PROMPT: "Becektt shopping for a wedding dress." (requested by anon)
RATING: K
WORD COUNT: 1,298
DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Unfortunately.
A/N: I really hope I did this justice. Technically, this is my first published Caskett fic. *nervous*
"This is so not the dress," Kate said, wrinkling her nose as she stared at herself in the mirror of the dressing room of the high end boutique.
"Let us see," Lanie's voice called from outside the curtain.
"No, it's that bad. You don't need to see this."
"You don't have a choice," Lanie, her maid of honor, said.
"It can't be that bad," another voice called out. Alexis.
Kate groaned, but stepped out of the dressing room, hands on her hips as she stood before them. On the hanger, the dress hadn't looked bad at all. It was halter style and, on a more endowed woman with broader hips, it would be very beautiful. But on Kate, with her long and lean build, it looked like a silk and taffeta sack.
"Oh, well, the beading is gorgeous," Jenny said. She was right. The intricate crystal beading was exquisite.
"Maybe it could be tailored?" Lanie offered, tugging the fabric tighter around Kate's waist from behind, which only served to cause the material to gape in an unflattering way.
"Mmm, no," Martha said, setting aside her glass of champagne. "Not with that beading. Besides, I don't think halter is the right neckline. You have a gorgeous décolletage, Kate. I say go strapless."
"Agreed," Alexis said. Lanie and Jenny both nodded in agreement.
Which is what Kate had said when Lanie had first handed her the halter style dress, but she decided to let it go. Kate faced the saleswoman. "So, strapless dresses?"
The saleswoman, Maggie, nodded, a smile blooming on her face. Kate had instantly liked the woman when she'd greeted the group of women. She wasn't pushy like the salespeople at the previous stores. And she seemed to actually care about matching each woman to their perfect dress, not making a commission. "I think I may know of the perfect dress," she said, then made her way towards the front area of the boutique.
Kate took the champagne flute that Lanie handed her and sipped. Ah, the perks of dress shopping with Castle's platinum credit card safely tucked in her wallet. Of course, she could wear a paper bag while they said their vows and still be happy, but he'd insisted that she not worry about the price tag. His exact words? "Follow your heart." She'd just rolled her eyes, but had taken the proffered card, secretly pleased. She'd never admit it allowed to anyone, but she had thought about her dream wedding, long before she'd even met Castle. She'd thumbed through bridal magazines, planned color schemes, the whole nine yards.
And of course Castle would insist on spending an exorbitant amount of money on their wedding. His reasoning had been that this was the only wedding Kate would have, and it was the last one he'd have. Because she was a "one and done" kind of girl, and he knew there'd never be another woman he'd want to marry. But his original budget, easily ten times the budget Kate had had in mind, had made her eyes bulge and the sip of coffee she'd just taken to end up all over both him and herself. After some coercion of a decidedly intimate nature, she'd managed to get him to agree to a less extravagant budget. It was still ridiculous to Kate, but she let him have it. And she may be getting a bit excited at the prospect of having the wedding of her dreams. Possibly.
She smiled in spite of herself. Who was she kidding? She was one lucky girl. And she wasn't talking about the yet-to-be-found dress or the wedding.
A gasp pulled Kate from her thoughts. She turned to see what had caught Martha's attention so fully. Kate and the others echoed Martha's sound of approval when they spotted Maggie. More specifically, when they spotted the dress she held. It was a shimmery white silk sheath gown with a corset bodice covered in more crystal beading and a short train. Strapless, of course.
"Oh," was all Kate could say as she studied the dress.
"You'll need help with the laces in the back," Maggie said. "Would you like to put it on and then step out so I can tighten and tie them?"
Kate nodded, taking the dress from the woman and hurrying into the changing room. She quickly shed the not-perfect-dress, making sure to take the time to replace it properly on the hanger. It may not be her perfect dress, but it was someone else's perfect dress.
Once she'd stepped into the new dress and pulled it up over her hips and breasts, she stepped out from behind the curtain.
"Oh, Kate!" Martha exclaimed, clutching a hand to her chest.
"Wow," Alexis said.
"Kate, it's perfect," Lanie added as Maggie stepped behind Kate to tighten and tie the laces of the corset. Though it was corset style, Kate was glad to discover that it didn't restrict her breathing. Well, no more than any other wedding gown, that is.
Once the laces were tied, Kate finally turned to look at herself in the full-length, trifold mirror. She sucked in a quick breath. It was gorgeous!
"It fits you like a dream," Maggie said, smoothing the fabric of the train. "That almost never happens. It needs minimal tailoring, if you decide on this one. Maybe just a slight lengthening if you plan on wearing high heels."
"Knowing Kate, she'll be wearing four inch heels," Lanie interjected.
Kate ignored Lanie and turned to look over her shoulder at her backside. She absolutely adored the crossties of the corset bodice and the way it left her upper back completely bare. And it hugged her ass perfectly. Castle would love this dress.
There was only one thing that gave her pause, however. She turned back to face the front and reached up towards the neckline of the dress. The sweetheart neckline dipped fairly low, revealing the circular scar from her shooting.
It wasn't that she was ashamed of the scar or anything of the like. It barely gave her pause any longer when she showered, undressed, or even when Castle kissed it every single time they made love. But did she really want to be reminded of the shooting on her wedding day? More importantly, did she want to endure the pitying looks that would surely come?
"I don't know about this, though," she said in a small voice as her fingers brushed over the scar.
Lanie appeared at Kate's side. She grabbed Kate's hand and pulled it away. "Own it," she said. "If it really bothers you, we can cover it with makeup. But who cares? It's a part of you, isn't it?"
Kate bit her bottom lip, but nodded slowly. She studied herself a bit longer, still contemplating.
"I know I'm just a stranger," Maggie said, appearing at her other side, "but for what it's worth, I think you look stunning, scar or no scar. I don't know that I've ever seen a dress fit so well off the hanger. It's like it was made for you."
Had it been any of the other salespeople from the other boutiques, Kate would have thought that she was just attempting to make a sale. But no, Kate knew the woman was being honest. Martha, Alexis, and Jenny stood behind them, looks of awe on their faces.
Kate smoothed her hands over her abdomen and hips, feeling the texture of the beading on the delicate silk. She smiled as she thought of what Castle's reaction would be when he saw her walking down the aisle in this dress and tears sprang to her eyes.
Oh, yes, this was definitely the dress. It was perfect.
Kate, glanced at Maggie. "You take American Express, right?"