wear that, and you dress to the nines, too.”
“Are you sure?”
“Why not stand out?”
“In a way, standing out is bad, don’t you think?”
“Don’t ever say that again, Greer.”
“Well, you know, like on the National Geographic channel. The zebra who’s standing away from the crowd is the one the lion attacks then eats.”
“But you’re a human. You have many more resources at your disposal to fight against bullies than a zebra does. All it has is its legs, to run. You can outwit Pierre at his own game.”
“Well, I do have a couple of long gowns.”
“Wear the flashiest one,” he said.
“Okay.”
When they arrived at the door of the ballroom at the Dewberry, Greer was in awe of how beautifully decorated the room was: white lights wrapped around palm trees, low-burning candles on white linen-clad tabletops, amazing flower arrangements on all the tables. It was as if Pierre had hired a complete wedding planning company. The bars scattered across the room were well stocked. The appetizers on the buffet tables were elegant and plentiful, the smell of roast beef and puff pastry so delicious, her stomach growled. There was a champagne fountain. There was even a local musical act, a College of Charleston band called the Stone Tigers, composed of kids who looked excited to get their big break. She could just see their dreams on their faces. That warmed her heart. And on the main stage, a huge banner proclaimed LA DI DA BRIDAL, COMING THIS FALL. There was also a podium and at least forty chairs onstage.
But the biggest eye-catching sight was Royal Bliss. It was on stage inside a giant Plexiglas box. It was stunning. She wanted it so badly.
But she was also completely caught off guard by the large size of the crowd. “Do you think Pierre hired a bunch of College of Charleston students to come fill the room?” she asked Ford, who was resplendent in Drake’s tuxedo. “Or is the band that popular?”
“Drake and Gus would have told me if he’d tried to fill the ballroom,” he said, “so no. As for the band’s following, you can see them there.” With one hand he pointed to a clutch of long-haired girls clustered around the portable stage, and he put his other arm around her waist. She shivered from the pleasure of it. “There’s no way this ballroom is filled with band groupies. These people want to be here to see the contestants, and they want to see the gown.”
“Okay.” She was unable to say more than that because he made her crazy with longing.
“You look amazing,” he said in her ear.
She was in heaven being with him. He was the most handsome man in the room. His white tuxedo jacket made him look like James Bond. He had a natural presence that made women and men look twice. And she really liked him. Him. His personality. His honesty. His humor. The way his eyes lit up when he smiled.
“What a shame that jacket belongs to Drake,” she told him. “I hope you get rich someday and can buy your own custom-made tuxedo and wear it to all the best parties.”
He laughed. “I’m not interested in any ‘best parties.’ I’m only interested in gazing at you.” He paused. “I’m obsessed with painting you, of course. Don’t let it go to your head.”
He’d already told her she was beautiful when he came to pick her up in a cab. The driver had kept sneaking looks back at her in the mirror—her gown had a plunging neckline and lots of silver sequins—but his polite ogling hadn’t moved her a bit.
Ford’s admiring looks, on the other hand.…
They were surrounded by a ridiculous amount of people. Nineteen other future brides and all their friends and family, plus random romantics, including several book clubs, bunco clubs, and office groups who wanted to see how the contest would go. Everyone stared at them dressed in their fancy duds as they walked by, and started whispering.
“Don’t look now,” Ford said, “but Wesley and Serena are here.”
“Really?” Greer craned her neck and saw the two of them talking to a few people she didn’t know.
“I didn’t tell them about it,” Ford said. “Did you?”
“No, but Serena saw the flyer when we were on the Spring Stroll together,” said Greer. “And I see Jill!”
Jill made a beeline for them. “So I heard the cool news from Ella,” she said. “You’re entering the contest with no groom.”
“I am,” said Greer.
Jill chuckled. “I think it’s fantastic. I know so many women who are already planning their weddings on Pinterest with no partner in sight.”
“It’s a thing,” Ford and Greer said at the same time.
“It is,” said Jill. “You have fun, Greer, and remember I’m rooting for you. Royal Bliss is beautiful!” Then she leaned in and whispered, “I’ll be decorating your room tomorrow while you’re at work.”
“Oh,” said Greer. She had a sinking feeling. But Jill looked so excited. “But I’m worried about Fern. My fern. She lives in my bedroom. I don’t want her to leave.”
Jill’s brow furrowed. “She’ll mess with my vibe. She’ll be too green and natural. Can’t she stay in the kitchen or living room?”
Greer shook her head. “I talk to her at night.”
“I’ll figure something out,” Jill said. “I’ll come by later to get the key. You don’t mind a few cute college boys coming with me, right? They’ll do all the heavy lifting.”
