"Earth to Sara."
I turned around, startled. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?"
"I asked what you think of this dress." Tamara twirled. The mermaid tail on the bottom flared elegantly.
What did I think? I was being dragged all over town to plan a wedding I wasn't convinced I wanted. That's what I was thinking.
"It looks nice," is what I said instead.
I knew I should tell Tamara the whole proposal was a hideous mistake. My situation was a bit like a roller coaster. Right now, we were climbing at a gradual, steady pace toward the high point of the track. However, once we reached the apex gravity would take hold, and it would be impossible to stop. The problem was just one minor hitch. I couldn't decide if I should stop the roller coaster--or if I even wanted to.
If there ever a time in my life when I had felt more conflicted, I couldn't think of it. On one hand I felt a clear attraction to Tamara--at least, I enjoyed spending time with her. No, that wasn't quite it either. I set that aside for now and moved on. The thing I kept getting hung up on was how I had been inadvertently forced into this situation. At the same time, I didn't want to overreact. I couldn't ignore the possibility this was kismet. Perhaps we were meant to end up together. It had not been something I had seriously considered, but perhaps this was the push I needed.
"I hung a couple options on the door," Amber called from outside the fitting room.
"Thanks, Amber," Tamara called back.
And there it was. The real reason I was out shopping with Tamara instead of fessing up. Any other excuse was a sad attempt mask my denial. Ever since I had remembered the way Amber used to treat me, I had been afraid to be alone. The details were still fuzzier than I would have liked, but no amount of wishful thinking had helped bring further clarity.
"I'm not sure it's my style," Tamara mused, staring into the mirror intently. "Plus, it's too tight around my chest. Why don't you try it on? I bet it would look amazing on you."
"I don't know," I hesitated.
"Let me go find one in your size," Tamara insisted. It was probably my imagination, but it didn't seem like she was asking.
"Let Amber get it," I pleaded, not wanting to be alone with Amber for even a few minutes.
"You think you're being subtle, don't you?" Tamara said seriously. "I can see what's going on here."
"What," I asked, panicked. Had I given too much away? Perhaps it was better she finally know the truth anyway.
"You're trying to make a move on me." Tamara suddenly broke out into a grin.
"You got me! Guilty as charged," I forced a grin, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief.
*****
As I looked myself over in the mirror, Tamara's hands reached around my waist.
"You have never looked sexier," Tamara whispered, holding her body tightly against mine. I could feel her breasts pressing into my back.
"Really?" I asked, feeling unexpectedly flattered. I gave myself a twice over in the mirror.
"Really. This dress makes your hips look amazing. And the way to compliments your breasts," Tamara trailed off. "This is the one. This is your dress."
"I don't know," I hesitated.
"Sara, trust me. It's perfect for you."
"Well, maybe--"
"We can set it aside and keep looking, but trust me--this is the one."
*****
"Can you help me unzip this," I yelled through the wall. I took one last glance in the mirror and made my final mental notes. I closed my eyes and pictured myself in the dress walking down the aisle. I could almost picture Tamara standing at the altar. It wasn't an unpleasant image. Maybe I just needed a little more time to adjust to the idea.
As the fitting room door opened, I turned away from the mirror and scooted toward the wall so Tamara could fit. "I like the dress, but this veil is the worst one I've ever seen," I complained, giving my unsolicited feedback. "I can barely see through it."
I felt Tamara struggling with the zipper for a moment before managing to get it unfastened. "That is so much better," I sighed with relief. "That one is definitely going to need alteration."
I slid the dress down letting it fall to the floor. I was wearing only my panties, but it wasn't like Tamara hadn't seen my breasts before. On a whim, I reached down and pulled Tamara's hands to my bare chest.
"Take a good look. I probably shouldn't let you see these again until after the wedding," I laughed flirtatiously.
"Oh? But what would your wife think?"
I jumped, realizing the voice was not Tamara's. I tore the veil off my head and flipped around to see Amber standing close behind me.
"What are you doing?!" I gasped, trying to cover myself with my arm.
"You asked me to come in."
"I was talking to Tamara!"
"Well you never said that, did you," Amber asked pointedly.
"I didn't think I had to! Where is she, anyway?"
"She saw some tiaras she wanted to look at. I was just trying to be helpful."
"Well, you could have said something when I dropped my dress--or when I put your hands on my tits," I exclaimed. I was starting to get worked up.
"I could have, true," she laughed. "But if I'd said something when you started stripping, I wouldn't have gotten the chance to feel your breasts."
"That is exactly my point!" I exclaimed. "Now, can I please have some privacy?"
"That depends how you define privacy," Amber said, scooting closer to me. "Right now, this is very private. There is no telling how long Tamara will be distracted. And there is no one else in the store right now. In fact, I'd argue it's hard to get much more private than this."
"I meant, I want to be alone!"
