Getting ready for the date turned out to be so much fun. Cecilia did Emily’s hair and make-up.
While doing so, she asked her whether she actually needed to wear those damned glasses of hers.
“I only got them because I think the nerd-like look is cute,” Emily shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t have any sight deficiency. She just truly thought it was cute and wore them all the way through high school.
“Are you serious?” Her coworker exclaimed.
“Dead serious,” Emily said in a duh-tone as she nodded.
Cecilia hit the back of her head slightly with her knuckles. “That is so out of fashion, you silly girl. Besides, you have gorgeous eyes. Why would you want to hide them?”
Emily who didn’t know how to take a compliment blushed and just said softly, “You really think so?”
“I know so,” Cecilia told her.
Moments later, just as Emily was about to put on the dress she was meant to wear, and which was a deep burgundy color, there was a knock on her door.
“Are you expecting someone?” Her friend asked.
“No, I don’t know who it could be. Theodore said he’ll call when he arrives.”
Cecilia went to get it, and it wasn’t long before she returned with a big fancy green box.
“What’s this?” Emily frowned slightly.
“There’s a card,” her coworker told her. “And I think I have an idea.”
Emily merely took the card.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Be mine,
And no one else’s.
T. K
She delicately opened the box, and then just stood in awe in front of the dress she found.
One word came to ming: chic.
It had a classical square neckline, was sleeveless, and then flowed into soft cascades down to her ankles. The color? Crimson red.
There was a smaller flatter box at the bottom of the big box, and it contained a jewelry set which she just hoped was fake. Exquisite as it might be, she didn’t have the guts to wear something like that in public, especially if its price amounted to more than her pay.
She grabbed her phone, ready to call Theodore, when her coworker said, “Don’t bother, sweetheart. Your boyfriend is a stubborn one.”
“Why would you say that?” Emily tilted her head to the side.
“Well, he did decide to reward me for saying the truth,” she said on a sigh.
“What did he offer you?” Emily smiled as she waited for the answer, already glad her friend benefited from sticking up for her.
“Many choices, and because I didn’t give him an answer, he chose for me – a trust fund for my kids to pursue their studies,” she told her with a small timid smile.
“I’m glad. That must be such a relief to you,” Emily then told her as she touched the soft fabric of the probably deliriously expensive dress.
“I still think he went overboard by giving me 200 grands for each of my 3 kids,” Emily’s eyes bulged at her friend’s confession. “I can’t help but wonder just how rich he is.”
“I have no idea. But the filthy rich title applies,” Emily nodded, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.
“Just be careful. For all we know, he could just want to get into your pants,” she warned her softly, like a mother would her daughter.
“I’ll try not to grow attached,” Emily then told her on a sigh. Even though she was already in too deep. She was too far gone. She was doomed – hook, line, and sinker.
“Put it on,” her friend then suggested, changing the subject. “Or you know what? Don’t just yet… your make-up needs redo.”
“Are you sure about that?” Emily objected. “Your kids are waiting for you.”
“It’s fine. I told you that they’re at their grandparents. Don’t sweat it.”
And with that, she worked some more on her eyes.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
To say Theodore was stunned when he saw his mate, that wouldn’t cover the half of it.
Her hair was down for the first time since he met her. It was styled in beautiful ringlets. Her eyes were no longer hidden behind those thick-rimmed glasses of hers. As for the dress, it barely did justice to her natural beauty and curves.
“How do I look?” She asked shyly after she got into the car.
“You look good enough to eat,” he told her with smirk.
“Really?” Why did it sound like she was surprised?
“Positively ravish-able, dorogaya,” he chucked.
“Did you just invent a new word, Theodore King?” She teased him as her self-consciousness dissipated slightly.
“I think I just did,” he grabbed her hand and brought it up to his mouth for a quick kiss on its back. That had the knack to make her heart flutter.
“Well, if it is any consolation, you don’t look too bad yourself,” she told him.
“Why, thank you, miss,” he said almost in a sarcastic tone, remembering the manners he was brought up to believe in and practice to perfection.
They headed to a fancy restaurant.
That night, although he didn’t wine and dine his mate in the true sense of the expression, since she was still too young to drink, the two of them enjoyed themselves greatly.
Some time during the ride back to her place, he could no longer help himself from voicing out the thought that troubled him most, “Are you wearing lenses?”
She shook her head negatively.
“But you wear glasses usually,” he objected.
“Only because I like them.”
Instead of chuckling, he laughed whole heartedly at that. “You have a weird sense of fashion, dorogaya.”
“You don’t say?” She giggled along with him.
He vowed to savor each of these precious moments – away from the palace, away from the royal court and all both entailed.
He wasn’t going to let her in in his world until she was at least mated to him. He didn’t want her to become one of those bland women at the court.
He realized he loved her that night. Now, how was he to tell her he did?
He reasoned it was too soon, and thus he bid his time.