The woman said something in Chinese to Alex as she pulled the strings tight at the back of Alex's dress. "Babe! Come translate!" Alex yelled threw the changing room's curtain with her last breath, right before she was strapped into the dress so tightly she couldn't draw in another.
"Sorry" Chaoxiang slipped through the slit in the curtain. "I was talking to Wenyen about your schedule tomorrow." Chaoxiang was a handsome man. He was 26 years old and every bit of him looked like pure masculinity. He was broad shouldered and just under 6 feet tall. He had larger eyes than the average Asian man and a strong jawline. Thanks to his high school and college athletics career and his rigorous lifting regimen after college, he was also very well built. Alex's knees went weak every time she saw him dressed up. But not this time. Because he kept abandoning her at this stupid dress fitting for his stupid brother's wedding and she couldn't speak stupid Chinese.
"Will you ask her what she said? And tell her I can't breathe." Alex whined while the woman tied the dress off. Chaoxiang translated and Alex watched as they went back and forth, not having a clue what they were saying. They had been together for just over 3 years and she still hadn't learned Mandarin. Not for the lack of trying, but just a pure lack of talent and aptitude.
"Uhh, she said she has to pull it tight so you look, uh, smaller," he said carefully.
Alex spun around. "Did she call me fat? For fuck's sake I'm not fat just because I have an ass!" She knew that's what the lady was thinking since she had clicked her tongue at Alex when she wasn't able to step into any of the dresses and pull them up (they all got stuck at her thighs or butt) and instead had to go over her head and be pulled down (and some still got stuck at her chest).
"She didn't say fat!" He assured, throwing his hands up with his palms out. "She said big," he ignored Alex's snarling and pressed on. "You know how petite girls are here. And the other bridesmaids are really small too, just like Wenyen. Babe, you're not fat. You are beautiful and curvy and sexy. China just isn't used to that."
Alex turned to look in the mirror at herself. She wasn't fat, at least not in the United States. But she would admit that she was bigger than the average girl in Southern China. She had a flat stomach and muscular thighs, a large and perky behind that stuck out thanks to playing volleyball and running track in high school, and a full 34 D cup chest. Her body blossomed when she hit 18, and now at 24 years old she had a body that most women could only dream of. She went to the gym with Chaoxiang for 2 hours a day, five days a week to make sure of it. She was incredibly happy with her body, she had worked hard for it. But being 5'9" and curvy in China had her rethinking it. At least no matter the country she was in she was always happy with her face. She had light green almond shaped eyes, long lashes, full lips, and a cute little nose. With shoulder length rich brown hair, she really stood out in China. It wasn't hard to miss most lao wai but Alex, in particular, stuck out.
"Okay," Alex said. "This is fine I guess. But I'm losing this dress as soon as the wedding is over!"
Chaoxiang chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. She turned and kissed his cheek. "good couple, very cute" the woman said while giving a thumbs up before motioning for Alex to take the bridesmaid dress off.
--
Later in the car Chaoxiang gave Alex a rundown of the schedule in the back seat. "So tonight we are all going to KTV. It's gonna be basically Chan's bachelor party but Wenyen is going to be there too with her friends. So we're combining the bachelor and bachelorette party, pretty much."
"And don't worry," Chanming said from the driver's seat. "A lot of my friends who are coming I met at UC, so plenty of people will speak English!"
"Oh really? Who all is coming?" Chaoxiang asked. Chaoxiang and Chanming grew up in the United States together and were as inseparable as brothers could get. They even went to the same university together, University of Colorado in Boulder.
The Groom smirked and began listing off his friends. "Max, John, James, Donghai, Fang, Winston, Deshi-"
"Deshi? THE Deshi?" Chaoxiang interrupted, erupting into laughter. "Oh my god, this is going to be one hell of a party!" Chanming laughed as well, agreeing with his little brother.
Alex just looked at them questioningly.
