Page 30 of Falling for My Best Friend's Dad
My mouth falls open with surprise. I haven’t told her about what happened between Richard and me, because I haven’t come up with a good way to do it. My palms sweat and I chuckle nervously, “what are you talking about?”
She rolls her eyes. “Kayla! I thought we had no secrets between us. Do you think I’m blind? The way he looks at you is different! And so is the way you avoid looking at him.”
Damn. I forgot how observant Ivy could be. I haven’t done a good job hiding my emotions. But why is there a need to hide the fact from my best friend? I really shouldn’t.
I take a deep breath before I confess. “Yes, we’ve been together for…about two weeks.”
“I knew it!” she squeals. The grin on her face looks as she’s just gotten an early Christmas gift. “Tell me more!”
“Well. It sort of began after I quit my last day job. There was a storm the other night and my car battery died, so I ended up staying in your house,” I say, skipping the details.
Ivy giggles. “Thank God for the storm and the dead battery, Kayla!”
I blush. She just spoke my thoughts out loud. “But Ivy, don’t make a big deal out of it, please.”
Her smile fades somewhat. “What do you mean? Itisa big deal. It’s my dream coming true. My best friend is going to become my stepmom!”
I laugh. “Thank you, Ivy. You’ve just made my day. But I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
“Why? You don’t like my dad enough to marry him? Is it just for sex?” She looks at me wide-eyed. “Jeez. I didn’t know you were that wild!”
“I’m not!” I protest. “We haven’t had real … sex yet. He wants to make sure it’s what I want. But I think the real reason is he still loves your mom.”
“Oh!” Ivy holds my hand. “Are you jealous of my mom?”
“No! What I’m saying is I don’t think your dad will ever get over your mom.”
“He will never,” Ivy says. “But it doesn’t mean he can’t love you as much as, or more than, he loved her.”
“I’m not sure,” I say. “He says he wants to give me time to think it over, but I think he needs time. Anyway, just pretend you don’t know about this, okay?”
She pouts first, and then nods. “This is silly. It’s time for him to move on.”
I don’t get the chance to respond to her comment because the train arrives at our destination.
The ivory Vera Wang gown belonged to Olivia, but the skillful tailor changed the jewel neckline to off-the-shoulder, tightened the waistline, and added a lace topper. The moment Ivy comes out of the dressing room, my mouth drops. I always think Ivy pretty, but at the moment she looks like a model on a fashion magazine cover, an elegant and mature young woman I can hardly recognize.
“You look stunning.” I smile as I hold her hands and look her up and down.
She giggles and checks herself in the mirror. “It’s perfect, isn’t it? Thank you so much, Mr. Chang.”
Mr. Chang is a balding Chinese man in his sixties and a highly rated tailor on Yelp. He smiles proudly. “You’re very welcome, young lady. It’s my pleasure. The original dress is beautiful to begin with.”
“I’m so excited for you,” I say to Ivy on our way to the shops in Union Square. She’s been in love with Gavin since high school, and she’s never let another man distract her attention for a single moment.
“I’m overwhelmed,” she says, frowning a little. “It’s going to be a small wedding. We’ll have it on the vineyard instead of looking for a venue, but there’s still so much to do. We sent out the invitations, planned the menu, and hired the photographer and the band, over our spared time. But we still need to hire more servers and probably chefs and Gavin wants to build some gazebos in the garden for the wedding. I don’t think there’s enough time.”
“You see,” I say. “You should’ve listened to your dad.”
Richard suggested they waited until next spring or summer, but Ivy wouldn’t listen.
Ivy’s mouth falls. “Wow, you’re already on my dad’s side!”
I punch her arm playfully.
“Let’s get you a bridesmaid dress,” Ivy says.
“I’ve already got one,” I say. “I told you a month ago. I sent you photos.”