“Uh, sure,” Greer said.
“Awesome.” Jill said.
It was time to get the contest ball rolling. Greer turned to Ford. “What happened to Wesley and Serena?” It was surprising they hadn’t shown up yet to chat.
“I don’t know.” His face registered surprise, too. “Maybe they haven’t seen us yet.”
“It would be pretty hard not to,” Greer said. Her sequins sparkled under the beautiful white lights. And Ford’s jacket almost glowed white. For the first time, she felt some nerves. She literally jumped when she heard a drumroll.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to start our evening,” said Pierre from the stage.
For some reason, Greer was shocked to see Pierre himself at the microphone. Hearing that whisper of his through the loudspeakers on the walls wasn’t pleasant. Next to him stood L.A. Lady from the auction, in a faux fur white shrug and leopard print capris. She was apparently the “Golden Globe” girl who would walk around the stage doing nothing but look like Pierre’s mistress.
Greer stood closer to Ford and listened while Pierre explained again about the store’s new idea, La Di Da Bridal, and that to kick off the celebration, they’d be giving away Royal Bliss, which Pierre dubbed the most beautiful and interesting gown in the world, to one lucky bride.
L.A. Lady’s name turned out to be Kiki. What a surprise! Kiki walked over to Royal Bliss, stuck out her arm to point at it, and stood there staring at the crowd.
“Tonight’s a big night,” Pierre said in his raspy voice. He ogled Kiki, who winked at him. “Out of twenty future brides, only five will remain, all based on your text votes. Those five brides will then have to win points through a couple challenges, and whoever gets the most wins the dress.”
It was a rambunctious younger crowd with lots of shouting and whistling.
Henny took over after that and called all twenty candidates and their partners up to the stage. Kiki began to escort them to their seats, but she got confused, gave up, and went back to stand by Pierre.
“I want to go onstage with you,” Ford told Greer.
“Thanks, but I don’t want to misrepresent myself,” she said. “I need to go alone.”
“I get it.” He squeezed her hand.
And in that moment, she wished there were a bridge between them that made it possible for them to explore a real relationship. But she knew it was out of the question. He lived in England. She lived here. If he had children, he’d want to stay in England to be near them. And she wanted to stay in Charleston. Plus, she really didn’t know a thing about him. She was being silly, and romantic. The logical side of her was appalled.
She told herself to put Ford firmly out of her head and went up onstage alone. She did feel a little forlorn when she took her seat with all the couples. She was definitely a fish out of water. She looked around, mainly from nerves, but also from a curiosity to see if she knew anyone—
And saw Serena and Wesley two rows behind her.
No. Just no.
Serena was going after Royal Bliss, too?
Wesley’s future bride grinned at her and waved. Wesley himself looked a bit sick to his stomach.
Like a robot, Greer smiled and waved back, but inside she was thinking how she couldn’t shake them and, as a consequence, an awkward, painful part of her past. And now Serena might win Royal Bliss! She’d look fantastic in it. She was the quintessential beautiful bride-to-be.
Greer’s stomach felt sick. She wanted to go home.
But she couldn’t do that.
She wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but it did seem like the crowd was staring particularly at her. And then she remembered it was probably because she was in a sequined gown. Everyone else—except Kiki, of course—had stuck to business casual. Funny, but she didn’t feel embarrassed. Maybe it was because she could look out into the crowd and see the glow of Ford’s white tuxedo jacket.
It was never bad to be different, he’d told her.
She would cling to that if anyone gave her any trouble tonight.
“Everyone out there,” Henny said, “please eat, drink, and be merry while our future brides introduce themselves and their partners at the microphone.”
Kiki sauntered to center stage and stood there with the mike, which she jutted under everyone’s chins when they walked up.
When it was Serena and Wesley’s turn, they said they were both doctors who specialized in operating on children. The whole crowd cheered. And then Serena kissed Wesley—the first of the couples to do so—and everyone went crazy again.
After that, all the couples kissed, trying to outdo each other.
Three of the other twenty candidates, when they introduced themselves, presented the men with them as stand-ins for their partners. Two of the absentee true loves were stationed overseas in the military, and one was on call at the fire station that night. The audience had no problem with any of those absences and clapped and whistled accordingly.
