“You look gorgeous Ads,” I exclaimed getting teary eyed. She stood on the circular platform in the center of the change room. The wedding party would be arriving any minute, and this was the twenty-fifth dress sheto had tried on today.
“This is the one,” she said with a smile plastered to her face. Her dark skin glowed as it was layered beneath the cream-colored dress. The neckline showed off her highlighted collar bone trailing off onto her broad shoulders. Her black ringlets looked as though they danced with her as she twirled on the platform catching a glimpse of her beauty each time her eyes met the mirror.
 I don’t remember a time when Addie was not in my life. My mom and her mom where best friends since high school, so like most similar scenarios we became best friends from birth. All of our milestones have lined up. We were born only a week apart, so we have celebrated every birthday together, graduated together, and even both had our first kiss on the same night. Separate boys of course! But one milestone that we won't be sharing at the same time is getting married. Addies' first kiss ended up as much more than we ever would have thought. Mine not so much.
            Ok, let's get you out of that dress before everyone arrives!” I said as I began to unzip the back.
“Thank you again for hosting everyone today, Ella,” she beamed. "I can't wait for everyone to try on their dresses and suits!” She swiftly pulled on her white romper with one graceful movement.
“Well, that’s what the boutique is for isn't it?” I said. “What good would all these dresses and suits be without people to wear them!” I gently put her dress back into the bag and scribbled her name onto the tag.
     I had pulled out Mom's old decoration stuff from when she threw Christiana her second wedding party years ago. The box was labeled “Party Time,” in her neat handwriting. As if she just wrote it yesterday. “Where's my favorite child?” Christiana announced as she sprung through the door sounding the little silver bell strung above it. She practically hops over and gives me one of her signature big bear hugs.
“Mom!” Addie exclaims pretending to be frustrated. Ever since we were little, Christina always called me her favorite child and my mom would call Addie hers. Mom’s not around to carry out the tradition anymore, but Christina makes sure we never forget. Even if it's on the day of her daughter's wedding dress fitting!
I left Addie and Christiana alone as I opened the sliding door at the back of the boutique and jogged up the winding stairs to Addie’s and my apartment. Well, I guess it was just mine now. It felt quite surreal. I dabbed on some more blush and re curled my pin straight lashes once again before applying a coat of my ginger mascara in a shade that perfectly aligned with bobbed hair. I grabbed my phone off the kitchen counter. One missed call from Jim, my landlord. Weird, must have been calling to let me know that he found somebody to fix my pipe.  I stuffed my phone into the left pocket of my fancy jeans and rushed back down the stairs back to the boutique.
“The place looks gorgeous Ella,” Matt exclaimed as he gave me a massive hug.
“Aww thanks,” I exclaimed embracing him back. As Matt and Addie got closer in high school, he came to realize that she and I were a package deal. Movies, restaurants, bowling you name it, if it was a date night chances are I was present. They always did such a good job accommodating my feelings.
“You know my friend Jacks going to be here today and...” I stopped him before he could finish his sentence.
” Matt today is about you and Addies love life, not mine.” I sighed. “Thank you but no thank you.”
 I aggressively rolled my eyes.
 “Ok, but I'm just saying I’ve got a feeling this one's going to be different,” he said nudging me with his elbow. Matt thinks that he is going to be my match maker, but truth be told I've met almost all of his friends, and no one has clicked... It just doesn’t work! How ironic would it be that I spend my days surrounded by white dresses but will probably never be in one myself.
 “Ok ladies head on over with Addie and she will show you where your dresses are in the changing rooms,” I shouted over the chaos of everybody. “Boys, Christina will get you all set up with your suits, and I'll come around to both parties checking for fit once your dressed and with your isle pair!”
After a long forty-five minutes of people zipping and buttoning their suits Addie pronounced, “Ok people, I'm going to pair you up with who you're walking down the aisle with and please go find them!” She clutched a bright orange sticky note. “Jenna and jet, Amalie and Doug, Livia and Jonathan, Zoe and Wren, Abigal and Daniel, Ella and Jake,” she finished grinning at me. Matt snottily winked at me. Goodness I thought, here we go again.
 I turn around in sync to the tapping on my shoulder. My eyes meet with a six foot three, brunet with brown eyes. I hoped that my face wasn't as red as my insides. “You must be Ella?” He said maintaining eye contact. The Butterly residents in my stomach felt as though they were performing a coordinated dance routine. My phone rang, and I rushed outside without greeting Jake back.  
