I look in the mirror, disbelief coats my features. The girl staring back at me looks beautiful. The royal blue dress hugs her torso, enhancing her cleavage before flowing down to the beginning of her knees. The color brightens her eyes until they look like light blue crystals that stand out amongst her light-gold eye shadow. Mascara thickens her eyelashes while the bold eyeliner contrasts with the blueness of her eyes, making the color pop out to be her main feature. Her lips are a light red to bring out her natural color. Her hair is curled into perfect spirals, the front pieces pulled back to showcase her facial features. Small strands of hair frame her face, giving her a youthful glow.
I don't know why I am so surprised by Amelia's work. She's made me look beautiful before, but this is something entirely different. I look elegant.
"Thank you," I say, gratitude seeping from my voice.
She looks in the mirror, clicking her tongue, "As much as I would like to take credit for my masterpiece, I don't have to do anything to make you look beautiful. You have a natural beauty that girls would kill for. But I'll take credit for picking out the dress. I knew it would look good on you."
I can't help the misting of tears in my eyes. Girls are expected to wear makeup, do their hair, and dress fancy when they are going places. But, for Amelia to tell me that I am beautiful without society's expectations makes me feel beautiful on the inside.
"Don't you dare cry, you will ruin your makeup and we do not have enough time for me to redo it to perfection," Amelia scolds, handing me a tissue which I carefully dab under my eyes.
A knock on the door startles us. The somber mood is forgotten and I let out one more choked "thank you" before our lips turn up into identical smiles. They stay that way until I reach the door. Taking a deep breath in to settle my nerves, I look at Amelia, my hand already sitting on the door nob. She nods her head, her smile still brightening her features. I nod back and open the door.
Damon stands there in black dress pants, a crisp white dress shirt covering his torso. The tight fit makes his muscular body strain against his clothes. I stop myself from running my hands over him. Now was not the time or place.
Looking back up to his face, his hair is gelled back neatly and his facial hair is trimmed to perfection. His lips catch my attention. They stand out with their dark pink hue, begging me to kiss them again. Oh, I wish I could. I would like nothing more.
He breaks the silence, a small smirk on his lips. He knows I was checking him out. "You look gorgeous tonight, Rose. I'm going to have to fend off many guys before this night is over."
If I blushed, I would have been brighter than a tomato. Maybe a lobster, even.
"Thank you. You look very handsome yourself. I may have to fend off some women before the night is done."
We laugh, a predatory glint in both of our eyes. We know that the other would not give a stranger the time of day, but just the thought of another girl's hands on him or another guy's hands on me strikes a primitive need to claim the other.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yes." Turning back to Amelia, I thank her one more time before leaving. I know she will still be here when I get back. Apparently, she needs the details from tonight as well as this morning. Nosy girl.
"Where are we going?" I ask as we settle into his car. The radio is on low, the windows rolled up.
"It's a surprise. You will love it."
I nod, unsure of what to say. I know I will love it, but I've had enough surprises in my life.
He's full of surprises. Remember teaching you to drive? Taking you to his secret place? The kiss this morning?
I nod to myself. His surprises are always fun and thoughtful, aside from his past. I trust whatever he has planned for me. With that thought in mind, I move in my seat to get comfortable. Finally finding the right spot, I sigh out.
"Can I have a hint at least?"
"No. That's the point of a surprise," he says, laughing.
"I know the point of surprises," I deadpan.
"Good. Now no more questions."
Turning the radio back up, we sit in silence enjoying each other's company.
A million thoughts swirl through my mind. Where are we going? Why is it a surprise? Am I too dressed?
The next thing I know is the car passing through a small town about 45 minutes away from our starting point. He pulls into a parking lot, choosing a spot that overlooks the water.
"It's beautiful."
"I visited here once. I was younger then, too young to remember, but I always have one detail that I don't think I will ever forget.
"I came here with both of my parents. My mom was- was- around at that time. She loved sweets, similar to you. We spent the day here and as we were walking around she spotted this quaint little bakery that had the aroma of cookies even outside of the bakery. Naturally, she was drawn to it.
"My dad, on the other hand, never was a fan. He was more savory, loved steak and seasonings and any 'real food' as he would say. Anyways, we hadn't eaten dinner yet and we were all hungry. So when we came across the small bakery, we decided to stop in, but only for one small treat. We were going to eat dinner in a half-hour. We had reservations.
"The moment we walked in, it was game over. There were cakes, cookies, brownies, croissants. Anything you could imagine." He pauses, his eyes have a faraway look in them and I know he's lost in the memory.
"My mom asked for a small piece of cheesecake. It had a strawberry drizzle and thick graham cracker crust. I had a fruit tart. I loved sweets, but kiwis were always my favorite. My dad had a croissant. We ended up missing our dinner reservation and staying until the bakery closed. We kept eating the different treats because they were so good we couldn't stop. Even my dad agreed. It was so perfect. We were all so happy, even when my mom and I had mini-sugar comas, we were all happy. No one missed anything in those moments. My mom found out she was sick shortly after and we never went again."
My heart goes out to the small boy covered in crumbs and kiwi, totally unprepared for what was about to happen.
"Thank you for telling me that. Your mom sounds like a wonderful woman."
It may not seem traditional that I didn't say that I was sorry for his loss. Of course I am, but one person can only handle so many apologies for something they did nothing for before they break down. I would know.
"Thank you for listening."
"I'll always listen. It's nice to talk about them without something jumping down your throat with an apology."
He looks at me then, understanding coloring his eyes.
"Can I ask?"
Instead of nodding, I start talking a lump already lodged in my throat. "It was a couple of years ago now. I was about to graduate high school. When I was younger my parents and I were a real family. We all loved each other and ate dinner together while talking about our days. We would have movie nighs and family game nights. It was just short of a fairy tale. Over time, their bond started to weaken until there was nothing at all. They didn't love each other, could barely stand each other, but they wouldn't divorce. I don't think I'll ever know why they would be that selfish to each other and to me.
"There was this one night that they got into a huge argument. The next thing I know, I no longer have parents because they were in a car accident together. I had to worry about graduating while my whole life was crumbling around me."
Wordlessly, he takes me into his arms. Well, as much as possible being seated on opposite sides of the car with seatbelts on.
"It feels good to talk about them. They were really good parents, but I think over time, their relationship with each other led to a deterioration of my relationship with them. But, I still wonder why I didn't stop them from going out. Why I didn't force them into therapy. I should have helped them more and I regret that I didn't."
"It's not your fault. You have to know that."
"I know that. But sometimes I feel like I could have done something more. Anyway, can we continue our date? I want to live in the present with you and not remember my past."
"Yes, of course. Come on. I want to show you something."