He paced from corner to corner and busied himself by examining anything his hand can find inside the dress shop. It was rather a lovely wedding shop; beautiful wedding dresses surrounded him and a lot of sharp-looking tuxedos hanged on glass closets. Although Tilly and Penny were just sitting on the sofa not far from where he was standing, he still felt out of place.
He stared to walk back and forth again and wondered to himself why it seemed he's more nervous than Penny and Tilly. Momentarily, he felt a hand patted him on his shoulder.
"Here." Penny said and offered him a glass of wine. "You're getting what I call annoying."
Gary took the wine and drank it all in one go. "Sorry."
"You should probably take seat for a moment."
"No, no, no.. I'm fine here. You seemed comfortable there, you two." He pointed towards the sofa with the glass on his hand. Penny looked at him and squeezed his arm.
Both of them just awkwardly stood there until they heard a ruffling sound coming out from the fitting room.
"AH!" Tilly shouted in surprise.
"So? How do I look?"
"Darling, you look-"
"Like a total fool, right?" Miranda rolled her eyes heavenwards.
Tilly was speechless and Penny was covering her mouth with both hands, ready to break into tears.
Miranda looked Gary with a very beautiful expression of his face. Gary softly smiled and Miranda couldn't possibly ignore it and just reflected it. Eventually, she looked away. Never in a million years would she think she'll look good in a wedding dress. Wedding dress, she had always thought, would only look good on skinny, button nosed, attractive and more importantly, elegant and confident women. Unlike her, all clumsy and goofy. She probably looked like a man on a dress again; she doesn't want to see herself in it wasn't for her friendly assistant that guided her to a 3-pieced mirror.
She closed her eyes and said a little prayer. Both of her hands were on top of her abdomen, trying to stop the twists she's feeling inside. One by one, she opened her eyes and studied her own reflection.
"Wowzers." Her eyes widened by the sight of herself on the mirror.
"Wowzers, indeed." Gary said behind her. From their reflection on the mirror, their eyes met. Simultaneously, they both smiled to each other. Gary's eyes, she noticed, wandered from her head to her feet.
Gary had seen here in a wedding dress and that memory remains in his mind. He remembered how he got petrified, or how he looked as if he was really petrified. The dress was ridiculous; he'll even apologize to the designer if he need to for telling it as one. Miranda looked incredibly cute on it but this time's different. He had always thought she was beautiful especially now more than ever.
The wedding dress clung to her effortless albeit that it was without sleeves. Soft, silky fabric hugged from her chest, to the dip of her hips until to her thighs and gave a beautiful bloom just above her knees. It was like she's wearing a delicate white rose, blossoming and revealing its full beauty for the first time in summer. It had simple patterns, not too much but not too less. The girdling nature of the dress brought fantastic emphasis of her impressive cleavage and stunning curves. Those glittering studs on the edges of the trail and on the chest were like stars on the dark sky that glow aesthetically. It was crossed between classic and new.
Miranda ran her fingers on the patterns by the ribs and admired the beauty of the dress. Her assistant pinned a single flower that perfectly brought the color of her eyes on the side of her hair. She turned her head to see Gary and turned back to her mirror and saw him already staring at her.
"You're beautiful, Miranda." He said sincerely. If someone different had said that, she would clearly protest and deny it nay take it as a big bluff. But it was Gary Preston. Gary said she's beautiful. Never did he lie about how she looked or how people find her attractive. And she believes him for she trusts him in all the things he says to her.
She turned to face everyone and the trail of the dress swayed with her like the waves of the ocean.
"Oh, darling you look lovely!" Penny went closer to her and gave a kiss on her cold cheek.
"Thanks, Mum. Fortunately, they had a better dress than the last one."
Tilly giggled as she flashed her phone to take a photo of her. Miranda caught a quick glimpse of Gary, with that look on his face that never fades.
He remained from where he was standing, still with the same glass on his hand. He looked at her with great delight. His heart sang a familiar song once again. He looked at her once more. With no veil, a simple flower on her hair, no jewelries, no make-up and just wearing her old sneakers, he thought Miranda was very, very beautiful indeed.
"Take a photo! Take a photo!" Tilly said and gave the phone to him. He looked at the screen of the phone and saw her smiling and took a photo of them. Tilly pulled Gary beside Miranda. "Gary, stand there." Tilly instructed to Gary and he happily obeyed. Everything around him blurred and for a very long moment she had his full attention. He didn't care about anything else, just about Miranda being on his side. He may have felt his jaws dropped but still did not care at all. He thought she was brilliant, her skin so radiantly glows and to put it simple, she looked perfect. Many, many times in their lives as friends he had dreamt about seeing her like this and that moment, he took everything in.
They both felt that he's been staring at her for too long and she faced him with a smile on her face. He tried to reach for her hand but Tilly interrupted when she shot another photo.
"Mike will be very pleased when he'll see you." Both of them looked away after what Penny said.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I never thought trying a wedding dress was fun."
"Hmm. Really."
Miranda was sitting awkwardly on top of the counter while Stevie was arranging the fancy dresses.
