TIFFANY’S POV
She was home with Shawn’s mother, watching a reality show when his text message came in.
“Hey, beautiful. I trust your day is going fine, and I hope mum is not wearing you out with her troubles. I want you to look your best this evening because I will be taking you out for dinner. Shawn.” She smiled sheepishly as she read the message.
“I guess the message is from Shawn,” Mrs Gold said, trying to look at her phone.
“Mum! Privacy, please.” She said playfully, and hid her phone.
“Look at you blushing really hard. All these kids in love and acting like we older people have never been in love before.”
“And who said we are in love?”
“You don’t need to lie about it, my darling. I see the way you steal glances at each other. You are both living in self denial and it’s okay for the preliminary stage of love. I used to be like that with his father.”
Tiffany was beginning to get shy and uncomfortable with the conversation. She wasn’t sure if what she was beginning to feel for him was love, but she knew the feeling was strange.
“Ummm…mum, will you please help me with choosing a cloth? He wants to take me out for dinner.”
“Gladly, my darling.”
“Thank you. Should we go upstairs to my room now?”
“Not so fast, dear. You have your yoga session now. We will do that after the session.”
“Oh! Okay, then.”
One of the requirements for her quick healing and recovery was yoga. The Doctor had recommended a session at least thrice a week, and she was starting that day.
She made her way to the yoga room with Mrs Gold. They laid out their mats and began stretching, moving through various poses that the doctor recommended. As they breathed deeply, She could feel a great deal of relief on her aching bones.
After the rejuvenating session, they were sweaty as they climbed the stairs to her room.
“You should have your bath first. You can’t try on clothes with your sweaty body.” Mrs Gold said, as they got into her room.
“That’s right. I will freshen up first,” and with that, she disappeared into the bathroom. She returned a few minutes later and they began trying out clothes she could wear to her dinner date with Shawn.
“I think this black dress would look stunning on you, dear,” Mrs. Gold suggested, holding up a flowy knee-length dress.
She slipped on the cloth and inspected herself in the mirror. “I’m not a fan of black, but maybe it’s time to try something new.”
Mrs. Gold chuckled. “That’s the spirit, my dear. Sometimes, it’s good to step out of our preferred zones.”
They continued to rummage through her closet, pulling out different accessories and shoes to complement the dress. As they debated which necklace would be the perfect match. She finally chose a delicate gold necklace and slipped it around her neck. She glanced at her reflection, and smiled in admiration.
“Thank you, Mum,” she said, giving Mrs. Gold a tight hug. “For everything. I love my look.”
Mrs. Gold hugged her back. “You’re more than welcome, my love. Now, you will go out there and have a wonderful time with your man.”
The blaring of a car horn informed them of Shawn’s arrival.
“Hurry, he is back.” Mrs Gold said and nudged her forward.
She immediately walked out of her room and headed downstairs. As she ascended the stairs, Shawn was just stepping inside and immediately he stopped in his tracks as he stared at her.
SHAWN’S POV
He left the office immediately when it was closing time. He didn’t want to keep Tiffany waiting. This was their first outing since she regained her memory and he didn’t want to mess things up. He wanted to prove to her that he was no longer the jerk she thought he was.
He got home and blared the car horn to inform her of his arrival. He entered the house, his heart beating with feelings of nervousness and anticipation. As he walked through the door, he caught a glimpse of her descending the stairs. The sight of her took his breath away, and he had to stop in his tracks to gather himself.
“Wow” he managed to say, his mouth slightly agape. “You look… stunning.”
Her face lit up and her lips broke out in a shy smile. “Thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself,” she replied.
He walked up to her, offering his arm. “Shall we, then?” he asked, trying his best to sound composed.
She took his arm and nodded eagerly. “Yes, let’s go. I’m ready,” she replied, her voice filled with excitement.
Just as they were about to leave his mother appeared at the top of the stairs. He greeted her, feeling embarrassed he had forgotten she was in the house too.
“Good evening, Mother,” he said with an embarrassed smile. “Tiffany and I are going out for dinner.”
“I can see that. And you were going to leave without saying hi to your mother, you bad child.” And then she turned mother and warmly at Tiffany. “You both look lovely. I hope you have a wonderful time.”
He nodded gratefully, relieved. “Thank you, Mother. Have a good evening, and my driver will be here shortly to take you home.”
She walked them outside and bid them goodbye, her eyes filled with warmth. “Enjoy yourselves, you two. I’ll see you later,” she said, turning to head back inside.
He opened the car door for Tiffany and she got in. After which he got in too, and soon, they hit the road. They arrived at an expensive restaurant, one could tell from its look.
Soft candlelight flickered, casting a warm glow around them. The sound of gentle music played in the background, creating an intimate atmosphere. The place looked deserted with no soul in it, save for the waitresses and waiters walking around.
“Why are there no people here?” Tiffany asked, looking around.
“I booked the entire place for tonight.”
“You did what? What’s the big occasion? I mean, what are we celebrating?” She asked, her eyes widened.
“We are celebrating you. Your resilience to fight and live. Don’t make a fuss, please. Let’s just enjoy the moment.”
She nodded and turned to look around. “This place is amazing. You really went all out, I must say.”
“I wanted to make tonight special for you. You deserve it.”
Soon, a waitress approached their table with varieties of food and most of them were seafood. He watched her eyes widened in delight.
“You ordered all of these for me?”
“Yes, for you. I know you love seafood. I want you to eat to your fill.”
“This is so thoughtful of you. Thank you.”
“You are welcome.”
Their conversation flowed effortlessly as they dined on the varieties of exquisite dishes and they shared laughs and stories.