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A red blush crept up Allee’s neck, her cheeks burning with colour. “Go on,” said Lianne, “I can handle it from here. Just let me know if you won’t be in tomorrow. Have fun, but don’t be good!”
Allee hurriedly packed up her belongings and headed for the door. The flowers were cumbersome, but she knew that Stuart would expect her to have them on display when he came to pick her up.
Arriving home breathless, Allee mentally went through what she needed to do before Stuart came. She spent the next twenty minutes going around the unit, putting things away and ensuring that everything was clean. Stuart always expected her home to be neat and tidy, and she didn’t wish to disappoint him. She checked her watch – four o’clock already!
An hour later, Allee hopped out of the shower, her hair freshly washed, her skin smooth and shaven, and began to dry and straighten her unruly auburn hair. She applied a discrete amount of make-up, accentuating her green eyes. Stuart thought that heavy or obvious make-up was never worn by classy or well-bred women.
Once her hair was sleek and her make-up ready, Allee rechecked the time – she needed to get a move on! She went to her small wardrobe and opened it, quickly scanning her dresses for something appropriate. There! That vintage style red dress with the black patent belt. Red was Stuart’s favourite colour, and luckily it didn’t need to be ironed. Allee added a pair of black heels and a fitted black jacket before getting a small black clutch out and putting a coin-purse, tinted lip-gloss and perfume inside. She rummaged through her small jewellery collection, picking out a matching set of earrings and necklace with a large radiant-cut garnet as each centrepiece. A garnet dress-ring, silver bracelet and silver watch finished her outfit. She dabbed a small amount of perfume on her pulse points and nodded. It was just after six, and she was ready!
Allee walked into her kitchen, drank a glass of water, and then went to sit in her lounge to await Stuart’s arrival. As she waited, her gaze landed on the vase of roses, and she thought how lucky she was to have met such a thoughtful man. Yes, he expected her to look and behave in a particular manner, but she felt it a throwback from his upbringing; he wanted to be in a relationship with a lady.
Just before half-six, her doorbell rang. Allee stood, smoothing down her dress and her hair before opening the door. Stuart stood there, wearing black slacks, an open-collared white shirt and a black blazer. Allee stepped back, allowing Stuart to enter, before closing the door and offering her cheek for his greeting kiss. As he pulled back, his dark blue eyes skimmed up and down before his head nodded almost imperceptibly in approval.
“You look very elegant. You don’t know how gratifying it is to arrive and not have to wait while your partner fluffs around because she either cannot manage her time, or she has to change her attire.”
Allee was relieved. She had only ever received Stuart’s disapproval the once when he’d arrived ten minutes early to find her not-quite ready and her lounge in disarray. His deep frown had made her skin crawl in shame, and it had spoiled their dinner together. Allee had thought the relationship over. It was two days before Stuart called her, asking if she wanted to meet for a coffee. Since then, Allee had followed the comments and suggestions Stuart made, hoping to shape herself into what he described as a ladylike and classy woman.
“Where are we going tonight?” she asked, “I didn’t expect you to plan anything, Stuart. And thank you for the roses. They were a beautiful surprise.”
Stuart took Allee’s hands in his, “You have shown such remarkable improvement and promise that I would not be ashamed to introduce you to my parents. We are going to their house for dinner.”
Allee was stunned. She had heard little about Stuart’s parents, only that they had been married for over thirty years, were both well-educated and respected. She licked her lips, unconsciously wiping away the pale gloss that tinted her mouth with a dusky rose.
Stuart smiled indulgently at her before gently chucking her under the chin, “There’s nothing to worry about. I’ve told them about you, how mature you are, how you work so hard to be elegant and smart. They look forward to meeting you, so just be the same as you are around me, and you’ll be fine.”
Allee gave a tremulous smile and nodded. She licked her lips again, noticing this time that she no longer had any gloss left.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll just retouch my make-up, and then we can leave?” Stuart nodded, and Allee hurried to the bathroom, relieving her suddenly nervous bladder, then washing her hands, reapplying the lip-gloss, and once again smoothing her hair. She then stood tall, pulled her shoulders back, and told her reflection, “It's okay, you can do this. You are good enough. You'll be fine!"
