NANOWRIMO 2020

11.17 Something Borrowed

"You're going to be fine," Eloise smoothed down the bride's hair.

"I think I'm going to be sick," the bride in question, Jean, fanned her face and doubled over as far as she could in her tightly bound corset wedding dress. Long, floral patterns decorated the mesh across her chest and across her tight fitting sleeves and the bodice was thick and fit snugly to her body, a little too well. "Tight, it's very tight."

Jean puffed out her cheeks and continued to fan herself and Eloise suppressed a chuckle.

"Yeah okay," Eloise said. "I told you to lay off the cake samples but nooooooo you wouldn't have that."

"It's free, it's meant to be eaten, and if I didn't like it, I didn't finish it."

"You liked all of them."

"Waste not want not," Jean said solemnly before grimacing and holding a hand to her mouth. "Oh god. Oh no."

Eloise knew that sound from high school prom when she and Jean had run away from their dates and managed to get their hands on some hard liquor and beers. It was such a good time but it was a blur and all Eloise could remember was suddenly coming to when Jean stopped cold, said "Oh no," and projectile vomited onto the sidewalk.

Eloise grabbed the nearest basket of bread and shoved it, contents and all into Jean's makeupped face.

Jean gently dry heaved into the basket and everyone in the dressing room stopped what they were doing to assess the bride of the hour having what they all assumed was a panic attack.

Eloise could feel their stares at her best friend, judging her, the unrestrained whispers held back by parted crimson lips. "What are you looking at?" She snapped at the bridesmaids sipping champagne in the corner. "Grab her a hot towel. You," she growled at the mothers and their wide-eyed doeness. "Find some lavender or mint. And bring a cold water bottle now."

She dismissed the rest of the room to do menial tasks and gather more miscellaneous items and sat down next to Jean, who had composed herself but not her hair and who looked like she had spent the last two hours crying.

The late afternoon light haloed her veil and gave her wedding dress a beautiful orange haze, all of the sunlight poured itself in to make Jean look absolutely stunning. Even her tear stained face and reddish cheeks looked enchanting. Too bad she looked so broken. So...devastated?

"Oh Jeannie," Eloise whispered. "What's wrong? Are you scared? Do you feel okay?"

Jean nodded and bit her lip, looking around the room nervously.

"They're all off across the house grabbing some nonsense or other," Eloise said off her glance. "Now," she pursed her lips, no longer feigning kindness in front of the other bridesmaids. "Tell me. What is wrong. Or you're not leaving. This room."

Jean laughed at Eloise but it was immediately smothered by the look Eloise gave her. "I'm fine, just a little dizzy—"

"Bullshit," Eloise cut her off. "Bullshit, you know it, I know it. Now give me answers or I'm just going to have to cancel your wedding."

"Elly, please stop being so dramatic!" Jean folded her arms and slumped back in her wicker chair. They were going for a bohemian style wedding but it somehow folded in a beach bum, forest sprite, librarian vibe when the final details were hammered in. "I'm just a little nervous and my dress is a little tight."

Eloise sat back as well and picked up another bread basket that wasn't spoiled. She nibbled at the bread rolls but didn't break eye contact with Jean, who fidgeted under her gaze.

"I'm just a little nauseous," Jean said and Eloise pointed at her with a mouthful of bread and a triumphant a-ha! look in her eyes but Jean just rolled her eyes and said "because I've been on this new diet since last week and it's made me sick like this every now and then. It comes and goes."

Eloise looked a little disappointed and Jean smacked her arm. "Well I know what you and everyone was expecting so don't get any funny ideas."

Jean pretended to fluff her hair, which had significantly fallen in size, and said "Birth control and condoms so no funny business. Especially no funny business with my weight for today no no no."

Eloise had to agree that that sounded the most like Jean, but was more than a little relieved that it wasn't a shotgun wedding to avoid having a child out of wedlock. And more than a little irritated that her friend was on yet another weird diet. "Damn okay. But why'd you start dieting? Jeannie you look perfectly fine. Absolutely smoking, a diet is only gonna show off your bones at this point."

"I dunno," Jean looked down to her sleeve, pulled at a loose thread that wasn't really loose. "Michale said it would be good for me so I thought eh what do I have to lose?"

"What do you have to lose?" Eloise looked horrified. "You are fine just the way you are and Mich can shove it. In fact, I'll tell him to shove it. Right now." She bundled up her long skirt to maneuver around Jean's even larger poof of a dress but couldn't find a way around the layers. "As soon as I," she grunted. "Find a way," she fell into a wicker chair. "To get to him," she finished from the ground, buried beneath a tablecloth she had managed to grab on her way down.

Jean was cackling at Eloise and wiped another tear from her already ruined makeup cake of a face. "I know you're right, Els, that's why I told him he had to do it with me and he was for it and honestly I would've quit a long time ago but I don't want to give up before he does."

Eloise groaned. That was Jean, all the way. Too competitive for her own good. Never willing to admit defeat. Or to admit she was wrong.

Eloise sat up. "You ready for this then?"

"I need to have my makeup redone," Jean said. "And probably find where you sent all my bridesmaids, but yeah. I'm ready."

Eloise came up and hugged her friend tightly. Jean returned it with as much gusto. "If I asked you to leave him for me, would you do it?"

Jean laughed and they let go of each other. "Of course."

Eloise smiled sadly, "Of course."