Part 35 (1/2)
”Yes.”
”Do you think Tom will be happy when he looks down the aisle and sees me walking toward him?” Denise even practiced her walk just so the girls could imagine it.
”Yes,” Sharon repeated.
”But are you sure?”
”Yes.”
”Do you think it's worth the money?”
”Yes.”
”Really?”
”Yes.”
”It'll be nicer with a tan, won't it?”
”Yes.”
”Oh, but does it make my b.u.m look enormous?”
”Yes.”
Holly looked at Sharon startled, realizing she wasn't even listening to the questions anymore.
”Oh, but are you sure?” Denise carried on, obviously not even listening to the answers.
”Yes.”
”So will I get it?”
Holly expected the sales a.s.sistant to start jumping up and down with excitement screaming 'Yessss!' but she managed to contain herself.
”No!” Holly interrupted before Sharon said yes again.
”No?” Denise asked.
”No,” Holly confirmed.
”Do you not like it?”
”No.”
”Is it because it makes me look fat?”
”No.”
”Do you not think Tom will like it?”
”No.”
”Do you think it's worth the money, though?”
”No.”
”Oh.” She turned to face Sharon. ”Do you agree with Holly?”
”Yes.”
The sales a.s.sistant rolled her eyes and approached another customer, hoping for better luck with her.
”OK then, I trust you two,” Denise said, sadly taking one last look at herself in the mirror. ”To be honest I wasn't really that keen on it myself.”
Sharon sighed and put her shoes back on. ”OK Denise, you said that was the last one. Let's go get something to eat before I drop dead.”
”No, I meant it was the last dress I would try on in this shop. There's loads more shops to go to yet.”
”No way!” Holly protested. ”Denise, I am starving to death and at this stage all the dresses are beginning to look the same to me. I need a break.”
”Oh, but this is my wedding day, Holly!”
”Yes and...” Holly tried to think of an excuse. ”But Sharon's pregnant.”
”Oh, OK then, we'll get something to eat,” Denise said, disappointed, and headed back to the changing room.
Sharon elbowed Holly in the ribs. ”Hey, I'm not diseased, you know, just pregnant.”
”Oh, it's the only thing that I could think of,” Holly said tiredly.
The three of them trudged into Bewley's Cafe and managed to grab their usual spot by the window overlooking Grafton Street.
”Oh, I hate shopping on Sat.u.r.days,” Holly moaned, watching as people b.u.mped and crushed one another on the busy street below.
”Gone are the days of shopping midweek, now you're no longer a lady of leisure,” Sharon teased, as she picked up a club sandwich and began stuffing her face.
”I know, and I'm so tired, but I feel like I've earned the tiredness this time. Unlike before when I just used to stay up late watching insomniac TV,” Holly said happily.
”Tell us about the little episode with Gerry's parents,” Sharon said with a mouthful of food.
Holly rolled her eyes. ”They were just so rude to poor Daniel.”
”I'm sorry I was asleep. I'm sure if John had known that's what it was about he would have woken me,” Sharon apologized.
”Oh, don't be silly, it wasn't a really big deal. It just felt like it at the time.”
”Too right. They can't tell you who to see and who not to see,” Sharon gave out.
”Sharon, I'm not seeing him.” Holly tried to get the record straight. ”I have no intentions of seeing anyone for at least another twenty years. We were just having a business dinner.”