The Bride

“Are you free for lunch?” John asked me.
I was sitting at the kitchen table with a coffee mug in one hand, glasses on my face, and a catalogue in my other hand.
“Excuse me?” I asked, still slightly asleep.
“Are you free for lunch?” He chuckled as he repeated the sentence. “Like…today?”
“I might, possibly be. Why do you ask?” I asked him, dog-tagging the page I was on before sitting down the issue.
“Well we just…I want to take my fiancé out to lunch. Is that such a bad idea?”
I shrugged.
“I guess that really depends on what your motives are.”
“Why do you always think I’m up to something?” He questioned me.
“You’re John O’Callaghan. Of course you are always up to something.”
“That’s not very nice.” He laughed at me.
I rolled my eyes.
“I was joking…mostly.”
“That was a mean joke.” He muttered, standing up from his side of the table to reach me. He bent down and placed his forehead against mine.
“This is going to give me a headache.” I warned.
John just scoffed, and kissed my lips lightly before he pulled away.
“I’ve got band stuff to do and then I’ll come pick you up from your store.”
“Okay,” I smiled before he kissed me once more.
“I’ll see you later.”
“Bye, Johnny!” I called as soon as he left the house. I laughed to myself and checked the time. It was almost eight-thirty in the morning, and I open at ten. I stretched my limbs before slowly standing up from my seat. I abandoned my catalogue and coffee on the table for my closet upstairs. After spending nearly thirty minutes on an outfit, I took a nice shower. Fixing my hair wasn’t hard, I just tossed it back up into a messy bun. I finished getting ready, and walked back down the stairs. My coffee was surprisingly still really warm. I smiled to myself before I transferred it to my carry out mug, and swiped up my catalogue. I walked out of the house and toward my car in a hurry. If I didn’t get there soon, I would probably end up being late.
I got to the shop and quickly opened it before I walked into the store. I sat everything I had on the counter. I walked over to the open sign, flipping it on, and returning to the counter. No one usually comes in until another hour, but I always opened up early for those who wanted to come by before eleven. I reopened the wedding dress catalogue, looking at all of the options I had. I knew basically what I’ve been looking for. I wanted something special, and small. I didn’t want the big, huge wedding that Julie and John and quickly planned. That was me…that wasn’t us. I want a small wedding, probably in the desert, and with only the important people there. My family, the band included, and John’s family. That was it. No high school friends or random bands that he had toured with. We wanted just the two of us and our closest friends. I wanted a wedding a lot like Lex and Loren’s, but not as…out there. I loved their theme, and it fit them, but I wanted something that was me.
I sighed, and sat down the book the second the door bell rang, signaling that someone had walked into the store. A woman and her daughter, no older than twelve, looked around the store for a few moments before they decided on a pair of earrings and some boots. I checked them out, giving them a sleepy smile before they were out the door. I lingered around the racks a little bit, searching for some sort of bride’s maid dress to go off of. I knew that I wanted Maria and Julie in my wedding. I didn’t want it to be awkward for Julie, and we’ve even talked about the possibility of her being in it. She was happy to accept, even if I was hesitant. I found two of the prettiest color of soft gold dresses. I eagerly picked them up in the two girl’s sizes, and I put them in the back room. Now all I needed was the perfect wedding dress, and I would have ninety percent of the wedding planned. I had the perfect place in mind, and I knew that John would approve. It was different, but it was somewhere special.
Costumers went in and out for another three hours. I was literally counting down the minutes until one o’clock, the time John was picking me up. My lunch break has an hour and a half long, and I got to spend every second of it with John today. My heart beat quickened at the thought of him. I loved the feeling in my stomach that I got whenever he would look at me, or whenever I thought about him. It was foreign still, yet so comforting. I shook my head, stopping myself from completely zoning. I grabbed my price tag gun, and went over to some really expensive items, marking them seventy percent off due to the fact that they were going out of style and season. I picked up the amount that I just marked down and I moved them onto the sale rack. I walked around the store, seeing a group of teens that looked slightly lost.
“Can I help you ladies?” I asked politely. They turned around and smiled slightly at me.
“We’re shopping for prom,”
I laughed.
“Isn’t it a little early?”
“A little late actually,” One of them laughed. “But we desperately need dresses.”
I smiled at the three girls.
“Follow me,” I stated, moving over to my prom dress section. “If you see anything that you like, or want to try on, let me know. I’ll just get you guys a dressing room. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to ask me. I’ve got an awesome catalogue online and behind the desk,” I smiled at them. They nodded and I noticed that one of them in the middle had on the same bracelet that John was wearing the other day. It was the bracelet with The Maine’s logo on it. I giggled to myself and pointed to her bracelet. “I love your bracelet.”
“Mine?” She asked, holding up her left wrist. “Do you like The Maine?”
“Oh I just adore them.” I giggled at myself.
“They have the best music! They like…fuse old rock into punk…it’s just…amazing.” She laughed. “I’m sorry, I ramble a lot when I talk about them.”
“Kendra sort of loves them,” One of her friends pointed out.
Kendra, the one with the bracelet, just blushed at her statement.
“They have great music.”
I nodded in agreement.
“That, they do.”
“Oh whatever…you’re just totally crushing on Pat.”
Kendra’s face got even redder.
