Chapter 7: Tessa

                                    

                                          
"Hardin didn't seem too happy when I came to pick you up." Nora laughs as we drive to Kim's hotel.
                          
"Yeah, he definitely wasn't. You kind of interrupted us." I don't feel uncomfortable discussing this sort of stuff with Nora. We have known each other long enough, and have talked about that on multiple occasions.
                          
"Oh, my bad. Hopefully when Landon comes by later, he'll be more open to the idea of doing something."
                          
"Maybe." More likely not though.
                          
"Well, it's gonna be a fun night! Kim did all the organizing, so I have no idea who we are even seeing. I just got us a special reservation at the Lookout, which is only a five minute walk from the bar."
                          
My eyes widen, and Nora looks over at me like she knows what I'm thinking.
                          
"Don't worry. Robert took the week off to visit his family back in Washington. At least, that's what I heard." 
                          
I sigh in relief. "Oh thank goodness."
                          
"Well, I think it should be a fun night regardless." Nora turns up the radio, and we sit in comfortable silence while we drive to the hotel.
                          
Kim opens up the door, and I am taken back by what she's wearing.
                          
"Kim! You look hot!" I tell her as she invites into the room. She is wearing this skin tight red dress that goes down past her knees, but it's strapless. It fits her body like a glove, and I'm instantly jealous.
                          
"Oh this little thing." She twirls around, laughing. "It's nothing."
                          
I walk into her fucking penthouse of a hotel room.
                          
"I hate how this is nicer than my own house." I joke, and she swats my arm.
                          
"Are you excited!? We gotta get you glammed up, I mean... look at this hair." She takes my hair and tosses it around, but I smack her hands away.
                          
"Here let's go." Nora pushes me into one of the bedrooms to start getting ready.
                          
"Where's Christian?" I ask her once she sits me down on a chair.
                          
"Christian took the kids out sight seeing."
                          
"Oh, I'm sorry. You should be exploring the city right now."
                          
She shakes her head aggressively, "Oh please. It's fine. Now before we get started, I want you to try on your wedding dress." She pulls the dress out of the closet, shoving it at my chest. I take off my clothes and slip the dress on.
                          
"I made sure to have extra room for your little bump there." She begins tying the back of it, tightening it while Nora slips the veil onto my head.
                          
They step back and cover their mouths. 
                          
"You look beautiful, Tessa." Nora whispers. 
                          
I turn myself around to the full mirror in the bathroom, and I cannot recognize the woman in the mirror. I haven't worn a floor length dress since Landon and Nora's wedding. I feel tears pool in my eyes. The sight of me in a wedding dress is very overwhelming.
                          
"Fuck! I'm gonna cry!" Kim comes up from behind me. "I don't want to smudge my makeup!"
                          
"Hardin is one lucky guy." Nora grabs onto my shoulders. "He's gonna die!"
                          
I have a feeling that Hardin will really like this dress. It's totally me and fits my personality to a T.
                          
"You should keep your hair down, and maybe pulled back a little like this." Kim moves the sides of my hair behind my ears.
                          
"Yeah, I like that."
                          
"Good. Now, let's get you ready!"
                          
We spend the next hour doing makeup, gossiping, and just laughing with each other. It's so easy with Nora and Kim to just talk and have a good time. I haven't had a lot of friends that are girls, my first and only one before Nora and Kim being Josie from high school, but I'm happy that I have these two.
                          
"Hey babe." Nora answers the phone on speaker when Landon calls.
                          
"Hey, I'm heading over to Hardin's now. How much money do you want to bet that he's gonna throw me out?"
                          
"$20." I speak up, and hear Landon chuckle.
                          
"Oh, hey Tessa. I hope your fiancé doesn't curse me out for trying to do something nice for him."
                          
"I apologize in advance... You have the card I gave you, right?"
                          
A couple weeks ago, I gave Landon a card to give to Hardin the night before our wedding. It's just a little note that I wrote, nothing fancy or anything.
                          
"Yeah I got it. Maybe I'll use that to bribe him!"
                          
"Smart." I smirk.
                          
"Well, wish me luck. I'm just about to pull up to your house... oh, weird."
                          
"What?" Nora asks.
                          
"His car isn't in the drive way."
                          
That is weird, but then I remember something.
                          
"Maybe he's picking up Trish and Mike from the subway station?"
                          
"Yeah you're probably right. I'll update you all soon."
                          
"Thanks, Landon." I tell him honestly. The amount of effort his puts into his relationship with Hardin is very heartwarming. They've come so far since I first met the both of them.
                          
"Of course." 
                          
"Well, we're done!" Kim exclaims as she finishes applying my lipstick. "Ta da!"
                          
Kim did a great job. It looks super natural, yet my facial features are more highlighted and defined.
                          
"I love it!"
                          
"Okay, now let's go party!" Kim jumps up and down, and for some reason, I have a feeling she is more excited than I am.