Chapter Ten
Elena
With Beth’s wedding only three months away, there was a lot of planning to do and very little time. The most important thing, of course, was the wedding dress, so we met on Sunday morning to go dress shopping. I was excited to see my best friend and shopping for a wedding dress was the kind of thing you only did once. It was going to be a fun morning. Besides, I had a lot that I wanted to talk about.
We went to Amy Kuschel, a high-end boutique that had handmade gowns in designer styles at a fraction of the price. The moment we walked through the doors, reality hit home. Beth was getting married.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she breathed.
The boutique was a beautiful place, with wood floors and white walls and open spaces so we didn’t feel cramped. Dresses lined the walls with changing stations and heated waiting areas for the bridal party. Marriage wasn’t in my new future, but if I got married, I would come here, too.
“I don’t even know where to start,” Beth said. “I’m not even sure what I want.”
“Can I help you ladies?” a shop assistant said. She was an older lady with a welcoming smile, and I turned to her.
“My friend is the bride, getting married in less than three months, and we’re looking for her dream dress. She’s not quite sure what style she wants.”
“I’m sure we can find something,” the lady said. “Why don’t you start over here and tell me if something catches your eye. I’ll find some dresses that I think will work with your body type.”
She disappeared again, and Beth turned to me. “Oh my God, Elena. This is really happening.”
I nodded and hugged my friend. “And it’s going to be the best day of your life. We’ll find your perfect dress.”
We started going through the dresses one by one. It didn’t take long before we figured out what Beth wanted. She gravitated toward certain styles, and it was all the shop assistant needed to get started on our long journey of finding the perfect wedding dress.
I sat down in the seats reserved for the bridal party, and Beth modeled the dresses to me. She looked stunning in each and every one of them.
“I don’t know how I’m going to choose,” she said after she tried on the fifth one. So far, they’d all looked amazing.
“A word of advice,” the shop assistant said when she checked in on us. “You don’t choose the right dress – the right dress chooses you. I know it sounds like some sort of stale gimmick, but I’ve been in the business for twenty years, and the women who are the happiest founded a dress that was nothing like what they had in mind in the first place. They all looked great, but when you know you know.”
Beth giggled. “It sounds a little bit like choosing a husband.”
“If that’s how you found Mr. Right, you’re one of the lucky ones. The fairytale happy ending doesn’t happen to nearly enough women out there.”
Beth turned back to the mirror, looking at the dress she was wearing. “Sad that it is true,” she said. “Do you think it will last forever?”
“I think you have the best relationship I’ve ever seen. I don’t think it will be easy, but if you can’t make it, none of us can.”
Beth smiled at me in the mirror and disappeared into the change room to try on another dress.
“How does Rick feel about everything?” I asked when Beth emerged again. “Is he helping you with anything?”
Beth shook her head. “To be honest, I’m not exactly letting him. I’m enjoying myself planning the wedding. But he’s as excited as I am, I think.”
“You think?”
“I mean, he’s excited. I don’t think he’s going to get cold feet. A lot of men seem to be scared about the idea of getting married, but it was Rick who asked to do it so soon. I think that’s a good sign.”
I nodded. “That’s a very good sign.”
The shop assistant brought out glasses of champagne, and Beth and I drank to a smooth wedding. The shop was filling up. Apparently, there were quite a few brides getting married soon. The shop assistant ran around, trying to control the chaos. We had a good time. It was nice not to have to focus on work for a while, forgetting about everything that was going on in my life and enjoying the moment with her. We hadn’t taken the time to have a girl date together. Usually, we went to a spa when we did, but this was a lot more fun.
“I think we should call it a day,” Beth said when she tried on the tenth dress that still wasn’t exactly what she was looking for. “Next time, we can go to another shop and start all over again.”
I nodded. I wanted her to have the perfect dress. Everything else we could get arranged closer to the time, but the dress was the most important.
“Let’s stop at a cafe and have something to eat,” I suggested.
Beth agreed, so we headed to Bistro Boudin in North Beach. The bistro had the most amazing pastries I’d had in a while, perfect after a champagne-and-wedding-filled afternoon. I felt a little dizzy after the champagne. My giggles were close to the surface, and I was having a fun time.
After we sat down and ordered coffee and a platter of snacks to share, Beth folded her arms on the table.
