Elizabeth's POV

Luca had parked the car in a deserted parking lot of a beautiful boutique. In the windows of the boutique were wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses. "Mum and Steph are already inside," Luca said, switching off the car's engine and moving to get out of the car.

I got out of the car and looked up at the sky. The sun was out and bearing down hard. There was no evidence of the previous night's storm."Shall we princess," Luca said from beside me. He was now wearing a pair of black silver-rimmed sunglasses.

He put his arm around me and I looked up at him due to the significant height difference between us, his face was in close proximity with mine. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"At least act like you in love with me princess," he said, looking at me from above his sunglasses and I rolled my eyes. "Come on I'm not that bad of a catch am I?"

"Your face is not a problem. The problem starts when you open that smart mouth of yours," I said and he smirked.

"So you find me handsome then," he furthered.

"You can think whatever you'd like Jekyll," I said since his playful side seemed to surface.

"You called me Hyde earlier," he said in thought. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," he smiled. "Are you trying to say that I have split personalities princess?"

"You are smart," I noticed out loud and he narrowed his eyes and scowled. "But I'm not trying to say anything. I'm simply saying it."

"And you say I have a smart mouth," he scoffed. "While you are a rare parrot-teacher," he insulted me back with literature. To prove a point of his cleverness no doubt.

"A bird of my tongue is better than the beasts of yours," I replied sharply and he looked at me in surprise.

"Impressive, Someone paid attention in literature," he commended. "So are you the Beatrice to my Benedick, princess?" I ignored his ridiculous question. As if I could fall in love with someone as irksome as the sound of nails being dragged on a chalkboard.

I bickered along with him as we walked up to the boutique. His arms remained fixed around my shoulders as we had our... well as Shakespeare would put it 'merry war of wits'.

He was trying really hard to make it look like we were in love. Thankfully we could fake smiles and hide our true feelings. Because if thoughts could be worn on our faces, this little facade of ours would have been over as soon as it started.

The shop had a closed sign on the door. I looked at Luca and he shrugged trying the door handle. The door opened and he gestured for me to walk in first. The boutique was empty and the sound of Stephanie's bubbly laughter and Charlotte's voice echoed throughout.

The boutique had a small oak wood counter with the name Mia's design's written on it with a small flower dotting the I. Dresses of all colors and styles hung neatly on long railings. The floor was dark wood almost the color of black but not black.

The boutique was decorated with vintage furniture. You could find turquoise love seats that had golden borders and legs in the corner of the room. Black and white pictures of women wearing old Victorian styled dresses hung on bare walls.

We walked further into the store to find Stephanie standing in front of a large arched mirror wearing a baggy wedding dress while a lady with a pin cushion worked on altering the dress to her body size. Stephanie tried to fiddle with the dress and the lady wacked her hand away.

"Elizabeth, darling so glad you could make it," Charlotte said walking over to me with open arms and embracing me in a hug. She was dressed in white pants and a black off-shoulder top.

"Hey Liz," Stephanie greeted with a broad smile. "Does this dress make me look fat? I mean can you tell I'm pregnant?" She asked and Luca chuckled.

"I'm surprised you even fitting in a dress. I thought we'd have to wrap a white tent around you," Luca said and I nudged him with my elbow.

"What?" He said looking at me.

"Be sensitive."

"She is my sister. I'm allowed to make fun of her."

He knew nothing about women."Don't listen to him you look beautiful," I said and she smiled.

Charlotte's hands remained fixed around me during this entire exchange. "Heavens dear, what happened to your hand," she said touching my bandaged arm. I froze. I didn't know how to tell her I punched a pervert in the face.

"She got into a fight mother," Luca said and my eyes widened. I thought he wanted his family to like me.

"You joking," she gasped bringing a hand to her mouth in disbelief.

"Well of course I am," he chuckled. "Elizabeth, wouldn't harm a fly," he said slyly and I glared at him.

"Oh Liz," Stephanie chimed in. "This my best friend Mia Wollf," She introduced the lady working on her dress.

She was beautiful and tall. She looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine. She had a small figure, porcelain flawless skin, shiny blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a pinstripe pantsuit and sneakers.

"Hello," she greeted warmly and she had a noticeable German accent. "I vill haffe to make ein few more hadchustments to zee dress Sdebhanie," she said wiping away the sweat from her brow and letting out a long breath of tiredness.

"I don't understand why you just didn't design your wedding dress," Luca said from beside me.

"Because Mia and I made a pact back in university. We promised to design each other's wedding gowns when the time came," Stephanie smiled at Mia and gave her hand a quick squeeze. That was quite the friendship pact to make.

"Ja vu vill pe dezigning mine next year ja," Mia said showing off her engagement ring by holding up her finger.

