Unforgettable Embrace (23 page)

"It's a lifetime's work," Liz had laughed.

"It's amazing," Jen said, "are you sure you don't mind me taking your ideas?"

"Not at all," Liz said, "you're getting married, who knows if I ever will."

"Course you will," Rachel said, "if that's what you want."

Jen walked out of her cubicle. Liz and Rachel gasped when they saw her.

"That's the dress," they said together.

She was an absolute vision of loveliness. The dress was cream, off the shoulder, with long lace sleeves. It had been hand made from the finest silk and lace. The waist was cinched emphasising Jen's slender figure, and the skirt gently skimmed her body. The line of the dress was nothing other than exquisite. Nothing had been spared in the structure and the detail which provided the perfect cut and fit. The dress had an inbuilt corset which resulted in a streamlined silhouette, not that Jen's figure needed any streamlining, but the dress somehow enhanced her shape.

The veil was made of the finest lace netting and was attached to a tiny, glittering tiara.

The dress had an understated elegance and refinement which suited Jen perfectly. Jen's long dark hair and lightly tanned skin were perfectly accentuated against the paleness of the dress and veil.

"You look like an angel," Rachel sighed.

"Do you think I need to lose a little weight?" Jen asked doubtfully.

"Not one ounce," Liz said emphatically.

"You look perfect just the way you are," the sales lady volunteered, also gazing in awe at Jen. "Thanks girls, looks like we've found my dress," Jen smiled around the group.

"What about you ladies, any luck on finding your dresses?" the sales lady asked with just the faintest hint of sarcasm in her tone.

Liz and Rachel shuffled slightly and said "no luck for us just yet, thanks you anyway."

They left the boutique with the beautiful dress wrapped in layer after layer of chiffon-light paper.

"I can't believe it fit me perfectly, no alterations required," Jen said, thrilled with her dress, "and what makes it even more perfect, if that's possible, is that the dress was made by
an Irish designer."

"The head-dress is gorgeous too," Rachel said, "you could even have it as a keepsake to hand down to your daughter when she gets married."

"Steady on Rach, one step at a time, let's get me married first before we start thinking of head-dresses for my future daughter."

"I can't believe you thought you needed to lose weight!" Liz exclaimed.

"Yeah," Rachel piped up, "if you got any skinnier you'd disappear."

"Most brides go on a diet before their big day," said Jen.

"Trust us, you don't need to lose any weight whatsoever," Liz said.

"Ok, enough about diets, we have shoes to buy," Rachel said in excitement.

"I'll just get some ordinary white shoes. I don't want to spend a fortune on them, after all I'm only going to wear them for one day and they're going to be hidden under my dress anyway." Rachel looked horrified, "how can you say that?! Shoes maketh the woman and the outfit. My God, woman, it's the most important day of your life and you don't want to spend money on shoes! Well, I can tell you now, missy, we are going straight to House of Fraser and buying the prettiest pair of white or cream Louboutins we can find; my treat. I cannot let my friend get married in cheap, tacky shoes. I'd never be able to look my own collection of shoes in the eye again if I committed such a sacrilege."

"I can't let you spend a small fortune on shoes for me," Jen said.

"Yes, you can," Rachel insisted, "it would be my pleasure."

"I'll chip in too," Liz offered.

"Excellent, then it's decided, House of Fraser here we come."

The three friends pushed their way through the crowds of Christmas shoppers that thronged the streets. Everyone was in panic mode, buying the last few presents as there were only three shopping days left before December twenty fifth, but the girls were on a mission to buy wedding shoes. Rachel led the way into the warm and merry atmosphere of House of Fraser. Mariah Carey's "Oh Holy Night" was blasting from the shop speakers and the girls couldn't help singing along.

"I've missed shopping," Rachel said, "especially shoe shopping. It's all well and good getting back to nature and everything but you can't beat a bit of shopping with friends."

"I dunno how you survived in the campervan," Jen said, "I'd feel totally isolated."

"Me neither," Liz piped up, "I wouldn't know what to do without my hair straighteners. My head would be a total fuzz ball without them."

Liz was a typical girly girl. She had a curvaceous, hour glass figure and had very expensively highlighted light blonde hair, not quite platinum as she had a few ash tones as lowlights to break up the paleness of the blonde. She spent a fortune on her hair and was always on the lookout for the next miracle conditioner. She had an appointment booked at the hairdressers to get her roots done every three weeks as she co
uldn't stand her darker hair peeking through her parting. The effect was stunning, even strangers came up to her on the street and asked where she got her hair done. It was expertly layered and hung perfectly just below her shoulders. She had pink cheeks and bright blue eyes.

She reminded Rachel of the milk maid in the nursery rhyme, of course she'd never say that to Liz, who would have been highly offended at the comparison. She dressed in a very girly manner, always wore dresses and little cardigans and everything was matching.

Even today, she was wearing an immaculate cream coat, tied at the waist to emphasise her figure, a blue and white striped cashmere cardigan, cream silk blouse and a navy blue silk embroidered scarf which was elegantly knotted at her neck. A black pencil skirt and black tights with black suede knee high boots completed the outfit. Rachel thought she looked a little too prim and proper sometimes, but nonetheless she admired her friend's style.

"Can I help you ladies?" an overly exuberant sales assistant pounced on them the minute they arrived in the shoe section.

Rachel hated it when they hardly gave you a second to get your bearings.

She often found herself getting into a fluster, but today she was on a mission for her friend so she said quite curtly "just looking, thanks."

The sales assistant scuttled off to bother someone else. Rachel sighed, taking in all the different styles of shoe. She didn't know where to begin, and was finding it difficult to focus on the task at hand.

