There’s no way in hell I’m wearing this piece of shit, she thought, picking up the next dress just as Kiera opened the door, peeking in.
“Kiera! I could be naked!”
“Whatever. Not like I haven’t seen you naked before. Anyway, here.” She shoved another dress into Olivia’s hands. “This is the one. Trust me.” She winked and returned to sit next to Melanie and Bridget.
Olivia looked over the dress in her hands. “Oh my,” she said under her breath. At times, it felt as if Kiera could read her mind. The dress was gorgeous. It was exactly what Olivia would have chosen herself.
She carefully put it on and stared into the mirror. “Holy crap.” She couldn’t believe her eyes. The sumptuous light champagne-hued dress had a low halter and clung to all her curves in the right way. The back of the silk gown was open, going down into a subtle V right above the beaded appliqué waist with a small chapel train trailing just slightly on the floor.
“It’s perfect,” Olivia said as she opened the door.
“You look absolutely ravishing, Libby!” Melanie squealed, jumping up from her seat. “You look like a movie star from the 1920s in that dress. It’s very Gatsby.”
“Let’s just hope that Alexander doesn’t meet the same fate as Jay Gatsby,” Kiera said as she adjusted the dress a bit.
“He used to be a Navy SEAL. As long as there’s no gun involved, I’m fairly certain he can handle a pool just fine. He can hold his breath underwater for five minutes or something like that,” Olivia remarked.
“Okay. Buy the dress and let’s go celebrate with some drinks!” Bridget clapped her hands in excitement.
Olivia nodded and the bridal consultant took down the necessary information she needed to fit the dress for her. It was finally starting to feel real. She was going to marry Alexander in just a few short months.
After enduring the tedious process of having every inch of her measured, Olivia and the rest of her entourage emerged from the boutique and clambered into the back of the large SUV.
“Did you find a dress, Miss Adler?” Marshall asked once all the girls were situated in the car.
“I did!” Olivia replied, rather excited.
“Where to now, ma’am?”
“Take us to the Green Dragon, please.”
The girls cheered. “This is going to be a fun afternoon!” Melanie exclaimed, oozing with enthusiasm as she bounced in her seat.
“I need a girl’s day with all of you!” Olivia admitted, finally feeling relaxed for the first time all day. Now that the pressure of finding a dress no longer hung over her head, she was looking forward to enjoying the afternoon with her friends.
After the short car ride toward the North End of Boston, Marshall pulled over on Congress Street, running to open the door for the girls, allowing them to exit onto the busy Boston street. “Go ahead,” Marshall said. “Carter is already inside, keeping an eye on things. I’ll be in after I park.”
Olivia nodded, thankful to actually have Carter and Marshall looking out for her after recalling Simon’s warning. The girls entered the old historic pub, nodding a greeting to Carter, who was sitting on a barstool near the entrance. They grabbed a high top table close to the bar and sat down to enjoy their afternoon of alcohol consumption. “You sit. Nature calls.”
Olivia began walking toward the back of the bar, not paying too much attention to where she was going, and slammed into a tall, hard body. “OH! I’m so sorry. Excuse me.” She didn’t look up and side-stepped the man, heading for the back hallway.
“Olivia? Is that you?” a soft voice said.
She spun around and her mouth dropped open in surprise. “Cam?! What are you doing here?!” She walked over to him and hugged him enthusiastically.
“Wow. You look so much better than you did…” He trailed off.
“It’s okay, Cam,” she assured him, placing her hand on his arm. “Things are much better than they were.”
“I’ve been wanting to get in touch with you and find out if everything was okay. I assumed that you worked things out with Alexander and that’s why I didn’t hear from you again.”
Olivia looked down at her feet, guilty that she didn’t at least get to thank the guy who pretty much saved her life. “I’m sorry. Alexander and I stopped at your house on our way out of town about a week later, but you weren’t there.”
Cam ran his fingers through his wayward sandy hair. “Yeah. I just needed to get out of town for a little bit,” he explained with a hint of sadness in his voice. “You know how that goes.” He raised his eyebrows.
Olivia nodded, remembering Cam telling her that he loved her just days before she was reunited with Alexander. “What are you doing here anyway?” she asked, wanting to change the subject.
“I’m here on a conference. The American Psychotherapy Association’s convention is here starting Monday. A few of us decided to come early to roam around the city. I’ve never been to Boston before. And the concierge at our hotel told us we couldn’t leave town without stopping here for a pint, although it seems like a tourist bar. What are you doing here?”
Olivia shrugged. “Even though I live here, I never really do the tourist thing. It’s nice to do it once in a while, especially on the weekends. It’s great for people watching.”
There was an awkward silence, neither one of them knowing how to act.
Cam cleared his throat. “I guess congratulations are in order.” He nodded his head toward her ring. “Elsie had mentioned something to that effect a few months back.”
She beamed. “Yes. I will be Mrs. Alexander Burnham come late August.”
“I’m happy for you, Olivia.” He wrapped his arms around her, struggling to maintain his composure. It felt as if his heart was just ripped from his chest. It was nice to see her happy, but he wished that he could be the one to put that spark back into her eyes. He knew he wasn’t what Olivia needed, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.
“Hey! Who’s this?” Kiera asked, sidling up next to where Cam stood.
“Kiera, this is Cam.”
She looked at Olivia, confused.
“You know… Dr. Cam.” She raised her eyebrows in a knowing manner.
“Oh!!! You’re so my new BFF!” Kiera exclaimed, nearly toppling him over and hugging him with all her strength.
Cam looked at Olivia, a surprised expression on his face from Kiera’s forwardness. Olivia simply shrugged. There was nothing she could do about Kiera.