"Wont' do. It's too open," Daniel delivered his verdict, leaning back in the armchair.
With a sigh Candy turned back to the mirror. The shop owner stealthily pursed her mouth. So hard to please this Legan!
They were choosing the engagement dress. Two days had passed since Candy had had that unfortunate conversation with her friends, and only now could Neil find time to go to the shop with her. As ill luck would have it, he now had even more work to do, not to mention that the preparation to the engagement party took a lot of his time.
"But this color is so beautiful," Miss White uttered, looking in the mirror for the last time. The dress was light green; it showed off her white skin to full advantage and matched her eyes and her hair.
Legan stood up and addressed the seller.
"Then I want the same dress to be ready by the end of the week, but with a modest neckline. And a clutch bag, the shoes and so on."
His fiancée smiled happily and went to change.
"A green one?" the shop owner murmured. "I hear, green color brings bad luck."
"Only a big mouth and a silly head bring bad luck," snapped the young man. How dare they wish bad luck before his engagement? Good thing that Candy did not hear it.
The shop owner started to apologize profusely, but Neil's mood didn't get any better. Some vague uneasiness was tormenting his heart. Everything was too good to be true, and soon he and his beloved girl would be happy together! He had been waiting for so many years, he had barely lost his hope. And now, a miracle was happening right before his eyes.
Neil was always on the alert for plots and traps, expecting something bad to happen. Something that would separate them.
He was expecting dirty tricks from everyone, for his happiness was too fragile.
One word, one action, one hint could easily repel his girlfriend. What if her guardian came back? What if, all of a sudden, this little actor showed up right before the wedding?
His friends and his family were all against their union, too. Too many foes around and no friends at all!
He wished this joyful day would finally come, and she would be his forever! He would never give her up to anyone, would never let her go… And until then…
Candy doesn't fully trust him yet – maybe she doesn't even trust him at all, and sees him only because she's attracted to him… This is all so fragile and unstable!
The lovers were sitting in a café having lunch. The freckled girl stretched herself.
"I'm so tired of this trying-on."
"Yeah, you don't look like a fashionmonger," Neil smiled, reaching out and pulling the ribbon on the girl's ponytail to let her hair down.
"What are you doing?" Candy got jokingly angry and laughed. But then her face became concerned again. "I had a fight with Annie and Archie."
Neil whistled in surprise.
"And what did you do? Gave it hot to them?"
"I was rude to them," the girl sighed sadly, not accepting his cheer.
"No way!" Legan smirked and leant forward. "What did you say, come on, tell me!"
Candy briefly retold him their conversation and blinked in surprise when her fiancé roared with laughter.
"God, Candy, that's great! Ha-ha-ha!" He couldn't stop laughing. "Wiped their noses! A-ha-ha-ha! Should've said like: I'm not taking advice on married life… from singles! Ha-ha-ha!"
"But Neil, that's rude! How can you say that? How can you even laugh at that?"
The man wiped the tears of laughter.
"I'm laughing because it's funny. That's all."
"That's not funny at all! They are in distress, they suffer. It's sinful to laugh at that."
Neil rolled his eyes.
"Honey, a lot of things are sinful. Remember back in college, the sisters would always harp on that it's sinful to eat much, to drink much, to kiss, to swear and to miss Sunday service? That's all true, but if you follow all those rules… you'll just want to hang yourself. Of course, I keep the commandments like "thou shalt not kill", "thou shalt not steal", but yeah, I swear, and I sure as hell laugh if something's funny!"
"So it was funny when they sent me to Mexico, wasn't it?" Miss White suddenly asked.
Neil turned pale. It seemed like a grenade had exploded or the earth had cracked under his feet. His hands got cold.
"No… No, of course not, it wasn't funny," he murmured. No, please, not this! If she starts to recall everything…