Kate and Vivien made their way back to the showroom, cooing over some dresses and the luxury of having the entire boutique to themselves.
Vivien poured and handed Kate a crystal flute, holding her gaze. “You okay, Kate?” she asked.
Kate attempted a smile, hating that she was frequently as transparent as the glass she held. “Oh, yeah. I was awake a lot last night.”
“I heard.”
Kate drew back and eyed her friend.
“I bumped into Eli leaving for Atlanta this morning. He looked about…as sleepless as you do.” Vivien lifted a brow. “I take it from the lack of bounce in your step you weren’t sneaking between bedrooms in the middle of the night.”
Kate snorted. “This is Eli, Vivien. Your brother doesn’t bedroom sneak.”
“Tessa would say that’s a pity,” Vivien joked.
Kate lifted her glass, wanting a change of topic as bad as she wanted the first sip. “This is her day. I don’t want to bring it down one centimeter from bliss and joy.”
“Heard, my friend.” Vivien tapped her glass. “Here’s to our sweet wanderer, finally settling down with a husband and a little one.”
Kate gave a shiver. “Now there are words I never thought I’d hear and couldn’t be happier about.”
“Are you ready?” Akari came around the corner, her eyes bright.
Vivien and Kate put their glasses down and sunk into the velvet settee, giddy with excitement.
Tessa stepped out in a blush pink A-line with cap sleeves and a sweetheart neckline that was objectively gorgeous and made her look like she was attending someone else’s wedding.
“It’s beautiful,” Vivien offered.
Tessa plucked at the satin. “It’s…a little Mother of the Bride and too sweet.”
“Agreed,” Kate said, ready to nix this one instantly. “The problem with your body?—”
Vivien choked. “There isnoproblem with her body.”
“Exactly,” Kate said. “She looks amazing in everything. We must be selective.”
Tessa smiled at both of them. “I love honesty. Thank you. Akari, this is gorgeous, but let’s try again.”
A few minutes later, she came out in a deep cream sheath with a lace overlay that hugged her frame and moved beautifully when she walked. Kate thought she looked incredible, but Tessa wrinkled her nose.
“It borders on beige,” she said.
“Well, you don’t want white,” Kate reminded her.
“But I also don’t want to look like I wore a costume.”
Vivien nodded. “That’s a beautiful dress, but it’s notyou, Tess.”
“Agreed.” Tessa stepped off the platform. “I don’t want to look like I’m trying to be twenty-five. I want to look like me, just…the best version.”
Akari disappeared into the back. Kate refilled their champagne and caught Vivien’s eye.
“She’s going to end up in white,” Vivien whispered.
“She’s absolutely going to end up in white.”
“Fifty-year-old brides don’t wear white!” Tessa called from behind the curtain, where Akari was apparently dressing her in option three.