“What d[SE1] o you mean you're going to evict me if I don’t get a roommate?” I yelled at the phone angrily as I paced the sidewalk.  Cars rushed past as the rain splattered on the pavement.
“Ella, I wouldn't threaten if I didn’t have to but now that Addie has moved out your bills just aren't getting paid kiddo!” Jim exclaimed with a mellow tone to his voice.
Jim was my mom's high school lover. They dated for five years until he came out as gay. They disconnected after high school until under some coincidence he was the landlord of the space she was hoping to lease and transform into her dream wedding boutique. They had rebuilt their friendship through that partnership and where best friends till the day she died.
 I know that I had been late paying my bills, but I figured he would give me some grace. “I'm sorry kid, but I’ve waited as long as I could. A couple is coming to look at the space this evening.” He paused for a brief moment.” If you don’t have a new roommate in mind by this evening, then I'm going have to evict you.”  
There was no point in fighting. Jim had made up his mind,” Ok,” I muttered as I hung up the phone. Mom taught me to never hang up the phone without saying goodbye, because it was good manners. But manners were not my top priority at that moment.
I walked back into the boutique, and it felt as though the rain clouds had followed me in. Mascara running and hair a mess I plopped on a smile. I wouldn't let this ruin Matt and Addies' party. All I had to do was find a new roommate within the span of a couple hours. Easy right? Who am I kidding, it's not like the perfect fit was someone I could just find in the boutique.
“Everything seems to fit fine,” I walked through the groups of bridesmaids and grooms' men all dressed up as they would be for the long-awaited day. Eventually I made it to Jake.
 “Well, I've never had someone so flabbergasted to see me that they ran away,” he said smirking.
 “Well, I guess there is a first time for everything.” I replied blushing. “Fits good,” I said as I paced around his tall and thoughtfully built figure.
 “Who was calling you, your lover?” He smiled and flashed me with his perfectly straight teeth. He must have had braces when he was a kid, I thought trying not to be blinded from the shine of his smirk.
 “No, no I'm single,” I muttered. “Wait no sorry that wasn't the question, it was my landlord!” I embarrassedly added in.
“Who said that wasn't the question?” He said as he slowly backed away to go greet Matt.
     “You ok Ell,” Addie whispered to me as I sat at a table munching on a triangular tea sandwich. She knew that I couldn't lie to her.
“Jim called; he is going to evict me if I don’t get a new roommate.” My bright blue eyes became shiny as tears formed. “I didn’t want to ruin your day, so I didn’t tell you I am so sorry.”
 “Have you met Jake yet?” she said bluntly.
“Really? In a time like this you're going to bring up my love life!” I said as the salty taste of tears coated my lips.
 “Give him a chance Ell, trust me,” she said smiling before walking away.
There was no way that she chose a time like this to once again remind me of the fact that I am a hopeless romantic.
 “How is some guy going to change the fact that I need a roommate or else the boutique, my mom's boutique will be sold?” I said as she walked over to Christina.
 I felt a familiar tap on my shoulder.
     “Hey,” Jake smiled at me as he took a seat. He eyed out the sandwich in my hands and without a second thought took a big bite. “Good sandwich,” He exclaimed mouth full.
 I giggled and for a moment the whole situation was forgotten.
 “So, this is your place huh?” He said as he scanned the boutique.
“Yes, yes, it is!”
“I wasn't trying to eves drop but from what I gathered you're in search of a new roommate?”
“Yea, its super sudden but with Ads moving out I'm on the hunt, and I'm on a slight time crunch!” I twirled the ring on my finger.
Ha, by slight time crunch I meant within the next hour, but he didn’t need to know that. I thought inwardly.
“Well, that’s such a coincidence because my sister is actually looking for a new roommate in the area... I'll get you two hooked up!”
“That would be amazing!” I exclaimed trying to keep my cool as relief filled my whole being.
     We spent the rest of the evening glued to each other's sides. We discussed politics, fish breeds, and the best foundation to build a house on. Any topic, you name it chances are we discussed it!  
I looked red as tomato for the night but could care less.
“I’ll call you once I'm home ok Ella?” Jake said as he walked out the door once again sending the chimes of the bell throughout the now almost empty boutique.
Matt and Addie stood in the corner staring at me.
“Told you so!” Matt said as he ran up to me nudging me playfully in my ribcage.
Addie waltzed over to me ever so gracefully and gave me a big slopy kiss on the cheek before whispering in my ear, “you're up next.”
I eagerly dialed Jims number into my phone, “I found myself a roommate! And who knows, maybe even love.”