Chapter 2

The night we went to pick out an outfit for our engagement photoshoot, Celine showed up 40 minutes late.

The clerk had already ironed the white dress twice.

When Celine finally arrived, Mike Young was right behind her. He had been her close friend since childhood, and he was also the person she cared about the most on this trip.

"I ran into Mike on the way. He happened to be looking for some clothes too, so I brought him along," Celine explained.

She took the glass of water the clerk handed her. "You don't mind, do you?"

Before I could answer, Mike smiled. "If Henry minds, I'll leave right now. I wouldn't want anyone talking about how I don't know where the boundary is."

He said he'd leave, but he was already sitting on the couch.

Celine frowned. "Don't mind Henry. He's still upset about the poll."

The clerk brought over two dresses, one cream-colored and the other light blue. "Your fiance picked the white one earlier. This gentleman picked out the other one. Which one would you like to try?"

"The light blue." Celine reached out for it. "Mike always had good taste."

The clerk glanced at me.

I had come in three days ago to get my measurements taken and pick out the style. Celine had thought that it was too much trouble and hadn't even looked at the photos closely.

When she stepped out of the dressing room, Mike walked over and adjusted her collar. "This color makes you look younger, and it'll keep the wedding photos from looking too formal."

Celine looked at herself in the mirror. "It really does look better than the white one."

"Then let's go with this one?"

"Let's do it."

I spoke up. "The white one was supposed to be for our engagement photoshoot."

Mike pulled his hand back. "Sorry. I forgot you were here."

After he said that, the store fell silent.

Celine looked at me, her tone carrying a warning. "Mike meant well. Don't take it the wrong way."

"I didn't say anything," I said.

"It's written all over your face." She walked over and gently smoothed my brow. "We're getting married soon. Don't always make everyone guess how you're feeling."

I moved her hand away. "Let's postpone the wedding."

Mike froze.

But Celine smiled instead, as if she had expected me to say it. "Fine. We'll postpone it."

She didn't even ask why. "How long do you want to wait? Until after the trip, or until you've cooled off?"

"I'm not throwing a fit," I said.

"Sure. You're not." She went along with me, but her expression said otherwise.

The clerk quietly asked if we still wanted the clothes.

Celine pulled out her bank card. "We'll take both."

"The white one too?" the clerk asked.

"Yeah. Henry likes it." She said it so naturally, as if buying the outfit I had picked somehow made up for everything.

After she paid, Mike got a call at the door.

He spoke to the person on the other end for a moment, then covered the phone. "Celine, they're asking how we're dividing the rooms at the beach."

"Didn't we have four rooms with two beds?" Celine asked.

"The hotel says the plumbing in one of the rooms broke. Now there are only three rooms with two beds and one with a king bed. The king room is an ocean-view suite."

Mike looked at me and joked, "We had an extra seat for our luggage, and now we've got an extra bed. Henry, want to come along after all?

"You'd have to share the suite with Celine, though."

Before Celine could answer, people on the other end of the line started chiming in.

"Come on. If he comes, we'll have to call it a night right on schedule."

"Let Mike stay in the suite. He's been down in the dumps lately."

"Then who's staying with Celine?"

Celine turned the speaker down, but didn't turn it off completely.

I heard my cousin, Yelena Lynch, say, "Who else? She has to pick between her fiance and her best friend."

Everyone looked at Celine.

Celine sighed. "Mike will get the suite. Yelena and I will share a room with two beds."

"What about Henry?" Mike asked.

"He wasn't going anyway," she answered too quickly.

The paper bag holding the white dress suddenly felt lighter in my hand.

The bottom had come loose.

The dress I had spent three days picking out fell to the floor. Someone walking past stepped on it, leaving a dusty footprint across half of it.

Celine bent down to pick it up, but a hotel reservation slipped out of her pocket.

The note on the reservation read, "Anniversary setup. Mr. Young likes white roses."