The Mistake (Bad Bridesmaids #1) - Noelle Adams Page 0,25

do for boobs like yours.”

Amanda laughed. “Oh please. I wished all my life for perfect legs and long slim bones like yours so I’d look as good in clothes as you. We all see our own imperfections. I don’t know why we do that to ourselves.”

“Me either. But we definitely do.” Ri turned around as Serena came out of the second dressing room, wearing her own version of the dress. “Gorgeous, Serena!”

“It’s so pretty.” Serena flounced the skirt around. “It’s not terrible with my red hair, is it?”

Amanda replied, “No. It’s stunning. People who say redheads can’t wear pink don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“Okay. Good. I know we already tested it out when Shelly was choosing the dresses, but I kept visualizing the wrong shade of pink and getting worried. Keith said I was being stupid, that Shelly wouldn’t have picked the color if it was horrible for me, but of course I didn’t believe him.”

“Well, Keith was right. Shelly isn’t petty or selfish, and the color looks great.”

The three of them preened and twirled in the mirror for a little while, and Ri made a couple of adjustments to Serena’s bodice. Then they went to take off the dresses and change into their regular clothes.

When Amanda came out, Ri had poured them all glasses of prosecco, so they sat down in the store’s fancy rose-colored chairs to chat.

Serena told them a story about a guy she’d met at the gym who kept asking her out until she finally told him she’d committed to five years of celibacy just to get him to stop.

“It’s not even entirely untrue,” she said. “I haven’t had sex since my divorce. It’s been almost two years. The truth is I don’t miss it that much.”

Ri giggled. “I don’t blame you for not missing sex with your ex-husband. But a few orgasms occasionally are nice.”

Serena rolled her eyes. “I can give those to myself. I’m far happier that way. I’m really not at all interested in getting stuck with another man.” In an obvious attempt to change the subject, she asked, “What about you, Amanda?”

“What about me?”

“Are you going the celibate route too?”

“No, I’m not.” Amanda frowned. “Why would you ask me that?”

“Because you’ve mentioned three different guys in the past month who asked you out, and you said no to all three. I thought that lawyer was cute, and he seemed pretty nice.”

“He was. I just wasn’t very interested.” Amanda felt a little uncomfortable. Put on the spot. Which was ridiculous because the questioning was friendly and natural. “I don’t know. I haven’t been in the mood for dates lately.”

“Why not? It’s not still Dave, is it? Because I really thought you were getting over that.”

“I am over it! Totally over it. It doesn’t even hurt anymore.”

“That’s what I thought. So what is it that’s holding you back?” Serena’s green eyes were wide and innocent. She clearly had no underlying suspicions about the answer to her question.

Ri, however, did. “Is there maybe someone else who keeps distracting you from other men?”

Serena straightened up. “What? Is there? Who is it? And why didn’t you tell me before?”

“There’s nothing to tell! Seriously. There’s no other guy.” Amanda’s cheeks were flushing, and she hated that. She only seemed to blush with or about Robert, and it was the most infuriating thing.

Another reason to be annoyed with him.

“I know you’ve been saying that, but you’ve seemed kind of distracted and blah lately.” Ri’s teasing smile turned into a more serious expression. “There’s got to be a reason for it. All I know is that the last time you were really excited about something was when you told me about that weird night with...” She trailed off, discretion catching up with her concern.

Serena looked from Ri to Amanda. “Who? What weird night? Why haven’t you told me any of this?”

“Because it’s nothing!” Amanda rubbed her face, giving up her attempt to hide the whole thing. “It’s really not. And anyway, I did tell you. She’s talking about me getting drunk with Robert Castleman at Stacey’s wedding. That’s what she’s talking about. You already heard about it and probably forgot because it was nothing.”

“Oh. Oh. So you have a thing for Robert Castleman?”

“No! I don’t have a thing for him. We just had that night where I got drunk. And then... Shit.” She licked her lips and decided there was no reason to keep holding back. “Well, the truth is last month we... we... also had a one-night-stand thing.”

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