Page 2 of Something Borrowed

ChapterOne

“I can’t find it!”Kailey shrieked, rummaging through the drawer and tossing things behind her onto thebed.

“Calm down,” Adrianna knew her best friend was prone to hysterics, but her wedding day was just not the time for them. “I’ll find it. Why don’t you do sit over there and wait until they’re ready to do your makeup?” She tried to keep her voice level as she blatantly told the bride to chill the fuckout.

Kailey nodded, her mouth set in a thin, angry line. “Fine, but I can’t go out there without my something borrowed!” Picking up the bottom of her Vera Wang gown, she glided effortlessly over to the white wicker chair next to the mirror where the other bridesmaids were having their makeupdone.

Letting out a small sigh of relief, Adrianna pushed back her bangs and lifted her lavender dress up so she could walk without worry to the drawer. Kailey had left it open, and it wasn’t shocking that Kailey had been unable to find the small diamond earrings from her mother. For months, Adrianna had been telling Kailey to stop wearing them daily. Yet, it wasn’t so easy to take off the only piece left of her mother, which is what Kailey had told her everytime.

The drawer was an accumulation of all things wedding. From color swatches to hairstyle clippings from magazines and floral sketches to business cards, it had all been dumped into this one drawer in the master bedroom of Kailey’s parent’s house. As Adrianna sifted her hands through the paperwork, she focused her sense of touch on anything that wasn’t paper, in case her eyes missedthem.

“Have you found them?” Kailey’s voice echoed through the room now that she sat in the on suite bathroom having her makeup and hairdone.

“Not yet,” she called back, digging her way deeper into the drawer. “I saw you put them in her last night.”

“I can’t believe we got that drunk,” commented Lauraina, a bridesmaid.

If she were honest, neither could she. It had seemed like the only solution to the growing problem of Kailey’s bridezilla-ness at the time, and it probably had been. With a quick call to an Uber, they’d loaded in and had gone to the Crown and Anchor, a local bar just on the point. Six shots in and the groom's party had shown up. Which had meant Kailey had freaked over Jim, her fiancé, seeing her the night before the wedding, and that ultimately lead to at least four more shots of vodka.

At nearly four in the afternoon, as far as Adrianna could tell, everyone’s hangover had vanished thanks to many protein shakes and more than a handful of trips to the bathroom worshipping the porcelaingod.

“Aha!” She called in triumph as a business card for a bakery slid to the left, revealing the interlocked diamond stud earrings. Grasping them, she held them above her head and waved her hand. “I’ve gotthem.”

“That’s why you’re my Maid of Honor!” Kailey shouted, this time with a childlike glee and a huge smile on herface.

Crisis averted, she thought with a sigh of relief. She loved Kailey like a sister, but her best friend had more than a slight tendency to the melodramatic. A trait that almost got her murdered by her wedding party at least three times in the past as planning occurred. With just an hour until the wedding, Adrianna was praying absolutely nothing else went wrong, she wasn’t confident anyone would surviveit.

Clutching the earrings in a fist, she lifted her dress with the other and sidestepped around various shoes, bras and underwear to get to Kailey. She paused, forgetting what she had wanted to say as she looked at her friend.

“You’re beautiful. The most perfect bride ever to get married in all of New Orleans.”

Kailey’s dark hair had been curled, then swept to the side allowing the curls to trail over her shoulder. While the makeup wasn’t finished, the smoky brown eye makeup was bringing an extra sparkle to her hazel eyes. The gown was vintage, a sweetheart top covered with lace that was set with sequins, beads and small pearls.

Her gaze glanced up to the mirror, showing her side swept blonde hair and equally shimmery makeup. The thin halter straps of the gown disappeared under her side ponytail, and the dress seemed to perfectly elevate her rather ample bosom. She might not be the bride, but she had probably not looked this done up since their prom ten years ago. Kailey had gone to great lengths to make certain that none of them looked ugly because they would all be in her wedding photos.

“I hope you mean that,” Kailey said, though there was none of her usual bite. Worry lines marred the otherwise perfect surface of her forehead as a powder brush dusted across herface.

“I absolutely mean it. You, Kailey Donovan, are getting married when the sun sets and you look stunning.”

Kailey flushed but smiled. “Do you think Jim will like the dress?” She sounded slightly like a young child seeking approval from a parent or teacher.

“I think he’ll love it as much as he loves you.” She walked to stand on the opposite side of the makeup artist and began to unscrew the earrings. “I know every part of you wants to keep worrying, but you don’t need to Kailey. Your father already reported that everything is perfect. All that’s left is for you to breathe and get ready to start life as Kailey Smartel.” As she spoke, she was putting Kailey’s earrings on and slipped out from the side of the chair.

“I know I was a bit of a bitch,”

“A bit?” Ginger called out from somewhere in the bedroom with a laugh.

“All right, a colossal, building-trampling Godzilla of a bride. I appreciate each and every one of you for dealing withme.”

“That’s all right. We end when the ceremony stops, Jim’s got a lifetime of it.” Adrianna smirked at her friend.

A knock on the door drew a shriek from Kailey, who attempted to leap out of the chair and only succeeded in slamming into the makeup tray and launching eyeshadows and brushes to the floor. “My dress!” she squealed and promptly dropped her head to make certain none of the shimmering shadow had landed anywhere but the makeup apron.

“Kailey,” Harry’s Donovan’s voice drifted through the thick door. “Kailey, Jim has sent me with a message.”

“Oh my God,” Kailey breathed, her voice shrill with panic.

Not wanting another shot at World War III, Adrianna quickly opened the door and slipped out, closing it behindher.

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