Bridesmaid's Blues

Chapter 1: The first encounter

When the elevator doors slid open, Kirsty Bennett hurriedly dashed out, and glanced around the narrow hallway before noticing the bright white and gold sign up on the wall.

'Blissful Weddings - Your Wedding day made easy.'

Kirsty allowed herself to sag in relief,. At she realised she had found exactly what she had been looking for

She followed the gold arrow on the sign, which led her to the end of the hallway, and now she stood before frosted glass double doors with Blissful Weddings in gold lettering across them, telling her she was in the right place at last.

In her haste, she found herself wrestling with the doors for a few moments, trying to push them open, but then she realised she should be pulling instead So giving one of the doors a frustrated tug, she finally managed to open it, and stepped into the plush cream carpeted reception area.

Across the way, a young dark haired woman was behind the desk, occupied on the phone talking to someone.

Kirsty hurried over to the desk, hoping she didn't look as flustered as she felt, as she waited impatiently for the young woman to finish her phone conversation and pay her some attention.

She now glanced at the large white wall clock above the receptionist head, and a new frisson of panic shot through her as she realised she was almost fifteen minutes late

She had been expected to meet with her cousin Alannah here at two thirty, but she had trouble parking her car, and then after that, trying to find the building itself had been a pain in the butt.

She realised she should have been paying better attention when Alannah had given her the directions over her cell phone the night before.

But Kirsty had been too busy ordering drinks at the crowded bar at the time, and she had been rather occupied remembering the order, as it had been her turn to buy the round on her usual Friday night out with her three colleagues who worked along with her in the bookstore.

She had not been too overly concerned about the directions her cousin had been giving her, and it meant that she had turned left, when she should have turned right, so ended up going along the wrong street. But finally after asking directions from someone, she soon discovered her mistake.

She now nervously started to drum her fingers on the desk to get the receptionist attention.

Thankfully the girl seem to notice the panic urgency in Kirsty's grey green eyes, so hastily told who ever she was speaking to on the phone, to hang on for a moment, then she turned her full attention on Kirsty, with a polite smile.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes hopefully you can," Kirsty replied, "I was suppose to meet my cousin here, Alannah Bennett, only I am a little late.. She had an appointment to see one of your wedding consultants.

"Oh, so you are with the Bennett party?" The receptionist said in realisation, " Actually she has already gone through to Mr Harrison's office I believe, it's the white door to your left, just knock and go in" she informed her pointing across the reception area to the door, before turning her attention back to the phone

"Thank you." Kirsty smiled gratefully and she hurried across, giving the white door a curt knock before turning the handle and sticking her head warily around, as she opened it, to look in.

Much to her relief, she recognised her cousin Alannah sitting at the large brown desk, with a brochure of some kind in her hand. She looked up and on seeing Kirsty, she immediately looked delighted.