Chapter 195 - The Happiest Bride

Halia followed Jackson out of the hotel and stepped out into the warmth of Munich's spring. It was still early in the morning and most of the shops in the city center were just beginning to open. The couple walked past a few bakeries and breathed in the fragrant scent of bread as it wafted across the air. This wasn't a common smell in China, so Halia enjoyed this unique aroma. "I heard bread is really good in Germany," she smiled as she sniffed the air.

Jackson glanced at his fiancee and nodded his head, "Let's have some for breakfast." After spending 8 years in France, he had gotten used to eating bread but he knew how special it was for Halia, so he decided to share this typical experience with her.

Jackson led Halia into one of the bakeries and Halia looked around with amazement at the various types of bread. There were big loaves, round rolls, long rolls, short rolls...and even pretzels!

Halia had never had a pretzel before and was fascinated by the shape. "Why does this bread have such a funny shape?" she giggled.

The shop owner saw the curiosity in Halia's eyes and walked over to the couple with a friendly smile, "That is a pretzel," he said in English. "It was invented by a monk in 610 AD. He created it as a reward for children that successfully learned their prayers. Back then, the strips of baked dough that were folded to resemble arms crossing the chest, were called 'pretiola' ('little rewards')."

Halia picked up the pretzel. It was the size of her head. "Let's share one," she said to Jackson.

Jackson nodded his head and paid the shop owner. He then held onto the pretzel as Halia bit into it like a little kid. The slightly hard exterior, the thick doughy interior and the sprinkles of salt made for a perfect breakfast. Jackson smiled as he watched the satisfaction on Halia's face. 

He had traveled to Germany before, but it was for work and he was always on his own. This time, he was finished with his case and he was with Halia; the experience was definitely a lot different. Something he thought he had gotten bored of, was suddenly so much fun. He could see why people enjoyed traveling so much - especially with a partner. Who knew that something as simple as a pretzel could bring so much joy? Seeing her reaction to something so simple, he couldn't wait to see how she'd react when she saw what he had organized for her.

Just as Halia finished the pretzel, Jackson suddenly stopped in his tracks and said, "We're here."

Halia looked around curiously and noticed that they had stopped outside a shop. She glanced through the shop window as she wiped her mouth clean and gasped in surprise. A beautiful white dress was displayed in the window. The long lacy train dr.a.p.ed elegantly across the width of the window and beautiful white orchids hung from the roof.

They weren't outside any ordinary shop...

It was a bridal shop!

"What are we doing here?" Halia asked. Were they here for this shop?

Jackson smiled as he grabbed Halia's hand and dragged her inside.

"Trying on some wedding dresses," he chuckled dotingly. "The designs here are different from what we have in China and Hong Kong; perhaps you'll find something you like."

Halia held onto Jackson's hand nervously, "I don't normally wear dresses so I don't know what I want. I don't want to waste everyone's time. I can just wear anything."

"You are only getting married once. I want you to be the happiest bride in the world. I want you to feel special and loved on your wedding day and I want you to remember it for the rest of your life," Jackson said softly as he leaned over and placed a kiss on Halia's forehead.

Halia felt her heart melt as she nodded in agreement. Now that she thought about it, she wanted to look beautiful for Jackson on their wedding day as well. She wasn't the most feminine woman and rarely wore dresses, so it was only right for her to put in some effort and make the wedding memorable for him too. "I'm not good with stuff like this so you'll have to help me," she said.

Jackson patted his fiancee on the head dotingly. 

"That's why we're here. Don't feel pressured or nervous, just have fun and try whatever you want. This place was highly recommended by Amelie. She said they've got beautiful designs and they're famous for having really good customer service," Jackson comforted as a sales representative approached them.

The sales representative smiled at Halia and said politely, "Congratulations on your engagement. I love your ring. Mr. Wu called yesterday and asked me to assist you."

Halia thanked the woman and glanced around awkwardly at all the dresses on design.

The options were quite overwhelming. Where was she supposed to start?

"Do you have any preferences?" the woman asked.

Halia looked at Jackson and shook her head. "I'm not sure," she replied honestly, hoping that she didn't sound too amateur.

The woman nodded with understanding and scanned her eyes across Halia's body, "You have a beautiful figure, why don't I give you a few suggestions?"

Halia relaxed a little and nodded her head. The woman's calm and friendly demeanor made her feel less anxious. Halia could see why Amelie recommended this place.

The woman walked over to the racks and immediately pulled out 5 dresses of varying designs; some that Halia never imagined she'd be able to pull off. The woman then stretched out her hand and gestured for Halia to follow her. "This way," she said as she walked behind some curtains.

Jackson sat down on a luxurious Chesterfield sofa and smiled at his fiancee reassuringly, "Go ahead. Just think of this as an experience. If you like something, let me know. If not, we can always look elsewhere."

Halia bit her lip as she headed behind the curtain. She was both nervous and excited. She was never the type of girl that dreamed about her wedding day nor her ideal wedding dress, so now that she was in this shop, everything felt so surreal.

The shop assistant handed her the first dress and briefly explained how to slip it on. "When you're ready, give me a call and I'll help you zip up the back." 

Halia nodded as the woman stepped back to the other side of the curtains and waited patiently.

The first dress was an elegant strapless mermaid dress with a slight train. The hem of the dress was layered beautifully with ruffles and lace, and the top half of the dress was made to hug the curves of the bride's body. It was simple from afar but delicately detailed up close. 

This dress was quite easy to put on, even though the lace and ruffles made it a little heavy. "Eve, I'm ready, could you please help me zip up?" Halia called out to the sales assistant.

The woman returned from behind the curtains and quickly helped Halia zip up. The dress was a little big so she quickly pinned it on the back to make it fit. "We will alter it to fit you perfectly if you decide to go with this dress," she explained.

Halia nodded in understanding. She then lifted her head and looked at herself in the mirror.

But, as soon as she saw herself, she froze.

"Wow."

It was like she was looking at a stranger. The way that the dress highlighted the curves on her body was simple yet elegant. She never imagined that a dress like this would look so good on her.

"I saw your beautiful figure and thought this dress would look great on you. I was right," the shop assistant smiled proudly. 

Halia nodded in agreement, unable to say another word.

"Come on, let's show your fiance and see what he thinks," the woman said as she began to lift open the curtains.

Halia turned and nervously stepped out. What would Jackson think? Would he like it?

Jackson stood up from the sofa and looked at Halia in surprise.

"What do you think?" she asked.

Jackson ran his eyes up and down Halia's body before he sat back down without a response.

Halia looked at the man with confusion. What did this response mean?