“Can we please stop spilling my secrets to the store owner now? It’s bad enough that I’m eighteen and gushing like a fifteen-year old.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I smiled, looking over the small, blushing girl. She was slightly shorter then I was, and had soft dark waves. “You look like his type anyway.” I stated playfully before I walked back over to the counter. The doorbell rung again, and I sighed in frustration before I looked up. John, Pat, and Jared all waltzed into the store.
“DIA-KINS!” Pat screeched before he went into full fledged spring toward the counter. The yelling attracted the other shoppers attention. They were probably wondering why a random, long-haired boy was running toward me. I just laughed and shook my head before I moved from the counter. Pat tripped over a rack, and sent it down with him and the person on the other side of it. That person ended up being Kendra. My mouth dropped as Jared and John started laughing at him.
“Dumb ass,” John chuckled. We walked over to the two people in the floor with the dresses all around them.
“Are you okay?” I questioned, more toward the girl than anyone.
“I-I’m fine.” She muttered.
Pat rolled off of her, and stared up at us.
“That hurt.”
“We are going to have to get you a fucking helmet.” John stated and shook his head.
Pat rolled his eyes before standing up.
“Are you okay?” He asked Kendra. She nodded and moved some clothes off of her that had landed between the two of them when he fell on top of her. “Seriously, I don’t want to get sued.”
“Way to pick up girls.” Jared rolled his eyes.
I elbowed him.
“Leave the boy alone.” I stated. “Pat, this is what happens when you run in a clothing store. Didn’t your mother teach you any better?”
“Yes, Dorinda Grace.” He stated, shaking his head. “Let me help with that,” He offered Kendra with a goofy smile while the girl was picking up the rack. Together they moved it up right, and started hanging clothes back on it. I huffed, putting my hands on my hips.
“Why were you running in my store anyway, Patrick?”
“Uh oh…she used my real name! Hide me, JohnO!” He stated, moving behind my tall fiancé.
“Oh no man. You can deal with that wrath,” He stated, moving to the side.
The bell rang again and Maria walked into the shop with Kennedy following her, on the phone with someone.
“Ello, love!” She stated, hugging me tightly. “Why the pissed off expression?”
“Patrick was running in my store.” I stated, actually angry with the small boyish man.
“Uh ohh…” Maria trailed off, looking at the group of teens who were still hanging clothes back on the rack. “And he knocked over a rack?”
“And a girl.” Jared added.
“Pat, stop being such an ADD fucker.” Kennedy laughed, tucking his phone back into his skinny jeans pocket. “Gare’s on his way.”
I cocked an eyebrow at John.
“Not that I don’t love them, but why are they all here?”
“I can’t keep you all to myself, could I?” He winked playfully. “I thought that we would all go out as a group,”
“Fine…” I groaned, still mad. “Go in the corner, all of you. I’ve got paying people in here, and you probably just scared fifty percent of them away.”
“As long as I’m not getting hit!” Pat stated. “I’m sorry again….er….I didn’t get your name?”
“K-Kendra.” She stuttered slightly, causing her friends to giggle.
“Aweee you’re cute.” Pat laughed happily. “Wanna be my new best friend?”
“I-I guess?” She asked, tugging at her hair with her left hand. I noticed the small smile grace John’s lips. I knew what he was thinking.
“Great! Hug?” He asked with a cute smile.
She slowly blushed and nodded before he was hugging the life out of her. She girl happily returned the hug before he let her go.
“Um…thanks?” Kendra questioned before she and her friends grabbed the dresses that they wanted. They headed toward the register. John swooped down and placed a long kiss on my lips. I smiled before walking to the counter. I smiled at the girls as they paid. Kendra looked at me and laughed.
“I know, I’m horrible,” I joked lightly. “I won’t tell him.”
“Thanks,” She nearly whispered, looking as innocent as a baby deer.
I laughed and felt arms around me.
“Go away, John.” I stated, swatting at his arms that were wrapped around me.
“No.” He pouted.
I waited for the credit card to clear so that they could sign the receipt.
“Let me go. I’m not happy.”
“Well get happy,” He stated, making it sound so easy. He placed a kiss on my temple. “Please?”
“Stop it,” I warned, watching the paper print.
“Nope,” He chuckled before dipping down and placing his lips to my neck. I laughed rather loudly, and pulled away from him.
“I’ll leave you at the fucking aisle if you don’t move the fuck away from me.” I stated playfully.
John rolled his eyes and let go.
“I’m just hungry.” He stated, sitting on the counter. I smacked his leg, cursing at him to get off as Kendra signed the receipt. She handed it back to me and her copy printed. “Here you go and thank you for shopping here.”
“No problem.” She smiled and the other two said goodbye. Kendra reached the door before Pat ran over to her. He started talking rather fast, and she blushed before nodding and handing him her phone. He quickly begun typing before handing back her the phone. He proceeded to pull out his very own and waved it in front of her face before he hugged her one more time and walked back over to the guys. There was a ding at the door and Garrett walked into the store. Most of everyone was out already, leaving basically just us.
Her friends left first and then she started out of the door.
“Kendra!” Pat called.
She turned around.
“Yeah?”
“I love your bracelet.” He smiled happily.
She blushed and thanked him quietly before she walked out of the store, leaving just us left. John and I walked over to the group hand in hand where some of them were laughing at Pat.
“What did I miss?” Garrett asked, making some of us laugh.
“Nothing, Gare. Nothing at all.”