"Was there a specific style you were thinking about trying first? Now, keep in mind that your wedding date is set for the fifth of June, so even though you may be a bit chilled right now, it will be hot then." I ask the bride-to-be as we walk into the bridal boutique together with her mother and maid of honor in tow.

Taking a sip of champagne that was offered to us by one of the employees, the mother waves her hand in the air dramatically, "God, just whatever you do, do not get one of those slutty skin-tight numbers."

"I don't know if I'll like that style or not, mother." The bride, Emily, flatly states as she walks up to one of the mannequins wearing a trumpet style before turning to me, "Would it be possible to try on one of each style to get an idea?"

"Yes, of course." I reply with a genuine smile before excusing myself to the back of the store to speak with my favorite consultant.

Emily had expressed to me when we first met that her mother could be a bit overbearing so I had braced myself for this moment of meeting her for the first time. Thankfully, her maid of honor was around to help offer her support and I would step in when I needed to to help her out as well. At the end of the day, this is about Emily. It is her day, her dream, her style, and her money being spent.

I'm so glad my mother is much more supportive than some of the ones I've met in this field of work.

I spot Emily and her maid of honor looking at the bridesmaid's dresses as they wait to be assisted while her mother chats it up with some other woman nearby and I'm happy for the opportunity to get a look into what Emily wants rather than what her mother thinks.

"See anything you like?" I question once I've reached them.

"Amy likes the cut of this one and I think this blush color would match the theme well." Emily states happily.

Her midsummer night's dream-themed wedding choice consisted of a mix of blush pink, olive green, and lots and lots of plants and flowers against a starry night sky along with fairy lights, candles, and airy fabrics. The moment she told me the wedding date she sought after and the fact she wanted to get married at night in the summer, I knew exactly what kind of essence she was looking for.

From that point on, she and I clicked, and has been a joy to work with. From cake tasting to choosing the invitations, she has honestly been one of the more lovable brides I've ever encountered. I should have known her mother wouldn't be as easy.

"I think that cut would be perfect!" I smile at her as I pull it out to take a look at it, "We can find a dress in this cut, but with chiffon and try it out once we've decided on your dress."

"Don't tell me you're going to be allowing Amy to wear something like that. She'll need to lose at least twenty pounds to not look absolutely atrocious in your wedding photos." Her mother revolts as she approaches us once again.

Immediately, I look towards Amy with eyes that tell her to not pay her any attention. On her worst day, Amy was a size six and nowhere near fat. The last thing I want is to have either the bride or any of her bridesmaids starving themselves or getting low self-esteem. It's the twenty-first century for goodness sake. When will we stop valuing women based on their weight?

"What about you? Any ideas for the mother of the bride dress?" I inquire, drawing the attention away from the girls.

Almost two hours later and Emily has tried on just about every single style of dress. Ballgown was out of the question due to its extra material and the fact the overall shape didn't fit the vibe. When the bride got to the mermaid and trumpet styles, she agreed that they weren't her favorite and a little uncomfortable for her to move around in stating she rather feel free than like she was a walking mummy.

Needing some help with buttoning up the back of the next one, Emily calls me into her dressing room once again. This time, it was a beautiful a-line chiffon dress with an intricate lace bodice and see-through sleeves that made it appear as if her skin was also decorated by the lace.

"I never asked and, for that, I'm sorry, but how did you and your fiancé meet?" I curiously wonder while I carefully fasten each of the pearl studs going up her spine.

"Oh, that's okay. We were actually friends since we were kids. One day, things just changed between us. I can't really pinpoint an exact moment, but it definitely wasn't the same energy between us anymore." She explains while holding her blonde hair out of the way.

I pause mid-button as I listen to her speak, soundly oddly identical to what's been going on with Tae and I. Am I falling for my best friend?

"Who told who first?" I do my best to not allow any awkward silence to fall between us and keep the attention on her.

"I did, actually. I took the plunge and just told him how I felt. I figured if he didn't feel the same, then at least it was out there in the open because there wasn't a chance in hell that I would be able to go back to just seeing him as just my friend." She cranes her neck to look back at me, "Have you ever been in a situation like that?"

Shit.

This plan backfired. I shouldn't have asked questions, I should have just said that's wonderful and moved on.

"Uh, yeah? Kind of... maybe? I don't know." I stumble over my words as I begin to nibble on my bottom lip with a knitted brow, feeling suddenly self-conscious.

Finishing up the last button she turns to look at me with a knowing grin, "You're in the beginning stage of questioning the dynamic within your friendship. Let me guess, you feel a magnetic pull between you two now and you're getting that excited feeling inside when he's around?"

My lips part as I look at her in awe. It's like she was able to dissect me in less than a minute, but then again, she has been through this herself. No wonder we clicked.

Chuckling, she places her hands on my shoulders, "Been there, done that, but I will say that I have never felt more loved and safe with any other man than I have with my best friend. Don't be afraid of it."

"But what if he doesn't feel the same and I lose him?"

"What if you two work out? You never know unless you try." She smiles at me before her mother calls out her name stating she has somewhere else she needed to be soon, "Well, duty calls."

Walking out of the dressing room, both her mother and her maid of honor gasp delightfully when they see her. My heart soars knowing that they both approve of this beautiful dress that only looks even more stunning on her.

