AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I could’ve easily spent the entire day shopping for something to wear. But Ihatedclothes shopping. Thankfully Jenny wasn’t just an employee, she was also my friend who happened to be the same size as me.
All it took was one call. I had explained to her what I was looking for and she showed up with more clothes than I had ever had in my closet. I wasn’t sure if that was a help or more of a hindrance while picking the right outfit. The joy of having plenty of time to date ensured that Jenny had an amazing assortment of dresses.
I was looking for a certain look. One that said, I’m trying, but not too hard, and was sexy, but not rip-my-clothes-off sexy. Looking in the mirror, I knew this was the one. It was blue and hugged me in all the right places., yet not too tight, and had a slice on each side of my ribs, revealing only a peak of flesh. No matter where we went for dinner, or dancing, or the theater this dress worked.
I sent Jenny a quick text with a picture of me in the dress.
I HATE YOU. HOW COME IT LOOKS BETTER ON YOU? Jenny replied.
If she was just saying that to make me feel better, it was working.
THANK YOU. I OWE YOU.
Jenny responded, I HAVE A PARTY TO GO TO SUNDAY. LET ME OFF EARLY AND CONSIDER IT EVEN.
It was funny because she had already asked me and I had approved the time off. Jenny hadn’t forgotten either.
I’LL THINK ABOUT IT, I joked.
There was a knock on my door, and I knew it was Damien. My stomach did a few flips as my nerves were getting the best of me. It made no sense. It wasn’t like we hadn’t spent time together. And we had even gone out before. But all of that was under false pretenses. This...was a...date.
HE’S HERE. I’LL TALK TO YOU TOMORROW, I said.
YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT TIME TONIGHT. YOU’RE WEARING MY GET-LUCKY DRESS!
No way. You must be joking.
I looked in the mirror one last time and realized it was a lot heavier on the sexy than I had wanted. Why hadn’t I noticed it before? It was too late. He was already here, and I couldn’t answer the door in this and then go and change.
Walking over to the front door, I held my breath and hoped he would be dressed in jeans which would give me the excuse to go and change. But when I opened the door, he was standing there in a pair of dress slacks and a jacket. The top few buttons of his shirt were undone, but that was as casual as it got.
“You look amazing,” he said, handing me a bouquet of pink roses.
I brought them to my nose. It was a scent I enjoyed. Because I wasn’t home long enough to enjoy them, I rarely bought them for myself. “Thank you. I can’t remember the last time someone brought me flowers.” I hadn’t meant to admit that out loud. It kind of sounded pathetic. “It’s just that I have been so busy with the restaurant that I haven’t had much time for dating lately.” That didn’t sound much better.
I really need to shut up.
“Then let’s hope tonight will make up for all of that,” he replied.
That was so tactfully said that I was impressed. He easily could’ve made a joke about my lack of dating. Goodness knows that Jenny had on many occasions. It was easy for her because when she left the restaurant, her responsibility was over. Mine wasn’t even close. Thankfully mom handled the bookkeeping otherwise I might not even have had time to sleep.
A twinge of guilt started to creep in for still hiding things from her. I knew I should ask him for an update about my family, but not now. Tonight I wanted to be selfish and let the rest of the world fade away as though there was just me and Damien.
I needed a moment to get control of my emotions. I had the perfect excuse right in my hands. “Let me put these in water, and then we can go,” I said, not wanting to get too comfortable in my house with him. It wasn’t him I was concerned about, it was me. I was afraid I might not want to leave.
I carried them to the kitchen and found a vase. Placing them on the table, I went to join Damien. He was standing at the fireplace mantel looking at photos. They represented a simpler time when my dreams were like every child’s. When I believed everything was possible.
“When I was young, I wanted to be a ballerina,” I said.
“You were adorable but with that mass of curls on your head I’m surprised you could balance,” he teased.
“You should’ve seen my mother trying to tame them, not an easy task,” I chuckled. As I looked at the photos, I found myself reminiscing. “I would dance and twirl all around the house. Even at school, the teacher had a hard time keeping me in my seat. Finally, my mother gave in and let me take some classes. I was doing well and participated in a few local competitions. I dreamt about going to New York and dancing on the stage professionally one day.”
“What happened?” he asked.
“I was in seventh grade and decided to listen to my friends and skipped school. They all wanted to go hiking. I hadn’t prepared properly and without the right shoes, I slipped. I broke my leg in two places. Spent the rest of the year in a leg cast followed by intense physical therapy for six months. I tried dancing again, but after such a long layoff I just couldn’t. I...guess I gave up chasing my dream.” And settled for running a restaurant instead.
“That must’ve been very difficult,” he replied.
