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Mark: I have to go. See you tonight
Eleanna: Ok <3
Mark: <3
I ready myself and then head across town to the bakery. Mark has had a small group of men in here cleaning and refurbishing the walls and built-ins. In the last few days they’ve replaced the windows and all the recessed lighting. It looks so much better.
One of the workers eyes me as I walk in and basically turn in circles, as I always do when I come here. I wince. The crew is waiting on instructions from me to move forward.What colors do I want? How do I want the space configured? What appliances should we order?
I haven’t been able to provide any answers. I have ideas, of course, but to pull the trigger and start this whole project? To make it real? I just can’t seem to do that.
Maybe I’ll talk to Mark about it tonight. Does he have dreams and plans for this place? Or for the whole shopping center? That he bought for me?
I sigh and then turn to the general contractor, “Could you get me the buildout options again, please?” Maybe if I stare at the blueprints long enough, inspiration will come. Or bravery to finally start, to make something out of all the inspiration.
Only a couple hours pass before Carmen tells me there’s been a giant delivery at the house. Relieved for an excuse to ignore the bakery for a while longer, I pack up all the paperwork. Raul takes me home, eyeing me in the mirror. I know I look anxious. The bakery trips do that to me. At least I’m not still crying all the time.
Wow, it is a giant delivery.
A box that could hold two refrigerators sits in the entryway, taking up almost the whole space.
“Was this supposed to go to the bakery, maybe?” I ask Carmen.
She shrugs and points to the paperwork taped into place with the shipping label. There’s a sender’s note under my name and address.
Eleanna,
I thought you might want one of these for tonight. Keep all the ones you like. I’m sorry I didn’t spoil you for every single event I dragged you to. I should have.
Forgive me? Stay with me?
Yours, M
Carmen appears with box cutters so I can open the monstrosity. I slip open the millions of tape pieces and latches and zip ties. It’s…a wardrobe. A mobile rack of dresses.
“There must be a hundred dresses in here!” I gasp.
Carmen harrumphs. She has known Mark the longest, yet seems to be the hardest for him to win back over. Tyson was Team Mark after the first set of Post-its. Mia took a while longer, but even she is rooting for Mark now.
I look at the gowns, arranged in rainbow color order with a lot of black on each end. There are duplicates of some of them in smaller or larger sizes. They are short, long, formal, casual, all over the place. I smile and start to flip through. After the sixth dress, it hits me.
Every single one of them is backless.
I throw my hand to my forehead and laugh. My husband, the control freak. I glare at the nearest security camera before grabbing my phone.
Eleanna: I thought you said wear something backless *if I want to*
Mark: You do want to.
Mark: And something short or with a slit
Mark: Something that hugs that ass
Mark: Please?
Mark: See you soon <3
I shake my head at my phone and look through the dresses again. I find one that is shimmery gold and long with no slit. It is a tight mermaid fit all the way down my backside, but still, I’m not totally just doing whatever he says. I roll my eyes at myself.