Luca went and sat on an old french love seat. He appeared to be bored and pulled out his cellphone. "Liz," Stephanie called for my attention and I turned my head to her. "I know it's short notice but I'd like you to be a bridesmaid," she said and my eyes widened. I didn't know how I felt about being Stephanie's bridesmaid. I wasn't Luca's girlfriend.

How could I be in their family wedding photos when I wasn't going to be apart of their family. "She'll do it," Luca answered for me and I smiled trying not to glare at him.

Big beautiful idiot.

"Oh its wonderful mother," Stephanie laughed getting Charlotte to look up at her in curiosity. "Since when did you change Luca's name to Liz," she giggled and Charlotte smiled. Luca glared at his sister and shook his head.

"Hey Steph, I think a few stitches are about to bust better take the dress off you don't want Mia's hard work to go to waste," he deadpanned and Steph put her hand on her hips as she narrowed her eyes in on her brother.

Charlotte stared between the two of them in disbelief."That's enough you two. Stop acting your shoe sizes and start acting your age," Charlotte warned.

Mia laughed as she stared between the siblings. "Vu tvo remind me of me und mein prozer."

"Mia could you show Liz the collection of bridesmaid dresses," Stephanie asked and Mia nodded.

"Ja," Mia said and gestured for me to follow her. She walked further into the boutique and I moved to follow her when I heard Charlotte speak.

"Luca go with Liz," Charlotte said and he groaned.

"Fine," he moaned like a child and stood up to follow me. His eyes remained glued to his phone as we followed Mia.

She leads us further into the store and stopped in front of a long railing that had a variety of dresses on them. "Call me ven vu find zomezing vu like," she said and I smiled thanking her. "Drezing rooms are offer zere." She gave me a gentle squeeze on the shoulder as she pointed in the direction of the dressing rooms.

I watched her walk away and made sure she was an earshot away before I whirled on Luca."What is wrong with you?" I whispered furiously, to Luca as I watched Mia walk away.

"What is wrong with me?" He repeated, pocketing his phone. "Tell me what's got your nose flaring like a raging bull now love," Luca said out loud and I pulled him by his arm.

"Luca keep your voice down," I said and he smirked. "Why did you tell your sister I would be a bridesmaid. Luca's wedding pictures are something she will look at. Something your entire family will look at in the future and I'll be in it. A stranger," I said and he shrugged.

"Your point?" He asked.

"The point is. I'm not your girlfriend," I said and he looked down thinking.

"I see your problem with this princess, but you are my friend," he said softly. "Right?"

"Yeah, I guess," I grumbled.

"Then I don't have a problem with looking at family pictures with you in it ten years from now. Because my friend will be in it. The girl that's helping me go home," he shrugged.

I started to feel tense about all of this. Creating bonds with Luca's family only to walk out on them in the end. I don't know why Stephanie asked me to be a bridesmaid after only meeting me once.

His family warming up to me made me feel guilty for lying to them. If they were all a bunch of jerks then this would have been easier but they were so welcoming and nice to me. "Here," Luca said shoving a dress into my hands.

It was a black dress that had laces in the back. It had a long slit on the side and was a V neck. "No," I said and he raised an eyebrow.

"No?" He questioned. Why did he always do that. Why did he always have to repeat everything I say as if he couldn't believe it. "Just try it on princess," he said while pushing the dress further into my hands. "Look love I'm going to be walking you down the aisle and I'm not going to walk with you if you pick a bright yellow dress that might blind the shit out of me."

"I wouldn't pick a yellow dress." I glared at him. I wasn't that bad at fashion. Was I?

Sighing and giving in. I held the dress up and looked over it. A victory smiled formed on Luca's face and I gave him a fake smile before I walked to the changing room's.

Black was not a color to wear for a wedding. I walked into the changing room and locked the door before taking off my clothes. The changing room was rather spacious, large dark wood framed mirror hung on the wall and a small bench sat in the corner of the cubicle.

I pulled the dress up from the bottom and it was tight. It fitted me like a second skin, squeezing my body together in an uncomfortable way. I put my jacket over it since it revealed too much of my cleavage and back.

I walked out of the changing room. It was hard to walk considering there was no room for my legs to move in the dress. I had to waddle like a penguin. But it was worth it to prove to Luca he was wrong about the dress.

Luca's eyes widened when he saw me. "Urm... that's quite the dress," he smirked. "Why are you wearing your jacket?"

"Because the dress is a bit revealing," I said and he chuckled.

"Come on I can't see the dress it's just me and you now," he said and I rolled my eyes. He seemed to be under the illusion of me being comfortable around him. "We don't have all day princess." I sighed and took off the jacket.

He bit his bottom lip as his eyes looked over me. He cleared his throat. "It may be a tad bit revealing," he said, not giving me a second look. He stood up and moved to the railing of dresses again. I pulled my jacket over the ridiculously revealing dress.

