The Bridesmaid Pact by Julia Williams Page A

was no answer from her flat. Even her newly acquired mobile phone appeared to be switched off.
    I was beginning to get really fed up with Caz. She could barely bring herself to show any interest in my wedding, apart from teasing me about becoming domesticated and boring. I knew weddings weren’t her thing, but I was hurt by her lack of interest. And she never had a good word to say about Steve. I wished she could get off my back and just be happy for me. Now it appeared she couldn’t even be bothered to turn up on time for my fitting.
    ‘You’re going to look fabulous, girl,’ beamed Dorrie, as usual bringing a positive note to the proceedings. And I have to admit, looking at myself in the mirror, I really liked what I saw. The dress was a classically elegant off the shoulder number, with a trimmed-in waist and flowinggown. The diamante beading, which Jeanette had lovingly sewn into the bodice, sparkled and shimmered when I walked and the satin skirt with its lace trimming just looked and felt fabulous. My tiara, my ‘something borrowed’ from my grandmother, allegedly had real pearls (I thought they were more likely fake myself but they looked the part), and my veil too had the same diamante beading.
    ‘That is very nearly right,’ said Jeanette, loosening some material around my waistline, ‘though I’m not usually letting out dresses at this stage.’
    I wanted to thump her. I had tried desperately hard to lose weight prior to the wedding, but a combination of long shifts and too much overtime to help save money had led me into bad eating habits. I had a month to shift the excess that I’d put on. I didn’t think I was going to manage it. Steve’s attitude didn’t help either, he’d made me painfully aware that I was carrying a little too much weight and it was making me feel insecure. Steve was so gorgeous he could have anyone, and though he’d chosen me, there was always a small part of me that doubted that choice, and wondered if he’d stay the distance.
    ‘Do you think I look too fat?’ I said in panic, when Jeanette left the room to fetch more pins. My stomach suddenly appeared to me to look as if I was four months gone.
    ‘Don’t be daft,’ said Dorrie. ‘Ignore her. You look womanly, curvaceous, sexy. Steve’s not going to know what’s hit him.’
    ‘Are you sure?’ I said. I was still a size twelve, just, but as I was more used to being size ten, I felt like a heffalump.
    ‘Absolutely,’ said Beth, as usual being quietly observant in the corner. ‘You look great.’
    ‘Thanks girls,’ I said. I couldn’t put my finger on whyI felt so wobbly and uncertain. But Caz’s non-appearance had unnerved me, and I hadn’t spoken to Steve since yesterday lunchtime. I’d wanted to have a quiet night in with him the previous night, but he’d muttered something about having a pre stag with some of his work colleagues and stayed out in town. If I knew Steve, he’d be fit for nothing till after lunch and even less likely to show any interest in wedding plans. We’d booked to go and see the caterers at the hotel this afternoon to go over the menu and Steve was meant to be organizing the printing of the order of service, but didn’t seem to have even started on that.
    My stomach shrank into a familiar ball of anxiety. Maybe he was having second thoughts? Perhaps Steve didn’t really want to get married after all. Was it right to feel this in secure about the man I was marrying? I know most brides get cold feet, but the way things were going at the moment, mine were like blocks of ice. The only thing I was sure of was that I loved Steve and I wanted to marry him. He said he loved me, but he’d been cagey and elusive of late and it was making me feel agitated.
    ‘You really think so?’ I said, biting my lip and trying not to let either of my friends see the way I was feeling.
    ‘We really do,’ said Beth.
    ‘You’ve not got last-minute jitters, have you?’ said Dorrie, poking me in the