arm.
‘I have a bit,’ I said.
‘That’s only natural,’ said Beth. ‘I’m sure it happens to everyone.’ She looked a little wistful. Despite making a bit more effort with her appearance, Beth still hadn’t met her Mr Right, and since Andy the bastard, there was an air of victimhood about her that left men wary. I longed to tellher to lighten up but Beth could be so sensitive I didn’t want to upset her.
‘It won’t happen to me,’ declared Dorrie. ‘I know I’ve met the man of my dreams already. And I won’t have any doubts about marrying him ever.’
‘Has Yakult Man asked you yet?’ I said. Dorrie had been seeing Darren for the last six months and seemed blissfully happy.
‘Not exactly,’ said Dorrie, ‘but we’re made for each other. It’s only a matter of time.’
Bless her. How can anyone be that blindly romantic and idealistic? But Dorrie wouldn’t be Dorrie if she wasn’t.
Jeanette came back to finish tacking and re-tacking, before finally declaring herself satisfied. Then she turned to me and said, ‘If your other bridesmaid isn’t here, we really had better get on with the fitting, I have another appointment at twelve.’
‘I’ll try Caz again,’ said Dorrie, diplomatically, as I went to get out of my dress. I was furious.
Still finding no answer, I resigned myself to letting the other two get changed and letting Caz go shift for herself.
I’d chosen halterneck dresses of deep-red silk for my bridesmaids. It complemented their dark hair, and all three were going to look stunning. Dorrie’s current Sarah Jessica Parker-style hair was going to look lovely pulled up away from her face with a few curls dangling down, and now Beth had cut her hair into a neater style, I felt there was something I could do to make her look glamorous on the day. Caz’s sharp features were perfectly framed by a Linda Evangelista-type bob, and while I longed for her to have a softer look, she did look great in the dress on the previous time she’d tried it on.
Eventually we were done.
‘God I’m starving,’ declared Dorrie. ‘Pizza Hut anyone?’
Our teens had been dominated by visits to the Pizza Hut on the High Street, which was just a couple of doors down from Wedding Belles.
‘Oh, go on then,’ I said. ‘I still have a soft spot for their salad bar.’
We were making our way up the High Street towards Pizza Hut, when I saw her: Caz was running towards us in a blind panic.
‘Sarah,’ she said, when she reached us, ‘I’m really sorry.’
‘Rough night was it?’ Dorrie whistled. ‘Who’s the lucky man?’
Caz looked truly dreadful. Her face was pale and her dark circled eyes looked as if they might have been crying. She had obviously thrown on any old clothes that had come to hand, and hadn’t even done her make-up.
‘No one,’ said Caz, but she didn’t catch my eye when she said it. ‘Just too much to drink. Sorry, Sarah, I didn’t mean to miss the fitting but I only just woke up.’
‘Well you’re here now,’ I said, with a sigh. ‘Come on and have a pizza with us.’
‘No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.’ Caz looked really uncomfortable. ‘I’m not feeling that great, and well, the thing is, I’ve got something to tell you…’
Suddenly my heart turned to ice. I thought back to last night when I’d tried to ring Steve late at night and there was no answer from his flat. Surely she couldn’t have been
– she wouldn’t have, would she?
‘Oh?’ I tried to keep my voice calm and natural. I was being ridiculous. I knew Caz had liked Steve before I got together with him, but nothing was going on between them. I’d have known.
‘It’s just…sorry, Sarah. You know weddings aren’t my thing. I just don’t think I can be your bridesmaid after all.’
This was so unexpected, I nearly laughed with relief. But then I felt angry again. How dare she let me down like this at nearly the last moment?
‘What the fuck?’ I said. ‘You can’t
‘I have a bit,’ I said.
‘That’s only natural,’ said Beth. ‘I’m sure it happens to everyone.’ She looked a little wistful. Despite making a bit more effort with her appearance, Beth still hadn’t met her Mr Right, and since Andy the bastard, there was an air of victimhood about her that left men wary. I longed to tellher to lighten up but Beth could be so sensitive I didn’t want to upset her.
‘It won’t happen to me,’ declared Dorrie. ‘I know I’ve met the man of my dreams already. And I won’t have any doubts about marrying him ever.’
‘Has Yakult Man asked you yet?’ I said. Dorrie had been seeing Darren for the last six months and seemed blissfully happy.
‘Not exactly,’ said Dorrie, ‘but we’re made for each other. It’s only a matter of time.’
Bless her. How can anyone be that blindly romantic and idealistic? But Dorrie wouldn’t be Dorrie if she wasn’t.
Jeanette came back to finish tacking and re-tacking, before finally declaring herself satisfied. Then she turned to me and said, ‘If your other bridesmaid isn’t here, we really had better get on with the fitting, I have another appointment at twelve.’
‘I’ll try Caz again,’ said Dorrie, diplomatically, as I went to get out of my dress. I was furious.
Still finding no answer, I resigned myself to letting the other two get changed and letting Caz go shift for herself.
I’d chosen halterneck dresses of deep-red silk for my bridesmaids. It complemented their dark hair, and all three were going to look stunning. Dorrie’s current Sarah Jessica Parker-style hair was going to look lovely pulled up away from her face with a few curls dangling down, and now Beth had cut her hair into a neater style, I felt there was something I could do to make her look glamorous on the day. Caz’s sharp features were perfectly framed by a Linda Evangelista-type bob, and while I longed for her to have a softer look, she did look great in the dress on the previous time she’d tried it on.
Eventually we were done.
‘God I’m starving,’ declared Dorrie. ‘Pizza Hut anyone?’
Our teens had been dominated by visits to the Pizza Hut on the High Street, which was just a couple of doors down from Wedding Belles.
‘Oh, go on then,’ I said. ‘I still have a soft spot for their salad bar.’
We were making our way up the High Street towards Pizza Hut, when I saw her: Caz was running towards us in a blind panic.
‘Sarah,’ she said, when she reached us, ‘I’m really sorry.’
‘Rough night was it?’ Dorrie whistled. ‘Who’s the lucky man?’
Caz looked truly dreadful. Her face was pale and her dark circled eyes looked as if they might have been crying. She had obviously thrown on any old clothes that had come to hand, and hadn’t even done her make-up.
‘No one,’ said Caz, but she didn’t catch my eye when she said it. ‘Just too much to drink. Sorry, Sarah, I didn’t mean to miss the fitting but I only just woke up.’
‘Well you’re here now,’ I said, with a sigh. ‘Come on and have a pizza with us.’
‘No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.’ Caz looked really uncomfortable. ‘I’m not feeling that great, and well, the thing is, I’ve got something to tell you…’
Suddenly my heart turned to ice. I thought back to last night when I’d tried to ring Steve late at night and there was no answer from his flat. Surely she couldn’t have been
– she wouldn’t have, would she?
‘Oh?’ I tried to keep my voice calm and natural. I was being ridiculous. I knew Caz had liked Steve before I got together with him, but nothing was going on between them. I’d have known.
‘It’s just…sorry, Sarah. You know weddings aren’t my thing. I just don’t think I can be your bridesmaid after all.’
This was so unexpected, I nearly laughed with relief. But then I felt angry again. How dare she let me down like this at nearly the last moment?
‘What the fuck?’ I said. ‘You can’t
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