It was Greer’s turn. She was dead last, probably not by accident. “Hi,” she said at the microphone, in a surprisingly steady voice. “I’m Greer Jones, and I don’t have a soul mate—yet.” There was a moment of silence, and then there were murmurs from the crowd. “Let me explain. My mother told me recently that weddings don’t just happen.” The buzz got a little louder, and Kiki made a moue of utter disdain, but Greer forged on. “I didn’t like hearing that, but then I realized, I already knew that. I’m a matchmaker by trade, and I tell my clients all the time that they have to be open to meeting that special someone. You have to say to the world, ‘I’m here and I’m ready.’” She paused a second. “But on that journey, you also have to say, ‘I’m enough, and I deserve this.’ My winning Royal Bliss would be a major affirmation for single women everywhere who hope to find love—women who love themselves enough to reach for their dreams instead of waiting for them to show up.”
There were a few catcalls. And then a chorus of voices yelled, “Go, Greer!” She was sure that contingent was led by her Two Love Lane colleagues. She blushed and blew kisses.
“Ultimately, all I’m asking is for you to please not discriminate against the partnerless,” she said. “We’re future brides, too. Plenty of women like me will want to explore La Di Da’s new bridal department along with brides who already have their soon-to-be spouses in place. Whether we’re engaged right now or not, every woman I know wants to celebrate the power of love. Ask a single woman next to you. She might be like me. I have a Perfect Wedding Pinterest page I’ve been working on for a couple years. I also have Perfect Wedding scrapbooks. I cut pictures out of Bride magazine and Southern Living and any magazine that does wedding features. I’ve never told anyone that, but why not now?”
She laughed. Then stopped. And stood there. Okay, so maybe she’d just outed herself for having a weird hobby and should be embarrassed. But she wasn’t. At least she was being herself. No one could fault her for that.
“Thanks for listening,” she said, and left Kiki at the mike.
You could hear a pin drop in the room, but then there were a few whistles and some cheering and clapping. She figured she probably wouldn’t final. But she’d done her best. She waved at everyone, smiled, and hoped Miss Thing was proud of her for doing something different.
Henny came to the podium. “Freshen up those drinks, everyone, and exactly an hour from now we’ll vote for our top five brides and get instant results. Meanwhile, the Stone Tigers will get the dancing started, so stick around for a great party!”
“How did it feel to bare your soul?” Ford asked Greer when she came off the stage. He was waiting at the steps. She was happy to see him.
“Pretty good,” she said, and wanted to kiss him in celebration, or consolation—she wasn’t sure which. She’d done her best, but she was likely out of the contest.
Then she remembered: Off limits. Potential daddy. Lives in England. So kissing him was a bad idea.
“Oh, my gosh!” Serena came running up and threw her arms around Greer. Wesley trailed behind her. “You’re so brave.”
“You and Wesley were bold yourselves,” Greer told Serena.
Greer locked eyes with Wesley for a moment. It might have been hard for him to hear her say she hoped to find true love. Maybe he considered it a diss to their past relationship. But it also wasn’t her fault that he was there, and she needed to continue living her life, didn’t she?
“And Greer made some thought-provoking points,” Ford said.
She loved Ford’s English accent. Even the way he said thought-provoking made her want to kiss him. Add that to the fact that he seriously had her back, and she was falling hard already. Which her logical mind knew was impossible. You couldn’t fall in love that fast. But since yesterday, when she’d seen that dress, everything had felt different.
“I really, really want to win this dress,” Serena said. “What would you do with it?” she asked Greer.
“Until I get to wear it myself,” she said, “maybe loan it out to friends getting married. Spread the good luck around. You’re into re-purposing, right? What would you do?”
“Wear it to my wedding and then put it away,” said Serena. “That’s the one thing I won’t re-purpose, unless one of our daughters wants to wear it someday.”
“That’s a good plan,” said Greer. She saw no reason to be anything but agreeable and friendly. She and Serena would be living in the same city for the next year.
But she had to admit, she was happy when the Two Love Lane girls came up and hugged her.
“You never told us about your Perfect Wedding scrapbooks and Pinterest page!” said Miss Thing.
“Yeah, sorry,” said Greer, blushing.
“I’ve seen you cutting paper in your office,” said Macy with a laugh, “and you always put the scissors down when I come in. I remember asking you once what you were doing, and you fobbed me off.”
Greer kept blushing. “Yep, that was me working on a scrapbook. I don’t know why I didn’t tell you about it. I thought you might tease me, I guess.”
“Why would we?” asked Ella. “You’re right—what’s wrong with doing some advance wedding preparation? And putting yourself in the right mind-set for love to come your way? I can’t wait to see what kind of gowns and cakes you like.”
“Thanks,” said Greer. “I like flipping through the scrapbooks. It’s funny how my tastes have changed as I get older. I don’t know if it’s me or the times.”
“Maybe both,” said Miss Thing.