"It felt like I was a caterpillar before I tried it on –"
"A hairy caterpillar—"
"And when I did, I turned into a beautiful butterfly ready to show the world its elegance. Ahhh yes. Hmmm. Yes.." Miranda looked up to the ceiling, already daydreaming. Stevie didn't say anything more. Instead, she took a very heavy sigh.
"Stevie, what's wrong?"
But Stevie didn't listen to Miranda.
"Stevie, is there something I need to know?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing." Finally she answered, still not looking to Miranda.
"Saying nothing when there's obviously something, are we? Come on, what's wrong?"
"Acting like you have no clue or whatsoever when you exactly know what I'm trying to tell, are we?"
Miranda was already ready to rant but luckily the bell rang and the door opened. Penny went rushing inside the joke shop with Tilly behind her.
"Darling."
"Oh, hi Mum." Miranda turned to face the Queen from hell or more commonly know as her Mother.
"Stevie, good morning. How was your day?"
"Oh, well, I'm alright. Although the hairdresser was—"
"Just to start a conversation. Now, Miranda, your wedding dress is ready—"
"You should have seen her yesterday!" Tilly exclaimed to Stevie. "Queen Kong looked fabilusimisimos! I'll send you a photo."
"No, actually, Stevie's alright without seeing that photo—"
"Bear with, bear with, bear with."
Everyone paused while Tilly sends Stevie an email. "Back."
"Right!" Penny said. "As I was saying, the invitations are almost done. And I need you to choose a song for your wedding dance….. since I don't have any choice."
"Oh, don't worry guys." Miranda said, stretching out a hand with full of confidence. "I am a very well-informed muso myself, thank you very much."
"Yeah, right. Well informed you mean your iPod is full of songs by George Michael, the Spice Girls, Billy Joel, Take That and the songs from the musicals."
Miranda looked at Stevie sharply. "RUDE."
"Well must dash. Tilly and I have to go to the church and pray that no Billy Joel will be in your song choices.
"HOW RUDE."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Miranda was sitting by a table of her flat with an opened laptop in front of her, searching wedding songs on the internet. Instead of doing what Penny had instructed, she ends up watching funny videos of cats for the next 2 hours (okay, 2 and a half hours if you include playing Fruit Ninja and eating chips). After getting bored, Miranda played Les Miserables songs in full volume. While singing both Marius and Cosette's parts, she heard a knock from the door. Still singing, she stood up and went to get it and saw Gary standing outside holding a plate full of freshly baked muffins.
"Uhm. Brought you something to eat." He said with a half smile on his face. Awkwardly, Miranda's mouth was still wide open. She turned her back and pointed the remote and turned the music off.
"Les Mis. Great musical."
"Erm. I was just so bored." Miranda was holding the door open for Gary.
"Don't you want me to come in?"
"Oh, of course. Hi, Gary. Please do come in." She said while doing a curtsy, welcoming Gary.
Gary went inside of the flat and placed the muffins on the kitchen table.
"What were you doing?"
Miranda went back in front of her laptop.
"Oh, uhm. Looking for songs for the wedding dance."
Gary followed Miranda and stood behind her.
"What songs have you choose?"
"Oh, Mum said no Billy Joel so…"
Before she knew, Gary's arms were already stretched out and he was holding the edges of her table on each of her side. Gary's face leaned forward to read the screen of her laptop. His face was so close that Miranda felt his breathing behind her ear.
"Hmm." He simply said and his fingers wandered to her laptop and started typing something. He was almost hugging her and his chin's almost resting on her shoulder.
"What do you think about this song?"
Both of them turned to each other and the tips of their noses gently brushed each other. Her heart started to quicken its beats and she started to panic.
"So-sorry." She said weakly and looked away. Feeling embarrassed and disappointed for feeling that way, she closed her eyes for a sec.. "For goodness's sake, Miranda, you're getting married! And for goodness's sake, Gary, stop wooing me." She internally told herself and went back to her laptop.
"Yeah. Although I'm quite nervous about dancing and stuff. And this song might be too cheesy and all that."
"It's perfect. Like you." He said while offering a hand. "Come on, now."
"Are you asking me to dance?"
"Maybe. Probably. Most likely." He said with a mocking grin. Miranda just gave a single chuckle.
"No. no. no. no. The last time someone asked me to dance was really weird. I didn't realize that he was shorter that me. And by the time I did, we're already on the dance floor. He stands just by the level of my shoulder and looked as if he's staring at my (mouths) breast. And all I can think of was 'Oh, God. Oh, God, Oh God. I can see his scalp.' That saying something for an 18- year-old guy! awkward and weird. So, thank you, Gary. But no thanks. Sorry."
"Come on. Please? Pretty please?"
"You don't even know how to dance!" She said with a very wide grin.
"Oi, come on now. I got some groove in me. We did a dance lesson together, didn't we?"
"Yeah. And that was mortificato!"
"I still got a thing or two in dancing. So come on. Please? For me?" He pulled out that puppy eyes again that always make Miranda fall off her seat. Fortunately, she didn't this time.
