9. Clara

CHAPTER 9

CLARA

E very time her engagement ring drifted in front of her eyes, Clara did a double take. Was that really her hand? She could hardly believe it. After her sister left and Luis returned to his penthouse, she'd received the engagement ring without much pomp or circumstance. Although, if it wasn't all her imagination, she could have sworn Luis's hands trembled as he slipped it onto her finger.

He made room for her in his ample closets, gave her his bedroom, and set up another in his office for himself. The bed in his office was easy to fold away for when guests came over, just in case they went snooping. The marriage had to appear legitimate. And it had to happen quickly — she would have to start planning right away. When Clara balked at that, Luis had reminded her that she would have help. He had many aides and assistants working for him, and he would assign a few of his most trusted to Clara.

That was how she got to know Meredith and Patricia, or Patty as she insisted everyone call her. They were both bubbly women in their twenties and made Clara feel even older than she already did.

Today, Luis's two assistants were taking Clara to taste cakes and try on wedding gowns. Patty and Meredith sat at a round table with Clara, and they all chatted like old friends.

"Chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, or carrot?" Meredith asked.

"Hmm…" Clara thought hard about it. "Well, carrot just makes me think of an antique shop."

Patty burst out laughing. She had one of the most infectious laughs Clara had ever heard. "How does a cake flavor remind you of an antique shop?"

"You know," Clara said, "like one of those antique shops that are also cafés. I always think maybe the owner couldn't decide what they wanted, so they went with both." Patty was still laughing, and Clara felt herself blush. "They just always seem to have carrot cake on the menu."

Meredith pushed one of the small plates back toward Clara. "Okay, so how about this one — the chocolate."

It was delicious, but Clara was having too much fun to bring the session to a close. "Birthdays."

"What?" Meredith asked.

"Chocolate reminds me of birthdays. For kids."

"Vanilla?" Patty offered, almost as though she expected the answer.

"Ice cream," Clara answered.

Meredith narrowed her eyes. "Are you just coming up with reasons to try all the flavors? You can just eat them, you know. You don't have to make excuses. Hell, Luis will buy you one of each to take home if you want."

Clara shook her head. "Nah, that's okay. I just wanted to hang out with you two a little longer. It's been kind of lonely in the penthouse."

"Ah, hon!" Patty leaned over and gave Clara's wrist a short squeeze. "Aren't you the sweetest." She had a pleasant Southern accent and a calm demeanor. "We've still got dresses to try on. Today can go on and on as long as you like."

Clara shook her head. "No, no. You both have lives outside this job, I'm sure. I'm being selfish. You should go home to your families. You don't have to cater to me all day."

Now Meredith was the one laughing. "Catering to you all day is exactly what our job is. Now, listen, you're a lot of fun. We like you. Most of the women he brings home treat us like another piece of furniture. Anyway, you're giving us stories to tell."

"I don't even have a family," Patty admitted, still laughing.

Meredith nodded. "She doesn't even have a family. So see? We're her family. Let's go try on wedding dresses so Patty can cry and cry and say, ‘They grow up so fast.'"

Patty corralled Clara out of the cake shop while Meredith stayed to order miniature versions of every flavor to go.

The dressmaker wasn't far down the road, so Clara asked if they could walk there. It wasn't that she was ungrateful for the limo. It was just that she wanted to feel normal for five minutes between luxuries. Part of her kept insisting she didn't deserve any of this, that a sham wedding should not have the weight, the expense, of a real one. Then again, she had dreamed of planning her wedding since she was a little girl, and it dawned on her that this might be her one and only chance. As bittersweet as the occasion was, Clara was determined to enjoy it.

The dress shop was brightly lit and pleasant. Though Clara had heard of it before, she'd never imagined she would be shopping here, no matter how many dream weddings she planned. Only the super elite could afford to shop here, but Meredith and Patty insisted she at least try on a few.

"You're going to love it," Patty said.

"You'll feel like a princess," Meredith added. "Don't you want to feel like a princess?"

Clara shook her head with a smile. "You two sound like you're pushing drugs or something."

The two women sat down while Clara was shown dress after dress. Everything was whiter than white. The whole room gleamed like a precious stone, and Clara felt supremely out of place. She thought about the little pub where she'd met Luis, how comfortable he'd seemed, and how stiff he seemed to be in what was supposed to be his own element. She wondered whether this was going to be her life now, or would she be allowed to make it fit her own personality a little better.

The first dress she tried did feel like a princess gown, something she would have drooled over as a seven-year-old. Tulle was absolutely everywhere, giving the gown a fullness that Clara thought would make it a little tricky to sit down on anything other than a bar stool.

