***
Ana drove to the home of my French wedding dress designer, Charlotte Suzanna. She lived hidden in the hills in the richer part of town. Charlotte’s trademark was her big curly red hair and her oversized glasses.
“Wow,” Charlotte Suzanna said as I modeled the gown.
“It’s nice,” Ana said while chewing her gum.
I looked in the mirror at the long strapless white gown, which was too long on my short frame. I looked like a little girl in mommy’s clothes. “It’s simple,” I said. “Too simple.”
“Oh no, it’s what you wanted,” Charlotte said in her deep French accent. “It’s what Paul told me.” She snatched off her big black framed glasses and put her cigar in the ashtray.
“Oh, Charlotte,” I said.
“You will wear it, right?” Nervous, she pulled the clip out her hair and her red curls fell down to her waist. “Please.” She really wanted me to wear her dress. She and I knew the media would go crazy for her after my wedding.
“Hmm…” I stared at Ana.
“It took me weeks to design,” Charlotte said.
“Tell me Ana, how would a Charlotte Suzanna dress look on me?” I said.
“Let’s just say, we will need the fire department, because you look hot!” Ana said.
Cheesy, but I’ll take it.
“Oh it does!” Charlotte agreed. “I can hem it up a bit.”
I paused for a minute staring at the dress in the full-length mirrors that surrounded the room. “Fine, but also make it a little looser…it’s sort of tight in the waist,” I said.
“Ooh! Yes, yes, yes! Oh and don’t forget to come back for the brides maid dresses in one hour,” Charlotte hugged me and walked us downstairs.
I gave Charlotte a kiss and skipped out to Ana’s car. “Okay, thank you, Charlotte. See you later!”
“Honestly, where were you going to get a dress in four days?” Ana said as she unlocked her car.
“I didn’t think of that.” I really didn’t.
“Diva,” Ana mumbled as she threw her gum wrapper at me.
“If I’m a diva then what would that make you—”
“Shut up.”
“You would have demanded a new dress and would have wanted it for free!”
Ana smirked. “You know me too well.”
While in Ana’s Porsche, I remembered how fast Paul drove and how it would scare me. It was opposite for Ana, she drove too slow—slower than an elder person did, who was years too old to drive.
“So, is your sister coming to the wedding?”Ana said.
“Well, Leslie, yeah she is. She’s leaving her home today.”
“Funny, I didn’t even know you were a twin.”
“Yeah, it’s been years since I’ve seen her,” I smiled. “We were sixteen when I last saw her.”
“Why has it been so long?”
I paused and all I could see was blood in my head. “I hurt her a lot.”
“You hurt her feelings...that's what girls do.”
“I think I’m worse,” I mumbled and popped my daily medication. “I have issues Ana. And these issues started way before Jason came into my life.”
“Like what?”
“I have a mental disorder. That's why I take these.” I showed her my prescription bottle as she stopped at a red light. “I was in denial at first. But, I accept it.”
“Is that why you are always passing out and acting outlandish?”
“Yeah.”
“Why are you barely telling me this?”
“I'm embarrassed.”
“Don't be embarrassed.”
“This is why I love Jason. Because he can deal with me.”
Ana opened the bottle. “Eh, ew, why are they different colors? Are they supposed to look like that?”
I looked into the bottle. “I've never noticed that. I usually just pop it into my mouth. Maybe this bottle is expired. I've had the same box for a while now.” I stared at the discolored pills that were off green. I didn't think too hard about it. I was still focused on seeing my sister.
“I miss Leslie's face.”
“Ha, funny, just look in the mirror.”
“We aren’t identical twins.”
“Interesting,” she murmured as she pulled into a parking lot for a café. “Look at the paparazzi.” She pointed at a paparazzi truck in the rear-view mirror.
“Grrr,” I growled.
“Who knows, maybe they’re here for me,” Ana said.
“Yeah right…as mean as you are to them.”
Ana put her lip-gloss and oversized shades on before getting out the car and put on her I’m-a-diva persona for the cameras. “Let’s go, girl!”
We walked into a simple sixties diner I had never been to before. There were only two couples in the restaurant that paid no mind toward Ana or me—so there was no need for me to freak out. The waitress gave us a seat in the inner part of the diner, away from any windows.
“That’s a very nice ring you got, darling,” the waitress said in a deep southern accent.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Yup, she is getting married in a few days,” Ana said.
I slapped her arm. “Ana!”
“That’s lovely. I’ll be back so you two can order.” The waitress smiled and went back to the kitchen.
“Geez, you don’t have to tell the whole world I’m getting married,” I said.
“I know, I know. It is just all so exciting. My former assistant and my best friend—”
“Former?”
“Didn’t he tell you he quit?”
“No? When did this happen?”
“Like um two weeks ago. Around your birthday.”
“Hmm…really?”
Ana’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, I thought you knew.”
“So, what are his plans? He expects me to support him, doesn’t he? He expects me to feed him out a silver spoon!” I snapped.
“One word, honey…” she picked up a menu. “Prenup.”
“What’s that?”
“Basically, an agreement or something. Like you get it stating that if you divorce you keep all your stuff…hints, your money.”
“Hmm…what if we don’t divorce?”
“But, what if you do?”
I leaned in closer to Ana. “What are you trying to say?”
“Protect your money,” she said in an awkward tone.
“Do you think Jason is cheating on me?”
“Uh, of course not, why would you think that?”
“Well, I hardly see him and he never takes me out anymore.”
“Lily, he’s not!”
The waitress came back and gave us some biscuits and water. I guess she assumed we weren’t ready to order and walked away without saying anything.
“I mean don’t listen to me like you ever do but, I mean…” Ana began to ramble off.
Why wouldn’t he tell me he quit his job? Maybe he did, and I wasn’t listening. No, I would have noticed that…
I cut Ana off and said, “I’ll be back.” I got up from my chair and headed to the restroom. I paced around, thinking what I should do. Then, I had an idea. I took a deep breath and dialed Paul’s cell phone number.
“Hello?” Paul sounded as if he were asleep.
“Hey Paul, it’s me,” I said.
“I know. Why are you whispering?”
“No time. Hey call Mike Durling.”
“Who is Mike?”
“I need to dig some dirt on someone.” I kicked open all the stall doors to make sure no one was listening.
“Who? Why? When?”
“I need background info on…um, Jason…” I thought of lying, but I didn’t.
“Why?”
“I just realized I never really knew about his past. Just the fact he grew up here and lived in Brazil for a while or if that’s true—”
“Isn’t it kind of late for this? You’re getting married in four days!”
“No, it doesn’t
matter, please just do it. His name is Mike Durling. He is a private investigator. Kathy has his number on her iPhone…so go to—”
“Baby, I think you’re working yourself up over nothing, seriously—”
“Okay—” It felt like my heart stopped—Paul’s words came to me again—in the hotel room, in France. Then, I remembered Madison’s reaction about marrying Jason. I then thought about when Ana questioned our relationship. Now, Jason quitting his job without telling me, added to the mix.
“Do it,” I demanded.
“Okay, okay, okay! I’ll talk to you later.”
Ana entered the restroom as I hung up the phone. “Lily, what is wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong,” I said.
“Your food will get cold. I ordered you a hamburger.”
“Let’s just get back to Charlotte’s mansion in the wonderful hills, because her life is perfect and get the stupid bridesmaid’s gowns.”
“Um, are you okay, Lily?”
“I feel perfect!”