“Maybe I will. I guess I’ll have to get married now.” I shift around and find Ryan watching me with curious eyes. I’m about to move closer to him when a short salesgirl with a blond pixie cut suddenly enters the showroom.

“Would you like to try that on?” she asks, reaching for the lace-trimmed veil I was just admiring.

“What? Oh, no,” I tell her, stepping away. “I’m not a bride, I’m just here to pick something up. The manager went to get it for me.”

“Come on, try it on. It feels so good. Sometimes, I wear one through my entire lunch break.”

“Really?” I ask, inadvertently stepping back towards her and the veil.

“Unless my manager is here, like today. Then I can’t. And I swear, on those days, I always feel significantly less alive. Okay, here we go.”

Before I can stop her—not that I’m actually trying to stop her—my veil fairy godmother slips the bridal comb into the top of my hair and pulls the front tulle down to cover my face.

“There,” she says, stepping back to appreciate her work. “I knew the antique lace would suit you. You have a bit of that old-fashioned glamour about you.”

“Do I?” I’m set on believing her whether she’s lying or not. Full disclosure, there’s a solid chance I’m walking out of here with a veil to wear while sitting at home. This girl is a good saleswoman.

I have the distinct suspicion she’s on the verge of selling me a festive tiara when the salon’s phone rings.

“One sec, I’ll be right back,” she says.

I turn to the mirror as she skips back behind the counter.

“Okay,” I say to my reflection, “I need to find a valid excuse to justify the purchase of this veil. I’m thinking I either use it for character research or I become an elegant beekeeper.”

Ryan chuckles as he steps into view behind me in the mirror.

“What do you think?” I ask, quickly realizing just how important his answer is going to be.

“I think,” he says, stepping closer, “you look incredible.”

“Thanks.” A smile crosses my face and I bite my lip to try to contain it. “Honestly, fashion designers need to figure out a way for people to wear these in everyday life. I feel like my entire gait has changed. Something about the comb going into your hair activates the spine to correct your posture to make you inherently graceful.”

“Look at you, changing the future of fashion and making major medical breakthroughs. And here I thought our sexy-time was going to be the most memorable part of your week.”

“I’m a gifted multitasker.”

“It would seem so.”

I fluff the veil a bit in the front as I continue to watch Ryan’s reflection behind me in the mirror.