"Hello, Rachel, earth calling, some help please," Jen nudged her friend out of her pleasant daydream.

"Let's narrow our choices, Jen. The question is do you want an ankle strap or peep toe, a classic stilletto style or something more comfortable, even though comfort isn't really a word that's associated with Louboutins."

"Well, I'd like a shoe that wasn't too high, after all I'll be on my feet a lot on the day and I don't want to be completely crippled. I think I'd like a classic court style, closed toe and a medium heel if possible."

"The choice is mind-boggling," Liz said, surveying row after row of shoes in every colour, style and heel height imaginable.

"Leave me to it," Rachel said, "you two sit there and chat and I'll pick some shoes that I'm sure you'll love, Jen."

Rachel lovingly touched the fabrics and heels of pair after pair of Louboutins.

She finally settled upon two shoes, one was a classic court style, as Jen had requested. It was cream in colour, closed toe with the traditional red sole that was Louboutin's signature. The other pair was a blush coloured peep toe shoe with a rosebud on the side, made of satin material. Rachel couldn't resist it, even though Jen had said no peep toes. She went back to the girls with her finds, who exclaimed in delight when they saw the sheer beauty of the shoes.

"They are divine!" Jen shrieked.

"You don't have to tell me, you're preaching to the well and truly converted," Rachel said.

"I have to admit that I'm loving the peep toes," Liz said.

"Me too," Jen agreed, "I know I said no peep toes, but they might be worth the pain cos they're absolutely gorgeous."

Jen slid her feet into the shoes, her feet were immediately transformed.

"Wow!" Jen and Liz exclaimed.

"Exactly," Rachel smiled, "wow is the only word for these little gems."

"They must cost a fortune," Jen said, "I can't let you two pay for these, it's way too much." "Don't worry about the price," Liz said, "you only get married once."

"It will be our pleasure," Rachel said.

"I don't want to take them off," Jen laughed.

"We've done so well today," Rachel said as they made their way back in
to the madness outside. "I know. I can't believe I have my wedding dress and shoes all sorted," Jen smiled at her two friends, "thanks so much for your help girls and for the Louboutins, of course."

"Our pleasure," Liz said, "now I don't know about you two but I would love some mulled wine and a hot dog."

The German Christmas market was in town, they'd arrived the middle of November and were staying until the New Year. They made the city feel even more Christmassy than usual. There were lots of stalls lining the main street, selling traditional Christmas goods and food. The wonderful smell of mulled wine and cinnamon filled the air. The girls ordered their mulled wine and huddled together for more warmth.

It was the coldest December recorded for many years and there was a frosty bite in the air. Rachel inhaled deeply, savouring the aroma of the warm wine.

"Best smell in the world," she said, taking a large gulp.

"You two must come around to my house tomorrow," Liz invited her friends, "I'm spending the day wrapping my presents. I'll be making a big pot of mulled wine and baking mince pies and I certainly don't want to be left alone with all that temptation. I'd probably end up very drunk and very sick."

"It's a date then," Rachel said.

"Cheers to that," Jen chimed in.

Chapter 32

"It's like a winter wonderland outside," Rachel exclaimed as Liz opened the front door to let her friends in from the cold.

"The frost from last night hasn't thawed yet and there's snow predicted for tonight," Jen said. "Come on in from the cold girlies," Liz said, leading her friends through to her living room, "mulled wine anyone?"

"Yes, please," Rachel and Jen said, shivering as they slowly started to defrost from the cold. They stood in front of Liz's electric fire which was turned up full blast, glad of the heat. It had taken them two hours to get to Liz's place. Rachel had spent ages de-icing the windscreen and it took the engine a while to start.

She'd arranged to collect Jen on the way to Liz's as Jen hated driving in the frost. The mini had crawled along the road at thirty kilometres an hour as they didn't want to risk a skid. Of course, when they needed it most, the heater in the mini had decided to have a hissy fit and not work, so the two girls had had a teeth-chattering drive to their friend's house.

"I still can't feel my toes," Jen complained.

"Me neither," Rachel said.

They were both still wrapped up in their hats, scarves and gloves.

"Here, get this down your necks," Liz said, handing her friends two piping hot mugs of gorgeous smelling mulled wine.

"Much better," Rachel said, having necked her first mug, and quickly pouring herself a second helping.

"It's lovely and cosy here, Liz," Jen said, taking in her friend's home.

Liz's was the ground floor apartment in a three story block of six apartments, which looked like they were part of one large house. Liz had moved to Dickinson Heath the previous year. Dickinson Heath was a new village, created for young professionals. Jen and Rachel jokingly called it toy town, because everything was just so picture perfect in the red bricked village. There was a trendy bar and restaurant, high-end hairdressers and the usual supermarket, chemist and village amenities.

Liz's apartment was her pride and joy, even if she was paying an exorbitant mortgage to live there. The apartment had a large living room cum dining and kitchen area, with two bedrooms, one ensuite and a large bathroom. She used the spare bedroom as an exercise room, and she had her treadmill and portable television there.

"It's the perfect size for me," she said, "even though I like living on my own, it's nice to know that there are other people close by."

Liz had really made a huge effort decorating the apartment for her first Christmas there. There was a gorgeous, six feet tall white tree in the middle of the living room, with fairy lights twinkling on and off. She already had lots of expensively wrapped presents under the tree which shone beneath the lights. Tinsel in colours of red, silver, green and gold was wrapped around every nook and cranny, even around the outline of the Samsung plasma television set. The room was enveloped in the tantalising smells of cinnamon, mulled wine and mince pies.

The whole scene was wonderfully cosy and festive. Rachel breathed a contented sigh as she took it all in.