“No,” I answer, earning myself an annoyed look from him.

He cues the song up and seconds later, Beyoncé’s “Naughty Girl” fills the kitchen. Juls, Brooke, Joey, and I all begin dancing around the space and when I glance over at Ian, he’s holding his phone out with it focused on me.

“What are you doing?” I yell over the music, moving in between Juls and Brooke.

“What I’ve been instructed to do.” He smiles and motions for me to keep going.

Oh. Well then.

My man wants me to dance for him? Okay. I can do that.

I playfully spin around, bringing my eyes back to Ian’s phone every few seconds, pretending I’m looking right at Reese. Imagining him sitting behind his desk and watching me with that focused stare of his. I don’t dance sexy at all, because I’m still kind of dancing for Ian and that would be entirely too weird, so I keep it fun, letting Joey spin me around and dip me. Grabbing onto Brooke and waltzing her around the kitchen. It’s the best Friday dance party I’ve ever had with the most amazing people I’ve ever known.

After Ian and Juls leave, Brooke and I get started on icing the wedding cake for the other bride. That part itself is relatively easy, considering the bride didn’t request any intricate piping work or anything besides the sugared orchids. And those won’t be added until tomorrow morning. My cake, however, contains a ton of complex detailing that will take me the rest of the day to create. I wanted my cake to be very romantic, yet still traditional in a sense. Nothing modern or edgy. I was inspired by my dress when I came up with this design, wanting to mimic the lacework I instantly fell in love with. And sticking with the theme, which made my mother overly-ecstatic, I decided on a pale-gray lace pattern which will adorn my five-tiered cake, tying it into the bridesmaid dresses.

It takes me five-and-a-half hours to finish my cake, leaving me with just enough time to take a quick shower and get ready for my rehearsal. Reese is driving straight to the Whitmore from his office so I’ll be meeting him there, which is perfect because I wanted to surprise him tonight with my outfit. I actually had something else picked out to wear tonight: a deep plum-colored halter I picked up a few weeks ago. But when he surprised me earlier today with my dance party song, the memory of that day inspired me.

Apart from the engagement ring on my finger, I look exactly like I did the day I met Reese. My black strapless dress still looks brand new, considering I haven’t worn it since that day. My hair is falling in soft curls over my shoulders, and my makeup is fresh and elegant. After grabbing my clutch, I walk toward the door but stop, taking a look around my living space.

It doesn’t look like my loft anymore.

The only thing left in it that hasn’t changed yet is my bed, which I’ll be sharing with Juls and Joey tonight at our last sleepover. Everything else is packed away in boxes, except for what I’ll need to get ready tomorrow. All my pictures are gone, my kitchen counters are bare, even my decorative screen is folded up and leaning against the wall. Reese is having all my stuff delivered to his condo tomorrow while we get married, that way we don’t have to worry about it. Then my landlord will be making some changes to the loft so the future tenant doesn’t have to go through the bakery to get to it, which I’m extremely grateful for. For security reasons alone, I wouldn’t want someone walking through my shop all the time who doesn’t work for me. I suppose until it gets rented out, I could still come up here if I wanted to, but I’m not sure I will. My new life starts tomorrow, the one I’ve been counting down toward, and I’m excited to move in with Reese and put my single life behind me. So tonight, with my two very best friends, I’ll soak in my last night in my loft and every memory it holds.

I can always take those memories with me.

When Reese and I first sat down to talk about where we wanted to get married, I never thought the Whitmore could be an option. I knew how expensive it was, at least from what Juls told me after planning Justin’s wedding here. And I’d never hit my parents up for that kind of money. To be honest, I could get married to Reese in his condo and it would be perfect. I don’t need a fancy venue to make tomorrow the best day of my life. So I threw out other options, such as the church Juls and Ian got married in and a small reception hall down the street from it. And while I did this, Reese just sat back with a smile on his face, letting me list off any and every idea I could come up with. When I asked what he had in mind, he told me he wanted to marry me where he first saw me, and that money wasn’t an issue; he wanted to pay for it. I almost argued, but seeing how much marrying me there would mean to him, silenced me. I couldn’t argue with that look; I never can. It’s this perfect blend of honesty and love. And it’s a look that I would do anything for, including letting him pay for everything.

I park my car next to Joey’s Civic and lock it up. Joey and Juls are waiting for me by the doors, and as I get closer to them, I see their reaction to my outfit.

It’s emotional.

Really emotional.

“He’s going to lose it,” Joey says after dabbing his eyes with a tissue.

“Seriously, sweets. I’m not sure Reese is going to agree to stay with the guys tonight at my place after seeing you in this.” Juls brushes my hair off my shoulder, letting out a few sniffles.

“Well, staying with us isn’t an option. My bed isn’t big enough for four.”

Joey holds the door open for us and Juls and I step inside. I glance over my shoulder at him. “Did you pick up the dresses and your suit? And the ring? You have his ring, right?”