The pep-talk over, Allee walked back to Stuart with feigned confidence, allowing him to usher her out of her unit and lock the door.
April, Three Years Ago
It had been six months since Allee had started dating Stuart, and so much had changed since that night. Her hair, which she always thought of as the bane of her existence, she now wore restrained and tidy, although it was a time-consuming chore each morning.
Her wardrobe, once bulging with brightly coloured and mismatched outfits, was now whittled down to a dozen elegant dresses and outfits, thanks to the advice and supervision of Stuart's mother. The only trousers she owned were tailored, and her tops were modest, fitted and pale in colour. She no longer had any large or chunky jewellery, and those pieces she did have were matching sets of coloured gemstones or pearls set in either silver or gold.
The only books on display were modern crime and thrillers, biographies, and 'the canon' – Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and other classic novels. All the fantasy, sci-fi, and popular fiction novels she could not bear to part with were packed away and stored up in the top of the wardrobe in her spare room. Her pantry held no 'junk' food. In fact, it had been months since she had eaten chips or chocolate. She no longer laughed with hearty, loud chuckles in public, as they were not deemed ladylike. Instead, she affects coy little titters and giggles. Allee missed her loud laugh, and the rare times she was home alone and something funny was on television, she let it out like a hyperactive puppy being allowed to run riot.
It was strange. Allee never thought that she would need to change herself so much to remain in a relationship. It wasn't that she minded so much, as she felt the changes had improved her life. Now, her hair was manageable, she had lost a couple of kilos, and her clothes were flattering. Her skin had improved, and she often received compliments about her appearance. She was just about to turn 25 and finally felt as though her life was coming together.
Truth be told, it had been an eventful six months. Quite a learning curve. It had helped, though, that Stuart’s mother – Mrs Lawson – had taken Allee under her wing. She had arranged to meet and either go shopping, to the salon or just have a coffee and a chat every Friday afternoon. Allee enjoyed these afternoons with Stuart's mother. In fact, they were meeting up today at Mrs Lawson's salon to have their hair done.
But before they met, she had to get home to change out of her work clothes because, as Stuart had once pointed out, "One should always look their best, and work-wear was for work, not for socialising."
Stuart and Allee were sitting together in Stuart's apartment, sipping wine after spending the evening with his parents. They had returned to the same restaurant where they had gone for their first date, to celebrate six months together.
"You looked beautiful tonight, Allee. My mother told me how happy she is that I have found such a well-bred young lady. You have done me proud." Stuart was tangling his fingers through her hair, tugging gently to bring her face closer to his. His mouth covered hers, moving slowly over her lips, gently sucking her lower lip between his. Allee could taste the wine on his tongue and relaxed into his touch, hearing an appreciative rumble come from Stuart's throat. He slowly released her mouth, pulling back to look at her, a severe expression on his face. "Allee, we need to talk," he said.
Her stomach dropped; she’d known it was too good to be true. Some of her shock and anguish must have shown in her face because Stuart quickly reassured her.
"No, no darling, it's nothing bad. In fact, it's the complete opposite."
Allee sat still, her back ramrod straight, unsure what to expect. Her heart thundered in her ears.
"Allee, darling, for some time now, I've thought about having this conversation with you. I decided that tonight you deserved to hear what I have to say," he smiled at her. "You've become someone that I know would not shame or embarrass me, whom I could trust to behave with decorum and dignity." Allee blushed, grateful that her hard work had not gone unnoticed. Stuart continued, "You are a beautiful, sweet woman. What I have to say… I've never told any other woman before. Allee, darling, I love you. Not just that, but I don't want to have to wait to see you every day. I want you to be here, with me, every day. I love you, and I want you to move in with me."
Allee could hardly believe her ears. She had hoped that Stuart would be ready to take the next step.
