Breathe In (Just Breathe, #1)(171)
Good thing I was already packed and prepped to head to Maggie’s suite last night, or else for the first time in my life I would have been late. All I needed to do was shower and grab my bag.
By the time all the bridesmaids are in the suite, the breakfast I scheduled to be delivered arrives. In the living room, we sit for a few minutes eating and chatting before Amelia and Barbara go over details with all of us and make sure everyone has their copy of the schedule I handed them last night. Jimmy and Allen pop in to say hello and see what we’re all doing — the men aren’t getting ready quite yet.
Jared and Nathan are wearing black tuxedos with red bow ties and handkerchiefs that match the red floral lace in the bridesmaids’ dresses. The groom and groomsmen have the same style tuxes.
The dresses are delivered by ten and the seamstresses are checking our fits one final time before they are steamed in the bathroom. M?qīn and Nǎinai are wearing matching gold qipaos with a lucky dragon pattern that have three-quarter length sleeves and trail all the way down to their ankles. For the bridesmaids’ dress, we also are wearing qipaos, but ours are red, with a lace collar and shoulder area. The lace drapes over the tight fitting solid red silk gown down to our ankles as well. The bridesmaids’ dresses have an open back that is elegantly draped with the red lace.
Maggie’s dress is the most exquisite of all of the custom pieces. Ali Jacobs created a mermaid style silk white dress with cap sleeves that round Maggie’s arms just below her shoulders. A see-through white chiffon circles around Maggie’s neck, down to her sleeves and flows out and over the edge of the poof bottom with a ten foot train in the back. Hand sewn into the chiffon are red floral lace and dragon designs that leave enough space to see Maggie’s collar bone area and half of the white silk fabric underneath. When Maggie turns, she has a more pronounced open back dress that starts from the base of the lace collar, stretches out towards her cap sleeves and ends at the small of her back.
All female bridesmaids and the bride are set to wear matching diamond strappy Jimmy Choo four inch heels, ruby stud earrings and ruby and diamond bracelets. Maggie gave us the bracelets last night at the rehearsal dinner.
Our nails and eyebrows are checked before we start to get hair and makeup done. Maggie is just getting to have her hair done when all of the bridal party flowers are delivered to Maggie’s suite. Once I’m dressed and finish pinning a red rose on Jared and Nathan I head over to Henry’s suite to pin the groom and groomsmen since I have a few minutes of time before Maggie will be getting dressed.
“Sexy!” Jimmy shouts when I enter the door after knocking.
I ignore his comment since I’m pressed for time. “I need all of you to line up with your jackets on.”
“What’s up?” Henry inquires.
“I need to pin you,” I explain, holding up the box of roses.
I watch the men gather together and I struggle to keep my eyes off of Joe. I purposefully dart my eyes around watching them, but my body’s response to seeing him dressed up is making it challenging to focus. Henry’s up first and seems calm considering how edgy Maggie was when I left her a few minutes ago. Next is Jimmy and then Allen who, once I’m finished with them, hover and verbally make comments about my dress and how I look. It takes everything I have not to show my nervousness as I pin Lee and Richard next. F?qīn follows with tears collecting in his eyes.
“You okay?”
“If you look this beautiful, I can only image how beautiful my daughter is right now,” F?qīn’s voice shakes.
With a smile and a tear threatening me, I confirm, “Definitely!”
F?qīn kisses me on either cheek. I know he wants to hug me, but is refraining from the outward gesture as to not mess up my dress.
“M?qīn and Nǎinai look lovely as well,” I add sweetly.
“I don’t doubt it for a second,” he returns with a tear escaping from the corner of his eye.
I lift my hand to wipe his face and F?qīn gently captures my wrist, kissing my palm. “Do you want me to come and get you when she’s dress?”
“No. I want to see her just as I’m about to take her to Henry.”
I nod my understanding.
Joe steps up for his turn as I clear my throat to evade getting choked up. Just as I’m about to push the pin in, Joe yells, “Ow!”
Joe and the rest of the guys chuckle as I punch him in the arm. “Not funny,” I remark with a lump in my throat.
Joe leans in to apologize as I finish putting the rose on. His scent alone sends my hormones into a frenzy and I feel the heat in my cheeks elevating. My gaze bounces back and forth from my hands and his eyes. The kitten purrs as she rubs up against the cage door inside. Focus, Emma.
Back at Maggie’s suite, a few tears break free from my eyes at the sight of Maggie in her dress. None of us have seen her in the dress, she wouldn’t let us see it other than on the hanger. She looks — like a queen. There are no other words to describe her. She is a queen.
When I’m not needed, I sit, frantically shaking my leg, still trying to decide on what to say.
Valerie, Ian’s wife, and her photographers request a few posed pictures before it’s time to head out to the room to wait for the wedding to commence. They’ve been taking photos the entire time since we got into the suite and a one of them followed me to Henry’s suite. I need to make sure that I don’t always look like a deer in headlights.