K, THIS IS THE LAST one, I promise, girls!" Denise called as her bra was sent flying over the changing room door.

Sharon and Holly groaned and collapsed onto their chairs again.

"You said that an hour ago," Sharon complained, kicking off her shoes and massaging her swollen ankles.

"Yeah, but I mean it this time. I have a really good feeling about this dress," Denise said, full of excitement.

"You said that an hour ago too," Holly grumbled, resting her head back on the chair and closing her eyes.

"Don't you go falling asleep on me now," Sharon warned Holly, and her eyes immediately shot open.

They had been dragged to every single wedding gown boutique in the city and Sharon and Holly were exhausted, irritated and extremely fed up. Whatever excitement they had felt for Denise and her wedding had been drained from their systems as Denise tried on dress after dress. And if Holly heard Denise's irritating squeals one more time she would . . .

"Oooh, I love it!" Denise shrieked.

"OK, here's the plan," Sharon whispered to Holly. "If she walks out of there looking like a meringue sitting on a bicycle pump we are going to tell her she looks beautiful."

Holly giggled. "Oh Sharon, we can't do that!"

"Oooh, wait till you see!" Denise shrieked again.

"On second thought . . ." Holly looked at Sharon miserably.

"OK, are you ready?"

"Yes," Sharon groaned unenthusiastically.

"Ta-da!" She stepped out of the dressing room and Holly's eyes widened.

"Oh, that's so beautiful on you," gushed the sales assistant who had been hovering nearby.

"Oh, stop it!" Denise cried. "You're no help to me at all! You've loved every single one of them."

Holly looked at Sharon uncertainly and tried not to laugh at the look on her face; she looked like there was a bad smell in the air.

Sharon rolled her eyes and whispered, "Hasn't Denise ever heard of a thing called commission?"

"What are you two whispering about?" Denise asked.

"Oh, just about how pretty you look."

Holly frowned at Sharon.

"Oh, do you like it?" Denise squealed again and Holly winced.

"Yes," Sharon said unenthusiastically.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Do you think Tom will be happy when he looks down the aisle and sees me walking toward him?" Denise even practiced her walk just so the girls could imagine it.

"Yes," Sharon repeated.

"But are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Do you think it's worth the money?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"It'll be nicer with a tan, won't it?"

"Yes."

"Oh, but does it make my bum look enormous?"

"Yes."

Holly looked at Sharon startled, realizing she wasn't even listening to the questions anymore.

"Oh, but are you sure?" Denise carried on, obviously not even listening to the answers.

"Yes."

"So will I get it?"

Holly expected the sales assistant to start jumping up and down with excitement screaming "Yessss!" but she managed to contain herself.

"No!" Holly interrupted before Sharon said yes again.

"No?" Denise asked.

"No," Holly confirmed.

"Do you not like it?"

"No."

"Is it because it makes me look fat?"

"No."

"Do you not think Tom will like it?"

"No."

"Do you think it's worth the money, though?"

"No."

"Oh." She turned to face Sharon. "Do you agree with Holly?"

"Yes."

The sales assistant rolled her eyes and approached another customer, hoping for better luck with her.

"OK then, I trust you two," Denise said, sadly taking one last look at herself in the mirror. "To be honest I wasn't really that keen on it myself."

Sharon sighed and put her shoes back on. "OK Denise, you said that was the last one. Let's go get something to eat before I drop dead."

"No, I meant it was the last dress I would try on in this shop. There's loads more shops to go to yet."

"No way!" Holly protested. "Denise, I am starving to death and at this stage all the dresses are beginning to look the same to me. I need a break."

"Oh, but this is my wedding day, Holly!"

"Yes and . . ." Holly tried to think of an excuse. "But Sharon's pregnant."

"Oh, OK then, we'll get something to eat," Denise said, disappointed, and headed back to the changing room.

Sharon elbowed Holly in the ribs. "Hey, I'm not diseased, you know, just pregnant."

"Oh, it's the only thing that I could think of," Holly said tiredly.

The three of them trudged into Bewley's Café and managed to grab their usual spot by the window overlooking Grafton Street.

"Oh, I hate shopping on Saturdays," Holly moaned, watching as people bumped and crushed one another on the busy street below.

"Gone are the days of shopping midweek, now you're no longer a lady of leisure," Sharon teased, as she picked up a club sandwich and began stuffing her face.

"I know, and I'm so tired, but I feel like I've earned the tiredness this time. Unlike before when I just used to stay up late watching insomniac TV," Holly said happily.

"Tell us about the little episode with Gerry's parents," Sharon said with a mouthful of food.