Luca pulled out a long royal blue long-sleeved lace dress, a red sweetheart neckline dress that was long in the back and short in the front and a purple princess cut gown that came with purple long gloves.

He put the three dresses in my hands. "Well let's not wait for the grass to grow. Come on try these on," he pushed me in the direction of the dressing rooms and I waddled back to them while I heard him chuckle.

I tried the purple dress on first. It fitted well and covered me up. I put on the long gloves. I liked the dress and was confident Luca would too. I walked out of the changing rooms and Luca looked horrified.

"Oh fuck no," he said, rubbing his forehead. "Next," he said shooing me back into the changing rooms. He was insane. He was worse than the fashion police.

I tried on the red sweetheart neckline dress next. It had a sequence around the middle making it look like a belt. It revealed my legs ending just below my thighs. I walked out of the dressing room and Luca looked up at me.

"No it shows too much of your legs," he said. "It's not you princess." I turned around and walked back into the dressing room. I was getting tired of this fashion show. The next dress was the long-sleeved royal blue lace dress. I put on the dress and it hugged me from the middle and flowed from the bottom. My arms were covered and I loved the feeling of the material. I didn't think the dress would fit me so well. It didn't have a lot of sequence. The dress touched the floor and only revealed my shoulders.

I walked out of the change rooms with crossed fingers. I was too tired to argue with Luca. He looked over the dress and then looked at his watch. "No, it's too boring." He whined and I shook my head in disbelief.

"Luca this is the fourth dress you made me try on. Can't you make your mind up?" I asked.

"Oh Liz it's my fault I let you come here with this troglodyte," Stephanie voiced and I looked up to see her dressed in a baggy t-shirt and jeans. Her dressing took me off guard. She was a designer but she dressed simply.

"The material and color seem to clash," she said tapping her chin in thought.

"Ja," Mia said appearing next to her with Charlotte.

"Well this was nice ladies but I think you can take it from here I'm going to wait in the car," Luca said standing and stretching. He walked away and I shook my head.

"Why do we love him again?" Stephanie asked and I shook my head.

"I wonder how it's even possible," I said and Stephanie and Charlotte chuckled.

Stephanie and Mia moved to stand in front of the racks. They began looking over the dresses. While they chatted about color, style, and material.

"I'fe kot it," Mia cheered after a while and pulled out a sparkling V neck champagne dress that had spaghetti straps.

"You have to try this on Liz. This color is amazing," Stephanie said. "Mia you're a genius." Mia chuckled and handed me the dress.

I went back into the changing rooms and tried it on. I was stunned at the way the dress looked on me. It revealed my back, shoulders, and showed some cleavage. It wouldn't have been a dress I'd pick for myself but it looked beautiful and I never not wanted to take a dress off before.

I walked out of the changing room excited I could feel how light the material was when I moved. The dress was perfect and there was no doubt in my mind that Stephanie, Charlotte, and Mia wouldn't love it.

"Wow," Charlotte said upon looking at me. "You look lovely Elizabeth," she complimented.

Stephanie squealed. "You look perfect she said walking around me. If only Luca stayed to tell us that we were all wrong. He would have something horrible to say about the dress.

"Mia we getting this dress. Make sure none of my other bridesmaid's dresses look like this one. I want them all the same color but in different styles," she said and Mia nodded.

I walked back into the changing room and took the dress off. I put on my normal clothes and sat on the small bench for a while. Getting my second wind I stood up and took all the dresses out of the room to put them on the racks.

"Vu are zo sveet. Arh! Vu schouldn't haffe. I vould of but zee drezes avay later," Mia said taking the dresses from my hands.

"Liz," Stephanie called me. "Mia will bring your dress to England with my wedding dress," she said.

"Wait I need to pay for the dress," I said and Mia chuckled.

"Conzider zee dress ein gift. Arh ! It looks like it vas made for vu," she said and cupped my cheek in her hand momentarily.

Guilt started to creep up on me again. "Thank you, Mia," I said and she nodded.

I exited the shop with Charlotte and Stephanie. Stephanie draped her arms over my shoulder as we walked to the car. "Oh Liz, promise me that you will let me design your wedding dress," she said gleefully and I froze. "I mean not because you will be my sister in law but because ever since I saw you I wanted to dress you."

How could I make a promise I knew I couldn't keep. Stephanie was beaming. She was so excited. She smushed our cheeks together as she gave me a side hug. "I promise," I choked out and she squealed. At that moment I looked up to see Luca leaning against his car as he looked between me and his sister.

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A/N

I would never go shopping with Luca. I'd leave the store empty-handed and he'd leave the store with a head injury!

Some information that could be helpful: Beatrice and Benedick belong to Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing. They bicker and argue just like how Luca and Liz do so I couldn't help throwing a mention of the classy couple in this novel.

Please vote if you enjoyed, recommend to your friends, and feel free to comment. Your thoughts are always my favorite part.

💜P. A