“So, how are you doing?” she asked. “Let this day not be about only me.”
I smiled. “It can be. You’re getting married.”
Beth pulled up her shoulders. “Your life isn’t standing still. How are you doing at work?”
“I’m doing well. It was a bit of a push this week. Noah’s daughter was sick, so he was out of the office for three days. I’m quite proud of myself. I managed to keep it all together in his absence.”
“That’s because you’re good at what you do. You really deserve a much better position.”
She was right, of course, but I was happy where I was for now. I liked working for Noah. And it wasn’t only because we’d had sex and I had a little crush on him, either. The work was fulfilling.
“And how are things between you and your boss?” Beth asked as if she knew it was what I’d been thinking of.
I pulled up one shoulder in a half-shrug. “It’s going well, I guess.” I didn’t want to say too much, to admit that I was starting to like this guy more and more. “I went to his place to drop off work on Thursday, and I met his daughter.”
Beth raised her eyebrows. “Getting quite personal, aren’t you?”
“It was work files,” I said. “What was I going to do, ignore his kid?”
I didn’t mention that I had taken Lilly soup or that I had been taken to her room, especially to meet her.
“Anyway, she’s a sweet girl. She has so much of him in her she’s like a little clone.”
Our food and coffee arrived and we fell quiet, waiting for the server to arrange it on the table. When we were alone again, I glanced at Beth. I knew she had something to say about this.
“You have to be careful, E,” she said. “You’re getting very involved with your boss and his daughter.”
“Noah,” I said. “His name is Noah.”
Beth nodded. “That proves my point.”
“What, because I told you his name?”
“Because you’re referring to him by his first name. You’re not calling him your boss which would be impersonal. I doubt you call him Sir.”
I chuckled. “I don’t know who does that anymore.”
“Everyone,” Beth said.
She didn’t look impressed with me, and I guess I couldn’t blame her. If the roles had been reversed, I might have given her the same lectures. I might have been worried about her the way she was worried about me. But this wasn’t what it looked like from the outside. I could see what she saw. There were countless stories about secretaries who had affairs with their bosses. But this was different. He wasn’t married, and we weren’t having an affair. It wasn’t a relationship, either, so it wasn’t wrong. At least, not in that way. It was a different story in the workplace.
“What if something goes wrong?” Beth asked.
“It won’t come out,” I said.
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Beth said, shaking her head. “Keeping it away from the public eye is a good thing, but I mean if things go wrong between the two of you. It could end your career if it goes bad and he decides to fire you.”
I shook my head. “It won’t,” I said. “He would never do that.”
Beth made a face. “I don’t think you know him that well. And right now, you’re looking at everything through rose-colored glasses. I know it will look good because the two of you are good. You met his daughter. This week you were indispensable. But what happens next week when he’s back at work and he’s over this fling you’re having?”
I shook my head again. Beth didn’t know Noah. She didn’t want she was talking about.
“I know you’re worried,” I said. “And I see where you’re coming from.” I didn’t add that I disagreed. “I promise I’ll be careful.”
Beth nodded. “I guess I’ll have to be satisfied. You deserve a shot at happiness, too.”
I smiled. Beth was on my side. She was only looking out for me and it was nice of her to do that. We changed the topic and the conversation was comfortable again, flowing. I didn’t feel like I had to defend myself.
When we finally parted, I headed home. Beth’s mind was filled with wedding plans, but despite being the maid of honor, I didn’t think about it at all. I had Noah on my mind.
I was excited to see him in the office in the morning. I enjoyed working with him, and now that Lillian was better, he would be himself again. I was glad he would be back in the office to handle everything I’d had to take care of the past week. And I wouldn’t have to face Doug again. I had dreaded it on Thursday and Friday. It would all go back to normal.
What Beth had said ran through my mind as well. She was looking out for me, worried about my well-being and my heart. But I knew what I was doing, and I knew Noah. I wouldn’t get hurt. I pushed what she’d said to the back of my mind. Nothing was going to go wrong. Nothing was going to fall apart. I was happy with my job and satisfied with my role, and for now, that was all I needed. Besides, I had seen what a good dad Noah was, how caring he was with Lillian, and I was sure that someone like that wouldn’t hurt me. Not in the way Beth was worried about.
Tomorrow, I would go to the office, and everything would be back to normal.