The Perfect Dress

Abby sighed. Trying to plan a wedding with Carter was impossible. They were sitting in his apartment, planning, but he had no focus whatsoever. "We want a small wedding, right?" Abby asked quizzically.
"Right. The less people my mother can pack into the guest list, the better." Carter replied.
"I just want people I actually know there. I’ll be nervous enough." Abby said, shaking her head.
"You’ll be the perfect blushing bride." Carter commented, taking her hand in his.
Abby laughed and squeezed his hand. "I hope so. So what do you think about these napkin patterns?"
Carter stared at the patterns blankly. "They all look the same to me."
Abby looked at him slyly. "You know, Luka was so much more helpfu-"
That sprung Carter into motion, hurryingly looking over the patterns again. "I like the blue." He stammered.
"Thank...you...." Abby said in a innocent sing-song voice.
Carter, stilling making an attempt to look interested, asked, "So what else do we have to do?"
"Well, I need a dress..."
"Oh no you don’t..."
Abby giggled. "C’mon!" She said, elbowing him in the ribs.
"Maybe asking you to marry me wasn’t such a good idea..."
"Don’t push it, buddy." Abby warned, laying a kiss on his lips. She studied him for a minute, smiling at her. Abby couldn’t remember anyone look at her like Carter did. "You don’t have to come."
"I’m just kidding around, of course I’ll come, Abby."
"Thanks." Abby leaned in for another kiss.
"Do I get to watch you change?"
"Don’t even think about it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How about this one?" Abby stepped out of the dressing room on the bridal boutique they were at downtown. She was wearing a short sleeved wedding dress which was composed mostly of small pearls and sequins.
"I don’t like it as much as the last one." Carter replied, fiddling with a pen.
Abby twirled in front of the full-length mirror. "Neither do I." She turned to face him. "Are you bored yet?"
"Immensely."
"Good. Man, this thing is uncomfortable. I’ll be back." Abby walked back to the dressing room.
She emerged a few minutes later in a basic white silk dress with spaghetti straps.
"That’s pretty." Carter commented.
"Well, I’d like it if we were going to get married on the beach..." Abby responded.
"Want to do that?" Carter asked innocently.
Abby giggled, then thought about it for a minute. "Hmmmm....we’ll have to consider that." She said before whirling back to the dressing room.
"You’ve tried on at least a million dresses by now, there has to be at least one you like." Carter whined.
He heard Abby’s voice come from the dressing room. "But, I want the perfect dress."
"You’ll look perfect in any dress."
"You just have to say that because I’d get mad at you if you didn’t."
"Well....yeah..." He could almost see Abby rolling her eyes and laughed to himself. Then he heard Abby yell out in excitement. "What?" He called out, rising from his chair.
"I found a dress!" He heard Abby call from her dressing room.
"Well, let me see..." Carter said, waiting in anticipation.
"Uh, no." Abby replied.
"What?!" Carter said incredulously.
"You can’t see the perfect dress. Then it won’t be a surprise when you see it on the day of the wedding. I wouldn’t get to see your jaw drop." Abby said teasingly, yet logically.
"Then why did you bring me?!"
Abby emerged from the dressing room with the clothes she had on when they had gotten there. "To keep me company while I was searching for my dream dress."
Carter nodded. "Very sneaky."
"I know."
"You know I’ll have to punish you..."
"I like the sounds of that."
"Oh just you wait..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Early the next morning Abby was in the kitchen making breakfast when the doorbell rang. "Just a minute..." She walked over to the door and opened it.
"Julie?"
"Abby!"
Abby was swept up in a hug by her old friend she had called a week ago, saying she was going to get married. Again.
"Jules, I can’t believe you’re here!"
"Well, I couldn’t wait until the wedding to see you again! And meet your new man..." She grinned. "It’s not a problem that I came, is it?"
Abby shook her head and pulled Julie into the apartment, shutting the door behind them. "Of course not. You’re always welcome, you know that."
"So how have you been?"
Abby laughed. "Great. Everything’s wonderful. You?"
Julie took a breath. "I made the partnership!" She said excitedly, referring the law firm she worked for.
Abby squealed, gathering her friend in a hug again. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks."
Abby released Julie and giggled softly. "We should be quiet, John’s still sleeping."
"He’s HERE!?" Julie said enthusiastically.
"Yeah..."
"Can I see him?"
"Can’t you wait until he gets up."
"No!"
Abby sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine." She dragged Julie to the bedroom and softly opened the door. John was laying in the bed, covers twisted around, half off him, in his boxers.
"Ooo, good job Abby!" Julie whispered.
Abby blushed. Julie studied him.
"What’s he like?"
"What?!"
"Not in bed!"
"Oh. He’s very sweet. And kind. I was dating someone else, and well, I was about to marry him and then John burst in and got me to run off with him...And I love him. More than anyone else I’ve loved. He’s the best thing that could have happened to me."
"You were going to get married and you didn’t invite me? I’m hurt, Abby."
"I didn’t invite hardly anyone. Just people from where we worked...my mom...no one. I don’t know why. I guess I didn’t find it important. Sorry. But I told you about the wedding that I’m actually going to go through with..." Abby replied, struggling for words. "The truth is, I didn’t love that person, and I love this one. I don’t know why I didn’t chose him in the first place. I was confused, I guess."
Julie listened quietly. "He loved you so much he made you run off with him in the middle of your wedding to someone else? That’s so romantic. Why won’t guys do that for me?"
A small smile played on Abby’s face. "It was surreal, believe me."
"Oh look, he’s moving, let’s go!" Julie gasped and ran off to the living room again, Abby right behind.
When they got there they collapsed on the couch. Julie stole a look at Abby and they burst into giggles.



John laid back in the bed, staring at the ceiling and smiling in satisfaction. He was so good at pretending he was sleeping. It was fun laying there listening to Abby chat about him to her girlfriend. He wished he could have opened his eyes. Abby must have been so beautiful. She always was in the mornings. So natural.
"I should have jumped up and scared them..." He thought to himself, snickering silently.

Night...

Abby and John laid in bed, discussing their day.
"So what do you think about Julie?" Abby asked him.
"She’s sleeping in the other room, I don‘t know how much I should say. Maybe she’s spying on us. Just like you two were this morning." Carter replied.
"You were awake?!" Abby said, surprised.
"Of course I was."
"You sneaky little devil."
"I was just glad I was wearing underwear."
Abby giggled into his chest. "So was I." She confided. "I don‘t think Julie would have minded though."
She paused. "So you never answered my question. What do you think of her?"
"She’s great. I like her."
"That’s good."
"Mmm, I’m so tired. Julie made me take her EVERYWHERE today." Abby commented. "Although I haven’t even been to half of the places I took her."
"Hey, speaking of taking people places, where do you want to go on our honeymoon?" Carter questioned.
"Honeymoon?" Abby said eagerly.
"Of course."
"I didn’t know we were going to go on a honeymoon."
"That’s crazy, a week off work, in a hot place, hopefully, with the woman I love. The idea of not going on one is ridiculous."
Abby thought for a minute. "Definitely somewhere hot."
"Hey, how about you leave the honeymoon up to me, and that will be my surprise for you. Since you already know what I look like in a tux." Carter responded.
"That sounds like a good idea." Abby said from far off, cuddling up to him, already starting to fall asleep in his arms. "Good night, baby."
"Night beautiful." Carter whispered back before drifting off himself.