Both of Luis's assistants oohed and aahed when Clara spun around. "You look like an absolute doll!" Patty exclaimed.

Clara frowned. "That's what I was thinking, too, and it wasn't a good thing."

Meredith chimed in. "That's right, you want something more mature, don't you? I thought you would." And she told the woman helping Clara to get something sexier.

As the shopping continued, Clara began to get a feel for the two women helping her. Patty preferred things to be big, overstated, gorgeous. She could never have too many ribbons. And Meredith was more of a city girl who liked things to be sleek and sophisticated. Clara tried on all the gowns recommended to her until she thought she might die if she had to try on one more. The truth was, they all seemed to suit Patty and Meredith, but none of them suited Clara. At least, whenever she looked into the mirror while wearing them, she didn't feel like she was looking at herself. There was a stranger there, wearing someone else's dress.

"Is it okay if I go looking for one to try on?" Clara finally asked.

Everyone gasped and started telling her that it was more than okay. Why hadn't she asked sooner? Of course she could go shopping for herself. They just didn't think she would want to, as most women preferred to be catered to.

Clara got on a video call with her sister, who was ecstatic to be included. "Show me everything!" Dawn said.

So Clara went through the racks of dresses, while her sister commented on every one. Finally, she came across a dress that was simple, but embroidered and beaded in shades of red. "I love this," Clara whispered.

"Try it on," Dawn said. "It looks just like you."

Clara handed the phone to Meredith, who chatted with Dawn and Patty while Clara went in back to try on the dress. She slipped into it easily and stared into the dressing room mirror while the shop assistant pinned the back for her. As the dress came together, Clara felt tears well in her eyes. This was it. The perfect dress. She didn't even care whether anyone else liked it. This was the dress that felt like hers. She spun in the mirror and watched the train bunch around her feet as she did. The beading was beautiful with swirling patterns and details that brought the whole look together.

By the time she came out of the dressing room, she was already crying, which was weird because she'd never been an overly emotional person. But this was all so overwhelming. And part of her was sad the man she would be sharing it with was not the love of her life. A business arrangement was not what she'd imagined her wedding to be. But she told herself it would all be worth it. Maybe she wouldn't find the love of her life in a man. Maybe she'd find it in her child instead.

From the phone in Meredith's hand, Clara heard her sister say, "That's the one!"

Everyone else agreed. "It's gorgeous!" Patty said.

"And avant-garde," Meredith added.

It really was the one, Clara thought. She couldn't have had a better dress made for her. "What's the price tag on this one?" she asked the shop assistant.

The woman seemed surprised to have been asked. "Oh, one moment." The prices weren't dangling from the dresses like they were in the stores Clara had been to in the past. But the shop assistant came back with a small slip of paper, which she then handed to Clara.

Clara's eyes went wide as saucers. The dress cost as much as a luxury car, maybe even a small house. Her heart sank. "Do you have a cheaper one that's kind of similar?"

Again, the shop assistant tried to hide her shock. Meredith stood and handed Clara's cellphone to Patty. "Hold this for me, will you? I have to have a brief conversation with our bride." She grabbed Clara by the elbow and gently led her back into the changing rooms.

"What?" Clara asked. "What did I do?"

Meredith shook her head, and her ringlets bounced with the motion. She really was so well put together. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's just something I think you may not understand. Or maybe it just hasn't sunk in yet. You are marrying Luis Morales. You never have to look at another price tag. You don't have to worry about how much anything costs. If you want it, get it. I promise Luis would want you to have it. He's quite generous with family, which is what you will become shortly. Anyway, you choosing the most expensive dress in the shop will only make you look like a properly sophisticated bride to anyone who actually cares. His peers are sure to be impressed."

Clara's cheeks warmed. It was so obvious when she thought about it. Of course she didn't need to worry about money anymore. It was just a habit she couldn't seem to break. "It just… all feels like a dream, I guess. This can't be real."

"Oh it's real, sister. You want this dress? It's yours. You want a twenty-tier cake with every flavor the shop can make? Take it. You're supporting their businesses. Trust me, they'll love you for it. If you treat them half as well as you treat Patty and me, you'll be worth a hundred of the kind of nasty, entitled clients they usually get. Just have fun with this. Think of it as a vacation you get to take for the rest of your life."

Clara thought she might burst into tears. Why was she so emotional right now? Maybe it was just because this was all happening so fast. "Can I give you a hug?" she asked Meredith. "You can say no, and I won't mind," she added.

"Of course you can! Come here." Meredith pulled Clara into her arms and squeezed her tight. "Everything's coming up roses for you, got it? And if this means you're going to be my boss along with Luis, everything's coming up roses for me and Patty, too. We're happy you're here. Don't you forget it. You're going to be a beautiful bride."