SECOND CHANCES

Chapter 1

5 years later....

"That dress fits you perfectly." I grinned at the bride to be as she turned her body in front of the ceiling to floor mirror. Behind her mother, grandmother and sisters were beaming. Hands clenched to their chests and tears in their eyes.

"Don't think it's too flashy?" She asked, her lips tugging down in a frown as she gazed at herself.

"Not in the slightest." And I meant it. The mermaid style dress hugged her curves perfectly before flaring out. The beading on the body sparkled with each rustle of the fabric. While it was strapless it didn't show too much cleavage. All in all the dress was stunning.

"My baby looks so grown up." The mom cried for the fifth time since coming into the shop. No one but me could see the eye roll the bride to be did. I ducked my head to hide my smile. I know how she feels. I've helped enough brides with dresses to know how the mom's act.

Every single one was the same. Crying about their baby being so grown up, how they are so beautiful, that they aren't ready for them to get married yet. Some of the girls in the shop and I have placed bets to see how long it takes for the mom to break down. We even have a board in the back with tallies for each person who's won.

"Alterations can be made and done within the next two weeks." I added in, helping take the attention away from the bride to be and her mother.

"What do we think?" She twirled around to face her family.

"I think it's perfect."

"It's the one." Came the responses from her sisters instantly. The four women seated on the couch beaming at the bride.

I stood off to the side watching as they each surrounded her, touching the dress and grinning at one another. The sight made my chest ache and when the mom kissed her daughter on the cheek I had to look away.

Letting them be for a few minutes I busied myself with putting the other discarded dresses away. Doing what I always do best, I shoved away the feelings rushing inside of me, focusing on the job at hand.

"Another happy costumer?" A voice pipped up behind me as I hung up a dress. Glancing over my shoulder I smiled at one of my workers, and who also was my best friend, Hannah.

"I think so." I handed her one of the dresses from the stack in my arms. I couldn't help but laugh as Hannah almost stumbled under the weight of the ball gown style wedding dress.

"I will never understand how you can carry five of these dresses at a time. I swear they weigh like thirty pounds each." She huffed, slightly struggling to hang it up. It was probably cruel of me to make her 5'2 frame try and hang a dress longer than her but it was just slight karma.

Although she was right about the weight of wedding dresses. Even the simplest gowns weighed a lot. It definitely took some arm strength to be able to carry more than two at a time. However I've had years of getting used to it.

"There's this thing called working out." I suggested, hanging up the last two gowns in my arms.

"Hey I work out!"

"Going to the gym to walk on the treadmill while staring at guys is not working out."

"I'm working out my eyes." I shook my head and laughed. Every time Hannah came with me to the gym she would spend the entire time casually walking on the treadmill or sitting on the bike, perfectly angled to watch any guy workout. No matter how hard I tried to get her to do anything she never budged.

Whenever I questioned how she could be so small and never work out she would respond with, 'I'm skinny fat'. The girl could eat more than entire football team and still never gain an ounce of fat. Something I was, and still am, severely jealous about.

"Maybe try lifting some weights some time." At my words she just huffed.

"I didn't come over to talk about boring stuff."

"Then what did you want to talk about?"

Thankfully the shop was pretty much empty beside the bride to be behind me. We had a few people walking around but didn't seem to need much help at the moment.

"So the guy I've been talking to," Hannah started. I inwardly groaned already knowing where this was headed. I've been best friends with Hannah for four years now and knew exactly what she wanted when she started with that very line.

In the four years we have been friends Hannah has been on more dates than I can even remember. In some form or another I've been involved in those said dates. Whether it was me awkwardly third-wheeling cause she didn't know if he was a serial killer or not. Or her trying to set me up with a friend of the guy, only to silently sit there while she sucked face with her date. Leaving me to sit there with some random guy who either didn't want to be there or was too touchy/flirty.

Along with that I've also been her escape goat countless times. I've been woken up at 2 o'clock in the morning so many times to come get her at some club, or some random guys house. Or been texted to call crying and saying someone's been in an accident so she could get away.

At this point we basically had a system down.

"He said his friend would join us and that he's an amazing guy." I caught the end of her sentence. Yep, I was right.

"Hannah." I groaned, closing my eyes. "I'm not going on a double date again."

"Come on Bella."

"Remember what happened the last time?"

"It wasn't that bad." She rolled her eyes.

"The guy spilt his hot coffee down my shirt and preceded to 'dry' me while pawing at my chest." I deadpanned.

"He didn't mean to." Yeah I didn't believe that for one minute.

"I'm not going."

"Bella." Hannah whined, stomping her foot like a two-year old.

"Sorry you're on your own with this one." I shook my head. I refused to go another double date with her.

Before she could try and convince me, my name was called by the bride and her family behind me. Saved by the bell. With another shake of my head I turned around to head back to my costumer.

"We'll talk about this later." She called after me.

I knew she would when we got back to our apartment but the answer will be the same. I'm not interested in dating anyone. Not anymore.