Page 102 of Grand Love

“Nothing you haven’t seen before,” she quips.

“Bloody hell. Slow down or you’ll fall and rip it.” Lucy grabs the dress and holds it out for her to step into.

“You didn’t wait for me!” Scarlet accuses, stepping into the room with a bottle of champagne and four flutes.

“I did!” I tell her, taking the glasses and setting them down on the table.

“What happened to your hair?” I ask her, frowning at the loose tendrils.

“My hair?” She looks into the free-standing mirror. “Oh crap.” She laughs, releasing the messy bun and restyling it. “I caught it on the doorknob in the kitchen.”

“Scar, this is yours!” Lucy grins, thrusting the bag at her.

She takes it, swapping it for a glass of champagne. “Megan, you look unreal!” She looks at me quickly before taking a sip of champagne.

“Thanks, Scar. I feel incredible.”

Megan looks genuinely choked up, and so she should. She isn’t a frilly dress kind of girl, but this dress, it’s like it was made for her.

“Lucy, you’re a damn genius. Girls, put yours on. I need to see!” I tell them.

“Okay, I will do mine next.” Scarlet takes another sip from her flute then disappears around the back of the divider.

“You were my biggest challenge, Scar,” Lucy calls to her. “I wasn’t sure what you’d normally pick.”

“Lucy…”

“Oh, you hate it.” Lucy’s eyes go wide as she looks at me in panic. “I can see what else we have in the shop.”

“I fucking love it.” Scarlet steps out from behind the divider. “What did you do?!”

Lucy’s hands go to her face as she takes in Scarlet’s silk-clad form. “What did I do!”

“It’s purple,” I state in awe.

“It’s periwinkle,” Lucy corrects, smoothing out the hem. “I knew you’d wear this well, but wow, Scar. You look beautiful.”

“I love it. Thank you so much, Lucy.”

She moves to the full-length mirror, smoothing her hands down her waist. It’s not tight to her body, but still fitted enough to show off her slender body.

“Come on, you, it’s our turn.” Lucy grabs my hand and my dress, pulling me behind the divider.

“Don’t be mad at me, okay? You have to give it a chance.”

“What does that mean? Will I not like it?”

“Just have an open mind. Here, help me into mine and then I’ll help you.”

Lucy’s dress is everything I’d expect it to be. Gold, covered in rhinestones and sequins, and tight to her every curve. It’s high at the neck and has a gaping back. It’s understated elegance at its finest, and Lucy to a T.

“You look gorgeous.”

“I know.” She smiles cheekily over to me. “I had my eyes on this one for fashion week but I knew I had to wear it to the ball.” She reaches up and unzips my garment bag. “Your turn.”

“God.” I start to sweat, bouncing on the balls of my feet as she lowers the zip. “Oh… Oh.”

“Try it on, okay? Give it a chance.”

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