"Oh, you'll see. The guy is legendary." Chaoxiang exclaimed.
"Yeah, his name literally means 'man of virtue' but this guy is anything but." Chanming laughed. "He's a rich pretty boy who is known for being an insane partier and crazy perverted!"
Chaoxiang leaned back and sighed. "But my god can he pull girls. He's the textbook definition of a playboy. What was his count at in college? Like 150?" He asked Chanming. Alex choked on her water and dropped the bottle.
"He's slept with 150 girls? Oh my god!" She spluttered through her coughing fit.
Chanming smirked again. "Probably way more than that now. The kid is good looking and not to mention he's our wealthiest friend. You thought our family had money, this guy puts our parents' fortune to shame!" Alex couldn't even imagine. She already couldn't wrap her head around Chaoxiang's parents' money (mostly because Alex and Chaoxiang have never seen any of it since they live in the US) so she definitely couldn't comprehend this Deshi guy.
She only half listened as her fiancΓ© explained the schedule for the next day. Traditions, pictures, wedding ceremony, reception, bar. She had the jist of it.
--
"You ready?" Chaoxiang yelled through the bathroom door. Alex and Chaoxiang were back at Chanming's place getting ready for KTV, karaoke in private rooms with KTV girls who are paid to drink and party with you. Chanming's place was nice. His parents bought him a few apartments and one house in China, all expensive. It was one of their ways of trying to get Chaoxiang to move to China. They let Chanming live a luxurious life in China, but wouldn't allow the same for Chaoxiang in America. Alex and Chaoxiang didn't care though. He had started a company shortly after they started dating and she worked for it. It wasn't even three years old yet but was growing incredibly fast. They didn't live luxuriously, but they definitely lived well.
"Ready." Alex checked her makeup in the mirror one last time. A dark smoky eye look to really make her green eyes pop. Her brown hair was in waves. She was wearing a black sleeveless shirt covered in silver studs, it's neckline just low enough to show the curve of her breasts but not low enough to show cleavage. The shirt was tight at the bottom to show her trim waist and flat stomach (she'd be damned if anyone else thought she was fat) and looser at the top to allow room for her bust. Tight black skinny jeans that hugged her hips and ass with silver zippers on the pockets. Finished with black heeled boots with green and sliver studs. She wasn't one to brag but she looked damn sexy tonight. She opened the door.
"Shit," Chaoxiang breathed. She smiled and kissed him. "I fucking love you."
She smirked. "I love fucking you, oops" she covered her open mouth as if she were embarrassed. He kissed her again before Chanming called for them. They both left the private bathroom that was in their room, walking into the marbled hallway to head to the front door.
"WOW" Wenyen exclaimed. "American girls sure are different!" she had been learning English for the last two years but still had an adorable thick accent.
"Xiexie" Alex giggled. They all walked into the entryway, locking the door behind them. While in the private elevator to head down to the lobby Chaoxiang asked his brother what the plans were for the friends who came from out of town.
"Well we have an extra room besides yours, so I figured two people could stay there, we can fit three people on couches, and then we got six hotel rooms too for everyone else." Chanming answered.
"Who is staying at your place?" Chaoxiang asked. Chanming just shrugged. He wasn't the best planner. As could be told by the last-minute bridesmaid dresses. Alex just shook her head and laughed. Typical Chan.
--
The KTV room was packed when they got there. All of Chanming's and Wenyen's friends were there and they had already chosen around ten KTV girls to party with. Shots were lined up on the tables, two guys were enthusiastically singing a song, and two large groups of people were huddled around coffee tables playing dice games.
"YO WHAT UP?" Chanming called as he strutted into the room, chest puffed out. A chorus of 'heys!' and cheers met them.
A tall broad guy walked up to them and started saying stuff in Chinese. Chanming laughed and shrugged while Chaoxiang blushed. "What?" Alex asked. She hated not being able to understand Chinese.