Free All In The Game (Dearly Beloved) by Virginia Crane

Chapter 1
    Standing before the center panel of the three-sided mirror, Amanda Prince slowly turned to check the dress she’d chosen for her approaching wedding. Pleased with what she saw, she looked at her friend, Rita Snyder, who sat in the dressing room chair watching. “What do you think?”
    “I think you’re nuts.”
    Shoulders slumped, she let out a long sigh. “You don’t like the gown? The color? Is the style too youthful?”
    “No to all of that.”
    Amanda turned back to the mirror. “Maybe it’s the sleeves. I know they need to be shortened a bit but it’s too darn late to pick another dress. The wedding is two weeks away.”
    “I know when the wedding is taking place,” Rita responded. “The gown doesn’t even enter into the equation. Although that handkerchief skirt hem may cause you problems when you go to use the ladies room.” Her smirk reached from ear to ear. “I could always come in the loo to hold up the hem for you.”
    Amanda was about to give Rita a smart reply when the sales clerk, both arms loaded with dresses in a rainbow of colors and styles, peeked around the curtain. “Is everything okay in here?” She stopped, her chin dropped to her ample bosom. “My dear, that dress is you. Is there anything else you need? Shoes? Perhaps a small purse.”
    Amanda shook her head and held her breath. Mimicking her size, the woman’s perfume was over-powering. “We’re fine.”
    Once they were alone, Rita waved her arm in the air. “Wow. You would think a high end boutique like this would have a rule about staff bathing in scent.”
    “Perhaps she’s new. I know the manager, Mrs. Silverman, is very particular about her staff.”
    “If she has a sense of smell she’ll be having a chat with that clerk.” Rita snorted and crossed her legs. “Back to your dress. As for the design being too youthful, it’s not, however, you may want to consider having the sleeves altered to three-quarter length rather than to the wrist. Don’t forget, it’s July in Florida, and the heat will be brutal. You don’t want to be sweating like a cow when you prance down the aisle.”
    Amanda rolled her eyes. She wasn’t planning to prance anywhere but to correct her friend’s comment would set Rita off on a tangent. The entire situation was already tense enough.
    “I could hardly forget July weather which is why Keith and I aren’t getting married outdoors. If it were spring, it would be nice to have the ceremony in Gilchrist Park over in Punta Gorda, but we don’t want to wait that long. We’ll be comfortable with the church, restaurant and car being air conditioned.”
    Amanda ran her hands over the soft silk fabric that draped so beautifully across her hips, then flared to mid calf. The cut enhanced her waist and breasts and made her feel like a million dollars.
    Blue had always been a good color for her, especially the cornflower shade that almost matched the color of her eyes. She was glad she decided to have her brown hair highlighted. Yes indeed, she was pleased with her reflection.
    “I’m not referring to the time of year. Or the heat factor or the design of the damn hem,” Rita groused. “I’m talking about you getting married again.”
    Determined to avoid yet another chapter in this ongoing discussion, Amanda took another twirl to check her image in the mirror. “A lot of women my age remarry and I remember my mother saying that when you get married in blue he’ll always be true,”
    “Does that mean that if you get married in white you’re doomed to fight? I wore white and God knows Dave and I sure had some doozies. The only good thing that sonofabitch did was give me Jeff. It’s a damn shame that he chose not to be a part of our son’s life, but then Dave’s the loser in that matter. I was a real happy camper to have my last view of him be the rear license plate on his car as it went down the street.”
    This was not the time to rehash that sad situation in her friend’s past.