Free The Agreement (An Indecent Proposal) by J. C. Reed, Jackie Steele Page B

passersby turned to regard her, taking in her business suit and
stilettos, the oversized sunglasses perched on her head, and the designer scarf
tied around her flawless neck. My old business suit fitted her like a sheath,
hugging her curves in all the right places and riding up her long legs.
Needless to say, it suited her way better than it did me. She looked like a
high-flying Californian lawyer that would soon be featured in Forbes, while I usually looked like a
frumpy mess. Add that knowledge to the fact that I was about to get married to
Chase in cheap polyester and I could already see a huge cloud of depression
hovering over my head.
    “How has your week been at work?” I asked, eager to draw the
attention back to her. No matter how late Jude had arrived home the night
before and how many margaritas she had downed, knowing her, she probably had
gotten up at five as usual to check on her blog and entertain the gazillions of
Facebook fans she had accumulated.
    “You know me. I can’t talk about it.” She waved her hand.
    She was being superstitious, as usual, and she wasn’t going
to talk about it so she wouldn’t jinx it.
    “Got it,” I said, pushing the door to the bridal shop open.
    A bell above the door chimed in a pleasant tinkling sound.
    “I’m Casey. Can I help you?” A shop assistant in her mid- to
late twenties ambled over, a bored expression on her face.
    “She’s getting married,” Jude said, pointing at me.
    Casey’s gaze snapped in my direction and her eyes narrowed
on me, probably taking my measurements already. “We cater to every bride’s
need. When’s the big day?”
    “In two, three weeks max,” I said, and almost toppled over
from embarrassment as I caught the knowing expression in her eyes. Her gaze
traveled down my abdomen, then back up to my face.
    “I’m not pregnant,” I hurried to add.
    Casey inclined her head and smiled sweetly, probably not
believing a word I had said. After all, wasn’t an unexpected pregnancy the main
reason why most people got married nowadays?
    “They only met, like, a week ago,” Jude said, not really
helping. “Literally.”
    I shot her an irritated look but she just shrugged.
    “Great,” Casey said, a little bit too excited. “We won’t
have to worry about a bloated abdomen, then. Did you have anything in mind?
Maybe a silhouette you’ve been dreaming of since you were a girl? Here at
Wedding Bells I’m sure you’ll find the right dress.”
    I shook my head, slightly intimidated by the sudden
knowledge that choosing a gown was yet another step toward this marriage. Soon
there would be no turning back.
    Run, Hanson.
    But instead of following my brain’s extremely wise command,
I stood rooted to the spot, frozen in time and space, unable to utter a single
word.
    “She’s never been the marrying kind, you know.” Jude
laughed. “It sort of jumped into her lap.”
    “Okay,” Casey said, drawing out a paper pad. “In that case,
I’ll ask you a couple of questions to determine what you’re looking for as we
go along. Sound good?”
    “Absolutely,” Jude exclaimed for me.
    Wow, she really did want
me to go through with it.
    No pressure, at all.
    “Can you please follow me to the showroom?” Casey ushered us
along, her voice oozing pride. “You’ll find we store almost all brands in all
sizes for each and everyone.”
    We followed her through the showroom to the back, where the
shop seemed to extend into a warehouse. I had never seen so many clothes. Rows
and rows of white and cream fabric seemed to stretch on forever. To my right
was a selection of gowns in colors raging from pastels to bold red and black.
Some were short; others cascaded onto the floor in a multitude of ruffles. All
I could do was stare—and not out of excitement. I was completely and
utterly overwhelmed. I never thought a wedding dress would come in so many
variations.
    Where the heck would I even begin?
    “Not bad,” Jude said, nodding appreciatively.