Holly rolled her eyes. "They were just so rude to poor Daniel."

"I'm sorry I was asleep. I'm sure if John had known that's what it was about he would have woken me," Sharon apologized.

"Oh, don't be silly, it wasn't a really big deal. It just felt like it at the time."

"Too right. They can't tell you who to see and who not to see," Sharon gave out.

"Sharon, I'm not seeing him." Holly tried to get the record straight. "I have no intentions of seeing anyone for at least another twenty years. We were just having a business dinner."

"Oooh, a business dinner!" Sharon and Denise giggled.

"Well, it was that and it was also nice to have a bit of company." Holly smiled. "And I'm not bitching about you two," she said quickly before they had a chance to defend themselves. "All I'm saying is that when everyone else is busy it's nice to have someone else to chat to. Especially male company, you know? And he's easy to get along with and he makes me feel very comfortable. That's all."

"Yeah, I understand," Sharon nodded. "It's good for you to get out and meet new people anyway."

"So did you find out anything else about him?" Denise leaned forward, her eyes sparkling as she dug for gossip. "He's a bit of a dark horse, that Daniel. Maybe he's hiding some huge secret. Maybe the ghosts of his army past are coming back to torment him," Denise joked.

"Eh . . . no, Denise, I don't think so," Holly laughed. "Unless cleaning his boots in training camp was a traumatizing event. He didn't last much longer than that," she explained.

"I love yummy army men," Denise drooled.

"And DJs," Sharon added.

"Oh, and DJs of course," Denise replied, laughing.

"Well, I told him my view about the army anyway," Holly smiled.

"Oh no, you didn't!" Sharon laughed.

"What's this?" Denise asked.

"So what did he say?" Sharon ignored Denise.

"He just laughed."

"What's this?" Denise asked again.

"Holly's theory about the army," Sharon explained.

"And what is it?" Denise asked, intrigued.

"Oh, that fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity."

The girls burst out laughing.

"Yeah, but you can have hours of endless fun trying," Denise quipped.

"So you haven't mastered it yet?" Sharon asked.

"No, but at every available chance, we try, you know?" Denise replied, and the girls all giggled. "Well, Holly, I'm glad you get along with him, because you're going to have to dance with him at the wedding."

"Why?" She looked at Denise confused.

"Because it's tradition for the best man to dance with the maid of honor at the wedding," her eyes sparkled.

Holly gasped, "You want me to be your maid of honor?"

Denise nodded, full of excitement. "Don't worry, I already asked Sharon and she doesn't mind," she assured Holly.

"Oh, I would love to!" Holly said happily. "But Sharon, are you sure you don't mind?"

"Oh, don't worry about me, I'm happy just being a blown-up bridesmaid."

"You won't be blown up!" Holly laughed.

"Yes I will, I'll be eight months pregnant. I'll need to borrow Denise's marquee to wear as a dress!"

"Oh, I hope you don't go into labor at the wedding." Denise's eyes widened.

"Don't worry, Denise, I won't steal the limelight from you on your day." Sharon smiled, "I won't be due till the end of January so that'll be weeks later."

Denise looked relieved.

"Oh, by the way, I forgot to show you the photograph of the baby!" Sharon said excitedly, rooting through her bag. Finally she pulled out a small photograph of the scan.

"Where is it?" Denise asked, frowning.

"There." Sharon pointed out the area.

"Whoa! That's one big boy," Denise exclaimed, moving the picture closer to her face.

Sharon rolled her eyes. "Denise, that's a leg, you fool, we still don't know the sex yet."

"Oh," Denise blushed. "Well congratulations, Sharon, it looks like you're having a little alien."

"Oh stop it, Denise," Holly laughed. "I think it's a beautiful picture."

"Good." Sharon smiled and looked at Denise and Denise nodded at her, "Because I wanted to ask you something."

"What?" Holly looked worried.

"Well, John and I would love it if you would be our baby's godmother."

Holly gasped with shock for the second time and tears filled her eyes.

"Hey, you didn't cry when I asked you to be maid of honor," Denise huffed.

"Oh Sharon, I would be honored!" Holly said, giving her friend a big hug. "Thank you for asking!"

"Thank you for saying yes! John will be so delighted!"

"Oh, don't you two start crying," Denise moaned, but Sharon and Holly ignored her and continued hugging.

"Hey!" Denise yelled, causing them to jump from their embrace.

"What?!"

Denise pointed out the window: "I can't believe I never noticed that wedding shop over there! Drink up quick and we'll go there next," she said excitedly as her eyes darted from dress to dress.

Sharon sighed and pretended to pass out. "I can't, Denise, I'm pregnant . . ."