Chapter 216 Wedding Dress Dreams
“Girl, I think you’re even skinnier than the last time I measured you,” Lanshia said as she took the measuring tape and ran it around Andrea’s waist.
“You think?” Andrea asked, glancing down at the measurement. “I haven’t been trying to lose weight. In fact, I’ve been eating more lately. I’ve been so nervous, planning the wedding.”
“Well, this is half an inch smaller than last time I measured you, and that was months ago. You keep losing weight, and I’m gonna have to take your dress in before the wedding.”
Andrea sighed. She didn’t know what was going on. Maybe it was because she and Case had had some time off and were doing more outside. Since the NASCAR season had come to an end, they’d had all sorts of adventures. They didn’t let the winter weather stop them from spending time outside, even doing some hiking and climbing. Maybe that’s what was happening….
“I’m sure you’ll have to make some adjustment anyway,” Andrea reminded the seamstress. “The wedding is an entire year away, remember?”
“I know, girl, but if I’m gonna sew the whole thing by hand—myself—I’ve gotta get started now.” She wrote down the measurements and then put her measuring tape away. “Now, what were you think about? Have you tried on other dresses like I suggested?”
“She sure has!” Andrea’s mother chimed in. She had insisted on coming along to this and every other wedding related appointment Andrea had made. “She looks so pretty in an empire waist gown!”
“Mom….” Andrea shook her head. Her mother was starting to get emotional again. “I do like empire waist. I want something with a full skirt though, and a train that can be removed. I don’t want to have to try to dance with a long train.”
“Okay. Sleeves? No sleeves?” Lanshia asked.
“Well, it’ll be winter….” Andrea didn’t really think she wanted sleeves, but didn’t most winter wedding dresses have them?
“So what? You’re not getting married outside are you?”
“No, she’s getting married in a little chapel. It’s so quaint and beautiful!” Karen’s face was practically glowing, she was so happy.
“Then… you don’t have to have sleeves, do you? What do you want? Let’s start with that and talk about practicality later.”
“I want strapless,” Andrea said, knowing she looked great in a strapless gown. “Something satiny on top, with a beaded waist, and then a full skirt with lots of layers underneath.”
“I gotcha,” Lanshia said with a wink. She went over to a table and picked up a pencil. After a moment of deep thought, she started humming as she sketched out a gown. When she was done, she held it up for Andrea to look at. “Like this?”
Andrea gasped. “Yes! That’s perfect! I love it!”
Crying, her mother said, “Oh, my goodness! That’s so beautiful! I can’t wait to see you in that, dear!” She wrapped her arms around Andrea and started crying.
“All right, girl. You give me eleven months, I’ll give you a wedding dress.” Lanshia winked at Andrea, and she couldn’t help but laugh.
“Luckily, that’s just about all the time I have before I’ll need it. The wedding is next December.” It was the week after Thanksgiving, so she had just over a year. She was glad her mother had pushed her to get started now, though, because even though she wasn’t filming at the moment, she knew this year would be busy. She expected to start working on another movie soon, and with award season coming up again soon, she hoped to be busy with media and interviews, too. Her last movie, the pirate flick that had caused her so many headaches and almost killed her, had done extremely well at the box office despite everything, and there was a good chance she’d be nominated for a best actress award this year. That would be the only thing that would make that movie worth it.
“That should give me enough time, girlfriend, but if you want me to do your bridesmaid’s dresses, your flower girl, and the mother of the bride, I’m have to get on that, too.”
“I do,” Andrea said. “You can measure my mom now. When will you need to measure the others?” She had already asked Leslie to be her maid of honor, and her two friends, Taylor and Nakita would be brides maids, as well as Kelsey. She had asked Kelsey’s niece, Violet, to be the flower girl. Andrea didn’t know a lot of little girls, so she didn’t have a lot of people to choose from, but she knew Violet, who was four, and she thought she was adorable.
“Sooner rather than later,” Lanshia said, placing her hands on her hips. “I’ll schedule something with you for after Christmas. How does that sound?”
“Sounds good to me.” Everyone she’d need to measure lived in LA except for Leslie, and since her sister had graduated from college and signed a recording contract, she was pretty sure she’d be out here soon enough on a tour or playing on a television show, like Late Night, or something like that. She was making quite a name for herself.
“All right. Let’s measure you, Mama.”
“Oh, dear,” Karen said. “I’m not sure I want to be measured after Andrea. I’m afraid my numbers will be much bigger.”
“Girl!” Lanshia scolded. “Don’t you be sayin’ stuff like that now. You’re a mama, and you’re beautiful. We gotta all be proud of the body God gave us. Now get your pretty self over here.”
With a grin on her face that said she was over her moment, Karen let Lanshia measure her, and Andrea took a few deep breaths. This was all getting real, even though it was still a year away. She was ready to marry Case, but it seemed like a lot of work would go into all of the planning.
Once they were done, she and her mom would head back to her apartment to meet Case, and then they’d be flying to Wisconsin for Christmas. Even though Rhonda had begged Case to spend Christmas with her that year, since he hadn’t the year before, he’d said no, not after the way she’d been treating Andrea. If she wanted them there next year, she’d have to learn to be nice.
They weren’t even going to Washington for New Year’s. Instead, they’d be going to New York to celebrate in the Big Apple with friends. Andrea was looking forward to that, too, but she was most looking forward to spending Christmas with her family again. It would be so different than last year, since Grandpa was feeling so much better, and Case’s being there wouldn’t be through luck or an accident. He was her family now, too.
“All right. I got everything I need,” Lanshia said with a big smile. “You two be careful getting’ home for the holidays. Merry Christmas!”
Andrea gave the designer a hug and thanked her. “Merry Christmas to you!” She couldn’t believe it was Christmastime already, which told her it would be no time before she was getting married, so she better hang on to every minute of memories between now and then.
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