“While you were talking onstage,” Macy said, “three college girls standing next to me said they had wedding Pinterest pages that they keep private and share only with each other.”
“And only one of them had a boyfriend,” said Ella.
“I had no idea,” Serena said, “that so many single women keep notes on their dream weddings.”
Jill walked up. “I know, right? My good friend Sheila has an entire paper file filled with clippings of her favorite gowns, cakes, and flowers. She’s been keeping it for years.”
“A woman’s wedding day is her chance to play princess,” said Macy. “Or queen for the day.”
“The fairy tale never quite leaves us,” Greer added, “and it takes many forms.”
“My friend Janie just had a Goth wedding,” Jill said. “She wore black and a spiked dog collar, and they left on the coolest Harley I’ve ever seen.”
“And I just went to my niece’s wedding in Fort Lauderdale,” said Miss Thing. “They got married in the pool. She wore a white bikini and a veil. And a dolphin brought over the rings.”
“Good Lord,” said Greer. “I’m downright dull compared to those ladies.”
The light chatter kept on for a few minutes. Everyone laughed. But the truth was, Greer was nervous about the contest. She could tell Serena was, too.
* * *
An hour, a big glass of champagne, and lots of dancing later, it was time to find out who’d finaled. Those five finalists would then have to compete to win Royal Bliss.
The most exciting finalist so far was the bride with a partner serving in Afghanistan. She walked up with his stand-in, but she was able to FaceTime her fiancé, who was so excited for her. When Serena’s name was called, Greer wasn’t surprised. No one was. Serena laughed and cried little tears and ran up on the stage. Wesley clapped madly for her. She was number four of the five finalists. Kiki ran over to her and held the microphone under her chin.
“I’m thrilled beyond belief,” said Serena. “This is a dream come true.”
And the audience went Awwww, all together as one. Serena was clearly their favorite.
“She’s so freakin’ adorable,” Macy said. “And confident, too, the way she kissed Wesley when they got introduced. People were impressed.”
“She is bubbly,” said Ella. “So much so I have a hard time envisioning her in the operating room.”
“Me, too,” said Greer. “But then again, I have a hard time imagining Wesley there, too.”
“How about them in the bedroom?” asked Macy.
“I’ve already wondered,” said Greer.
They started laughing.
“Stop,” they said at the same time.
They were not mean girls. And they knew when they were approaching Mean Girl Land.
“It’s time,” Ella held Greer’s hand.
“You did great, no matter what,” said Miss Thing, who’d come up behind her.
It seemed right that they were the ones who would surround her. Ford, Jill, and Wesley were nearby, and part of Greer wished Ford could be right by her side, but that wouldn’t have been appropriate. It wasn’t like they were together. She’d known him two days.
So why did it feel as if she’d known him forever?
At the podium, Henny cleared her throat. Pierre sat on the left side of the stage, his arms crossed over his double-breasted suit. He looked very serious and very cross. But he’d looked like that since the beginning of the night. Only Kiki could soften his features, and at the moment, she was busy preening in front of a small mirror compact, oblivious to the fact that she was onstage in front of a large audience. But then she put her compact in her bra and held her microphone at the ready again.
“Okay,” Greer said under her breath. “Let’s get going.”
She couldn’t help noticing Ford’s face. His gaze was riveted on the stage, on Henny at the podium. It was as if he genuinely cared, as if he were really worried about Greer getting into this contest. That warmed her heart.
“And the fifth finalist is…” Henny began.
Greer’s breath became shallow. She really did want Royal Bliss, so badly.
She closed her eyes, but she didn’t see the dress in her mind, she saw her disappointed parents. She wanted to do something to make them proud of her again. Something.
“Are you okay?” whispered Ella.
“No,” she said, her eyes stinging with tears.
Ella held her hand tighter. “Have faith.”
“The last future bride to final.…”—Henny looked over at Pierre, stony-faced in his chair, then back at the audience—“is … Greer Jones,” she said in firm tones.
Greer couldn’t believe it.
“Go on up,” Macy said, laughing in her ear. “You’re a finalist!”
There was a guy from Channel Five’s local news with his camera focused on Greer.
“If this doesn’t spur some interesting conversations around Charleston, I don’t know what will,” said Miss Thing.
“Unbelievable,” said Ella. “Your story touched a lot of women, obviously.”
So Greer went, accompanied by a lot of cheering. Onstage, her arm wrapped behind Serena’s back, she grinned and waved at the crowd. But inside, she realized that if she wanted to show her parents she could have a decent life without Wesley in it, this wasn’t the way to go about it, being a partnerless future bride.
Her parents were old-fashioned. They wouldn’t get how brave she was. At all.