Part 5 (2/2)
”And?”
”And they're all about your ti abilities”
It felt like a night her head ”Why won't they stop? Oh, God, Adam, I hate this all so, so much”
He didn't knohat to do A one, the one who could take a bad situation and rationally develop a plan of action But she was in no state to solve this probleet them to cancel the Q&A”
”How?” Amelia moaned from the pillow ”It's why they all cao hoht?” Adam's mind was suddenly lucid ”And, for that matter, everyone in the press He can convince the, reet hiht run into Ted Bristol”
Adam scrambled to pull on a pair of shorts and a Polo shi+rt-one that Lisa had helped him pick out-and dashed out the door ”Don't worry about anything, Aure this out, okay? Everything's going to be fine”
This was all going to work out It had to
CHAPTER 15:
Prepping and Pri
”Oh lanced up froazine in her lap and into theiron and a coy grin He was a super thin, bald Asian guy, dressed colasses, and he'd clearly had at least six cups of coffee already thiselse ”Marc, with a C,” he'd introduced himself Patty didn't trust hairdressers who had no hair of their own
She smiled politely ”Why would I be nervous?”
”Well, it's your sister's big day I mean, I'd be totally nervous that I'd ruin it”
Patty felt her cheeks burn What did he know? She lifted her eyebrows and he quickly backtracked ”I rab her flowers or whatever”
Whew, she thought ”No, I guess I'm not really that nervous” She went back to the article about finding the right-fitting pair of skinny jeans
”Ahhhh!!!!” Marc with a C squealed, dropping the curling iron in order to clap as he turned from Patty to Shandi, who had co in the middle of the Four Seasons salon for all to see, her veil perfectly affixed atop a knot of careful curls Her bangs were swept gently across her forehead and her makeup was flawless Even in the tank top and shorts she earing, she looked like a princess
The four other bridese and two froleefully along with their respective stylists Patty sed hard, took a deep breath, and called out, hoping she didn't sound fake ”Oh, Shandi, you look so pretty”
Not like Shandi heard, anyway She was already at theeach individual curl ”Are you sure?” she asked, pointlessly Of course, everyone insisted she was absolutelyless than perfect
Patty couldn't wait for all this to be over She'd gotten good enough at swi to prove to herself that her athleticis sister; getting into Stanford had validated that she could match Shandi academically But when it came to looks, Patty still felt totally, utterly inferior She felt okay when Shandi wasn't around She could see that her legs were shapely, her stomach flat, her skin smooth, her face not so unattractive But the minute Shandi came back into the picture, Patty felt like a fat cow She looked at her sister's thin frah cheekbones and knew that, even if she stopped eating for a month, she'd never be as pretty
And all she could think about now, sitting here with her hair actually looking really a (maybe Marc with a C wasn't such an idiot), was that she'd never get to feel the way Shandi felt right noith everyone ooh-ing and ahh-ing around her That on her oedding day, when she ought to feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, Patty would co where Patty was sitting now, and, even in her veil, Patty would feel less beautiful than her effortlessly perfect azine Noas not the ti about skinny jeans
When they were finished, the brideset dressed Patty was following their lead when the photographer, who had been capturing the et a few shots of you helping your sister get ready These are always fantastic” She winked
Patty gri (why hadn't anyone warned her the photographer would be on hand?) and reluctantly followed her sister to the bridal suite, where her 7,500 ivory-lace-with-buttons-down-the-back Vera wang dress hung frorapher instructed Patty quickly to put on her own dress while she sat Shandi on the chair at the vanity and directed her to peer into the gold oval
Patty watched miserably as she slipped on the pale-pink, eth strapless chiffon bridesmaid dress she assumed Shandi had picked out because it made her look especially like a blirapher asked Patty, who nodded ”Okay, coown”
Shandi slipped off her shorts and shi+rt, revealing the pristine white-lace La Perla bra and underwear she'd saved for today She looked like a lingerie model, her thin hips and shoulders balanced by round, firm breasts and butt ”Here, help me climb into this before Diane snaps one of me naked” She motioned for Patty to coer and, careful to avoid stepping on the fabric, knelt down so Shandi could support herself on Patty's shoulder while she stepped into the dress Patty stood behind her, carefully pulling shut the hook-and-eye clasps that lined the back, as the photographer snapped away
When Patty was finished, she looked over her sister's shoulder into thethe dress from the bottoot to Shandi's eyes they were directed at Patty's reflection, not her own Shandi's face was still and lookedsad
She was silent for a moment, then said quietly, ”You are so beautiful, Patty”
Patty felt her skin tingle, but didn't knohat to say, and so said nothing Shandi turned to face her, just a tiny glimmer of wetness in her blue eyes
”I don't knohen you went fro woman, but I'h attention-to witness it”
Patty shook her head and looked down at her feet, not knohat else to do, but Shandi kept going She reached her hands up and held her little sister's cheeks in her hands ”Listen, you have so I never had You have fearlessness and decisiveness and a lust for life And I don't think I've ever told you, but I admire you so, so much for that”
Nor her sister said as a backhanded co, ”Oh, you're so lucky you have such a good appetite; I wish I could eat like you do!” kind of thing But Shandi was actually being genuine
Shandi took a deep breath and turned back to theto mean it
This Patty could answer, honestly She whispered, ”You look absolutely stunning, Shandi Completely, completely beautiful”
”I' hard
”Don't be!” Patty said, suddenly ju at the opportunity to be her sister's cheerleader ”You're going to do everything just right And even if you don't, no one will notice They'll be too busy ads right,” Shandi said slowly ”I ht thing But I guess it's too late” She tried to laugh
Patty felt her heart clinch Did ”about the whole thing” mean ”about Chad”?
”No!” Patty exclaimed ”I ht before the big moment, but seriously, Shandi, you shouldn't Chad is unbelievable Totally unbelievable He's s to have an aether”