and couldn't right itself. Worse still, the more she struggled, the lower the bodice of the dress slipped, threatening to expose her completely.
The man gave an exasperated sigh. Dani felt strong arms around her waist, and let out an indignant squeal as he lifted her up and set her on her feet. Could this situation get any more embarrassing?
Apparently it could. Her mortification quadrupled when she turned around and confirmed that Zach was her rescuer. If she had to have a wardrobe malfunction, why did he, of all people, have to be there to witness it?
Please God, let a black hole swallow me right now .
He shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket. "Here, take this."
Keeping her face averted, she reached for the jacket, grateful to find that on her it reached nearly to her knees, long enough to cover the split seam. This wasn't the first time she'd been embarrassed because of her weight and her over-large chest, but it was probably the most humiliating. The only saving grace was that the dress hadn't ripped in front of the entire congregation.
After wrapping the jacket around herself like a security blanket, she felt brave enough to meet his gaze. "I thought you'd left." If she'd been the one dumped at the altar, she would have found the nearest bar and drunk herself into oblivion. Which would have taken all of two drinks.
He shrugged a broad shoulder. "I was in a back room. I just needed to be alone for a while."
"Sorry for the interruption."
"That's okay. I was just leaving." He bowed his head, his shoulders drooping. "I was waiting for everyone to leave. I didn't want to talk to anybody about...about what happened."
Her heart cried for him. Zach was a good guy. He didn't deserve the humiliation Chantal had heaped on him. She wanted to tell him how badly she felt for him, wanted to let him know that she would gladly listen if he felt like talking. But their relationship had always been superficial, one that didn't include intimate heart to heart conversations. Offering sympathy would only embarrass him more.
So she'd do what she did best. She'd make him laugh.
"I realize you've had a bad day, but hey, look at me. I got squeezed into a dress that makes me look like an overstuffed Barbie doll. My shoes are killing me, and then to top it all off, the dress from Hell splits across my ass so the whole world can see my underwear."
One corner of Zach's mouth quirked in a brief grin. "Yeah, you've got it all over me. I've only been cheated on and humiliated on my wedding day. For the record, the whole world didn't see your underwear, just me."
She did her best to keep a straight face. "I happen to take my semi-nakedness seriously, even if there's only one person to witness it."
He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that did funny things to her insides. But despite his laughter, his blue eyes were full of pain. Dani wished there was something more she could do for him.
"Thanks for the loan of the jacket," she said. "Can I hang on to it for a while?"
"Of course. Thank you for providing a diversion."
"Always glad to provide comic relief." She sneered at the neon pink satin spilling out from beneath the tuxedo jacket, while lifting the fabric and dropping it in disgust. "It wasn't a much of a stretch, seeing how I was already dressed like a pink clown."
Zach's lips twitched. "It's certainly an interesting color."
"Please. This pink is bright enough to be visible from space."
He laughed out loud, and she was struck by the warmth of his smile. Once upon a time, she'd had a secret little crush on him. He was way out her league and had been devoted to Chantal, but what red-blooded woman wouldn't lust after a man as handsome as Zach just a little bit, in the privacy of her bedroom?
"The best thing about this dress is that someone else paid for it." Dani was saving her money for something special and nothing was going to stand in her way. "Chantal said she wanted the bridesmaid dresses to make a statement. In my case, the
The man gave an exasperated sigh. Dani felt strong arms around her waist, and let out an indignant squeal as he lifted her up and set her on her feet. Could this situation get any more embarrassing?
Apparently it could. Her mortification quadrupled when she turned around and confirmed that Zach was her rescuer. If she had to have a wardrobe malfunction, why did he, of all people, have to be there to witness it?
Please God, let a black hole swallow me right now .
He shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket. "Here, take this."
Keeping her face averted, she reached for the jacket, grateful to find that on her it reached nearly to her knees, long enough to cover the split seam. This wasn't the first time she'd been embarrassed because of her weight and her over-large chest, but it was probably the most humiliating. The only saving grace was that the dress hadn't ripped in front of the entire congregation.
After wrapping the jacket around herself like a security blanket, she felt brave enough to meet his gaze. "I thought you'd left." If she'd been the one dumped at the altar, she would have found the nearest bar and drunk herself into oblivion. Which would have taken all of two drinks.
He shrugged a broad shoulder. "I was in a back room. I just needed to be alone for a while."
"Sorry for the interruption."
"That's okay. I was just leaving." He bowed his head, his shoulders drooping. "I was waiting for everyone to leave. I didn't want to talk to anybody about...about what happened."
Her heart cried for him. Zach was a good guy. He didn't deserve the humiliation Chantal had heaped on him. She wanted to tell him how badly she felt for him, wanted to let him know that she would gladly listen if he felt like talking. But their relationship had always been superficial, one that didn't include intimate heart to heart conversations. Offering sympathy would only embarrass him more.
So she'd do what she did best. She'd make him laugh.
"I realize you've had a bad day, but hey, look at me. I got squeezed into a dress that makes me look like an overstuffed Barbie doll. My shoes are killing me, and then to top it all off, the dress from Hell splits across my ass so the whole world can see my underwear."
One corner of Zach's mouth quirked in a brief grin. "Yeah, you've got it all over me. I've only been cheated on and humiliated on my wedding day. For the record, the whole world didn't see your underwear, just me."
She did her best to keep a straight face. "I happen to take my semi-nakedness seriously, even if there's only one person to witness it."
He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that did funny things to her insides. But despite his laughter, his blue eyes were full of pain. Dani wished there was something more she could do for him.
"Thanks for the loan of the jacket," she said. "Can I hang on to it for a while?"
"Of course. Thank you for providing a diversion."
"Always glad to provide comic relief." She sneered at the neon pink satin spilling out from beneath the tuxedo jacket, while lifting the fabric and dropping it in disgust. "It wasn't a much of a stretch, seeing how I was already dressed like a pink clown."
Zach's lips twitched. "It's certainly an interesting color."
"Please. This pink is bright enough to be visible from space."
He laughed out loud, and she was struck by the warmth of his smile. Once upon a time, she'd had a secret little crush on him. He was way out her league and had been devoted to Chantal, but what red-blooded woman wouldn't lust after a man as handsome as Zach just a little bit, in the privacy of her bedroom?
"The best thing about this dress is that someone else paid for it." Dani was saving her money for something special and nothing was going to stand in her way. "Chantal said she wanted the bridesmaid dresses to make a statement. In my case, the
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