Stepping in front of the three mirrors angled just right so that the brides can see themselves in multiple ways, Emily assesses the gown on her body with a bright smile as she looks over at me, "I don't want to take it off!"

"That's a good indicator you've found the one." I reply, seeing all of the signs that she has, indeed, found the perfect dress for her.

With a nod in agreement and praises from her entourage, we wrap up the day with the gown purchased and dates for the alterations set. Feeling like it was a successful outing, I head back to the office to continue to contact vendors and to look for the perfect little details to help complete her dream wedding.

As I drive down the city streets only a few blocks away from my job, I envision the wedding in its entirety now that I know what the dress will look like along with an idea for the bridesmaid's attire. Small little touches that wouldn't affect her budget cross my mind that I think she'll love and I quickly tell the virtual assistant to add it to my notes app.

"Did I have any missed calls while I was out?" I ask Jane as I walk through the office doors, stopping by the receptionist desk and grabbing a pen to jot down some more ideas floating around in my head before I forgot them.

"A possible new client by the name of Wesley, the DJ for the Smith wedding gave you a call back, and you had a delivery for the Ducharme reception. Oh, and Mr. Kim came by looking for you."

The pen fumbles from my fingertips at the sound of his name and I scramble to pick it back up, trying to play it cool and obviously failing, but I would never admit it, "He did? Did he say why?"

She smirks at my flustered expression, "He wanted to see if you were available for lunch. Why so on edge, Miss James?"

"Shut up." I giggle. Grabbing the notepad and heading back to my office, I shut the door behind me so that Jane doesn't come in with pestering questions I can't even answer myself right now.

Grabbing my phone out of my purse, I sit down behind my desk and type out a text message to Taehyung.

Hey.
I heard you came
by for lunch.

I don't know why, but I grow more and more anxious for a reply. It's very possible that Emily's love story got in my head. To be honest, I don't know if I'm catching feelings for Taehyung, but I can't lie and say there's not something changing. It's possible he doesn't even see me in any other way and I'd be wasting my time letting myself fall for him.

He's probably too busy to respond to my text so I don't know why I'm sitting here staring at my phone in hopes that his name will pop up. More than likely, he saw it appear on his lock screen and left me hanging like I've seen him do other people when we hang out together.

Taehyung:
I did 🙂
I was disappointed
you weren't there.
How did the wedding
dress shopping go?

The moment I see his reply, I drop my phone and quickly snatch it back up. Why can't I keep myself together all of the sudden?

It went well!
The bride found
a lovely dress.

Taehyung:
I'm glad to hear that!
Did you get a chance
to eat?

No, not yet.
I have a granola bar
in my desk, though.
I'll be ok until dinner.

Taehyung:
😕

Realizing that I'm smiling like an idiot, I shut my phone's screen off and clear my throat before getting back to work. I can't let myself get caught up in the idea of something without knowing if it's worth the risk.

Sometimes I do miss that aspect of myself, being more susceptible to risks, but I'm a mother now and everything in my life requires more thought process. It's not just about me or my feelings, it's about her too.

What if I am falling for Tae and I end up telling him as Emily suggested? What if he doesn't feel the same, things get awkward, and we eventually quit speaking? Isabelle would be devastated not having him in her life as much or possibly at all. That's just not something I could do to her.

A half-hour passes by and I've been able to get my head back into the tasks that needed to be completed for the day before I end up missing some important deadlines. Giving the DJ for the Smith wedding a call back, I lean back in my chair and swivel around to stare out at the passing traffic below as the phone continues to ring.

I hear a knock on my door and call out for them to come in assuming it's more than likely Jane as I hear the voicemail kick on. I didn't have any more meetings lined up for the day and new clients would need to make an appointment beforehand anyway.

The beep to the voicemail dings in my ear and I adjust myself to begin to speak, "Hello, this is Victoria James, the wedding planner for the Smith wedding in May of next year. I do apologize for missing your call earlier. You may give me a call back here at the office any time before five o'clock. Otherwise, I will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you. Talk to you soon." I hang up and look back out of the window.

"Very professional. Although, a have a nice day would have been good to tack on at the end." Taehyung speaks up behind me and I swiftly turn around to see him grinning amusingly at me.

"What are you doing here?" I smile while standing up to walk over to him.

Holding up a white plastic bag, he arches his brow, "Couldn't let you go without eating."

"Thank you." I bashfully look at him as I take the bag from his hands and notice Jane walking by entirely too slow, trying to eavesdrop on our conversation, "Won't you get in trouble for taking two lunches?"

"Told them I was doing a site visit." He shrugs, walking around me to sit down at one of the guest chairs in front of my desk and grabbing a hold of a framed picture of Izzy and me, "No pictures of us?"

I point to a section of my bookshelf with a few of my favorite work-appropriate pictures of the two of us and some of him and Izzy, noticing a joyful smile curling up at the corners of his mouth. Sitting back down in my chair, I open the bag of food and pleasantly see that he went out to get my favorite risotto.

"Ahem," He clears his throat to get my attention as I pull the large carry-out container towards me, "There are two forks in there for a reason."

"I should have known better." I laugh as I push the food back towards the middle of my desk and hand him the extra plastic fork, looking up at him as he meets my gaze with so much affection behind his chocolate orbs.