"Oh, well, alright. Just don't laugh at me." She tried remember briefly, when was the last time Gary laugh at her? All she could think of was Gary laughing with her because of silly, simple, funny things.
She took Gary's hand and he helped her stand up. Before she knew, they were in the middle of her kitchen, holding each other's hands.
"Close your eyes." He said, still holding her hands.
"What? But why?"
"Just don't complain and close your eyes."
"Okay, okay. Geez. Bossy."
"Oi!" Miranda felt a soft pinch on her nose. She opened one eye to see Gary's expression. "No peaking. I said close you eyes."
"FINE."
(Intro of "At Last" by Etta James plays from the speakers)
"Imagine you're in the middle of the dance floor."
" 'Strickly' dance floor. I want that."
"Okay. A Strickly dance floor – "
"And the judges?"
"And the judges. "
"And a disco ball. Disco balls always make it coollumudos! Hahaha."
"Anything, for you. What the bride wants, the bride gets." Miranda heard him chuckle and both of them open an eye.
"Oi! No peaking you said." Both of them laugh again and closed both of their eyes.
At last
My love has come along
"Imagine there's only the two of you and no one's watching. It's your first dance as married couple and you two are the happiest people in the world."
Slowly, Gary lifted Miranda's arms and rested them on his shoulder. His hands moved and wrapped around her waist. His thumb caressing her hips tenderly. Slowly, they started to dance, making small circles as they turn. A soft gasp came out from Miranda's mouth. Dancing always makes her nervous and she begins feeling reluctant doing this right now with Gary.
"Ssssshhh. Don't worry. I'm here." He said in whispers and Miranda's nerves immediately sank down.
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh yeah yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
"And you start to dance, a very slow dance. Because you want to savor the moment, every second, every minute and every move you do together. You want to remember this night for the rest of your life." Gary slowly closed the gap between them and pulled her nearer to him.
-Note. : Uhm hi reader. :D Those narrations inside the braces are Miranda's imagination as Gary speaks to her. Carry on.
(Both of them were in a very wide and dim room, and the only light was from the disco ball hanging above them. In her mind, it was very beautiful scenery, more magical than any scene in any movie she'd seen. She feels his is breathing behind his ears and she hears him hum a familiar song- their song.)
He continued to dance with her in short turns.
"And then, his hands slowly, gently slid up until he holds you closer to him." He said in whispers. Gary unconsciously rested his cheeks to Miranda's temple and started to quietly smell the fading scent of her perfume. Her soft hair wandered and touched his face.
My heart was wrapped up in clover
The night I looked at you
(She bit her lower lip and got scared that she might look like a total fool. But his grip around her ribs took every fear away. She felt safe- safer than any of the time of her nights. She wrapped him closer for the fear that she might float any second now. Whatever happens on this very night, she knows he'll be there with her. All her inhibition, questions and insecurities faded when he felt his heart beating as fast as hers when she rested her head on the crook of his neck.)
And I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
He rested his forehead gently against hers and his face was very close to hers. He could feel her fickle breathing brushing in his lips.
(In his arms, she found comfort and warmth against this chilly place. It felt cozy, something that she had always felt with him for many, many years. It was a bit nostalgic for her, too. It brought her to another place she'd constantly remembers very time they were together. All the feelings she had went back to its home in her heart.)
"He'll touch your cheek-"
(In her momentary blindness she felt a thumb caressing her cold cheek. And then a hand cupped her face)
"And then he'll whisper to your ear softly-"
("You're beautiful, Miranda." She could swear her heart leap when those warm words came out from him.)
Oh yeah yeah, and you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
(She smiled at him and felt that he smiled back.)
"Both of you have given up everything- your time, sleep- basically everything. And everything was worthy. What a big relief. Because, finally, finally, after many days and weeks and months of preparation –"
(Because finally, after years and years of hiding and waiting for him-)
And here we are in Heaven
"Everything you two went through… Finally, you're in the arms of the love of your life.
("The love of my life..")
For you are mine…..
He held her chin up and brought her lips almost touching to his..
"At last."
"At last."
They both opened their eyes and their gazes met. He stares at her soft lips and back to her deep brown eyes. Her hands were resting on his chest. She bit her lower lips again and parted. Slowly, they went closer still and –
"Uh, what are you doing?"
"Aaaaah!" Both of them leap and screamed at the sight of Stevie standing at the doorstep.
"Ah, erm. We, uhmm."
"Practicing for ahh, uhmm."
"Contest. Yes, right. Practicing for a contest. Gary and I were just practicing for a contest."
"Well, you better hurry up. Mike's downstairs looking for you. If you don't, I might steal your lovely Marple from you."
Miranda's face crumpled and gave a sharp look at her.
"I should leave. Kitchen stuffs to do."
"Yeah, sure, sure. Uhm. Thanks. Uhmm. Take care."
"You, too."
Miranda looked away when Gary already went out from her flat. She covered her face with both hands feeling great measure of embarrassment.