| |
FROM THE MOMENT I STEPPED into the boutique, I could tell that I would be pushed and pulled from my hair to my nails and then they even curled my eyelashes. By the time they gave my toenails a French manicure as well, I had had quite enough. I was never a girl to get dolled up and go places with tons of makeup on. That was evident when Joseph would get upset with me time and time again because I didn’t fit in “his world” as he called it.
When Chenille puts the final touches on my face, she turns me around quickly and I finally get to see myself in the big mirror in front of me. As I focus on my reflection, I gasp in amazement and awe. I feel a tear come to my eye and then I hear her scream, “Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare cry and ruin everything we have done this afternoon.”
Quickly she hands me a tissue and I blot the corner of my eye before the tear escapes down my blush covered cheek. Before it makes a trail of mascara that is an inch thick. Not only would she skin me alive, but I do believe she means what she says when she says this, “If you ruin this, I will hunt you down and make you lick the floor beneath my feet for a year.”
By the looks of her, I believe it. This woman is dressed in all black leather with long straight black hair, and she wears only the most expensive stilettos in the world. She reminds me of a dominatrix who has way too much money for her own good. Matter of fact, I bet she only does this during the daytime and her night job is tying up men and making them suck on her toenails.
“Now, look at me.” She demands and I immediately stare at her before she smirks and adds, “Perfection. I want you to go out there tonight and make all of them kiss your ass. Make sure that you command everyone and own the room like you deserve, because you deserve only the best. Remember that.”
For some reason, I can’t help but to respect this woman. She has a way about her, and I don’t know how or why, but I like it. However, this is me we are talking about here and I have never commanded a room or demanded anything from anyone. I doubt I could even if I tried.
So, when Greg walks in and stops dead in his tracks, I can’t help but to look on in disbelief when he says in shock, “You are so beautiful. So perfect. Hope, you are drop dead gorgeous. My brother will never believe it is you in a million years when I show you off tonight.”
While wondering what he is talking about, I batt my lashes like Chenille taught me to and then I say softly, “Thank you.”
He hands her the credit card and I watch as she swipes it quickly behind the counter. When the machine flashes something across the screen, she smiles and then says, “Thank you and you have a most marvelous Christmas. I know that you will enjoy it as much as I am going to.”
With a flash of her brilliant white teeth, she winks at me, and we go on our way. After we get back to the hotel room, Greg disappears into the bedroom. When he comes back out, he is holding a red gift box with a white satin bow wrapped around it.
He smiles mischievously before saying lovingly, “I bought this for you to wear tonight. I hope you like it. I know I will.”
As he smirks, he gestures for me to open it. So, I take the box and put it down on the table gently. When I do, the silkiness of the bow slides across my fingertips and I smile because it feels so lovely. Afterwards, I sit down in the chair and carefully unwrap the bow. It is so beautiful, and I want to keep it for memories if nothing else, because I have decided that I will leave in a couple days before Joseph has a chance to find me and force me to go back home with him.
The moment I open the box, I gasp because it is something that I have always wanted to wear, but never dared. Women like me never wear red dresses because it makes everyone stare. I begin to pull it out and realize right away that it is made of red silk as it slips through my fingers.
A tear almost manages to force its way past my eye and then down my cheek, but I save my makeup just in time by blinking it away. I quickly smile because this is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever given to me, and I don’t want him to think I don’t appreciate it. Instead, I say in a quiet voice, “Thank you so much. I love it. It is so beautiful. You really shouldn’t have.”
“Why? I bought it for the most beautiful woman in the world and she is mine.” He says so sweetly that I almost start sobbing.
“Wait. Did he just say that I am his?” I think to myself and then look him in the eyes.
“Greg, I can’t belong to anyone ever again. I need to live my own life, but I thank you for what you have done for me.” I say with a sense of finality that puts a damper on the mood.
He gazes down into my eyes before he takes my hands and gets down on one knee. By the time I realize what is happening, I swallow hard, and the tears start to fall after everything. Now, of all times someone does this to me. I can’t keep my shit together if he asks me to marry him. Why? Why now of all times?
“Hope, I know I have only known you for an extremely short time, but in that time, I have come to love you and I think that you love me. I believe in fate and that everyone in this world has that one and only they are meant to be with for eternity. You, you are that one for me. Now I know that this is so sudden, and if you need time don’t say a word now, but I must ask you this. Hope, will you marry me?”
As he says it so lovingly, I want to jump in his arms and profess my undying love for him, but there is something that is holding me back, a shadow of doubt in the pit of my stomach that tells me something is wrong here. Am I wrong? If I don’t take him up on this now, will I lose my chance forever to be happy with him?
Just as I am about to say yes, his phone rings and he quickly takes it out of his pocket with a pained look on his face. He is clearly torn between finding out what my answer is and answering the person on the other end of the line. In the end, he takes the call and rushes to the bedroom so I can’t hear anything.
Curious, I finally put my ear to the door this time and hear him clearly speak to his brother on the speaker phone. “Greg, does she love you? Did she say yes?” his brother asks as he impatiently tries to find out the answer.
When I hear Greg answer him, I stop and almost cry out in pain. “No, you stupid. I won’t ever find out if you don’t leave me the fuck alone for two minutes. How can I find out if you won or not if you won’t leave me alone? Now, quit calling. As soon as she says yes or no, I will call you back. Now goodbye.” He says angrily and then I hear footsteps heading towards the door.
I quickly step back and sit at the table where I was just a few minutes before and pretend to examine the dress that he had picked out for me. How could I pretend that I didn’t hear what he just said? It was all a lie and now I know that I am nothing, nothing to him at all.
As soon as he opens the door, I glance up at his face and it is written all over it. The lies, the guilt, all of it. He doesn’t care for me one bit. He never did. I was just a bet for the two of them to win.
How could he do that to me? After all we have shared. After everything he has told me. Now that I think about it, really besides a couple of times of meaningless sex on his end, we really have not done anything special together. Not anything that he would consider special anyways.
While swallowing hard, I suck in a breath deeply and then I fake a smile before saying cheerfully, “Yes, yes I will marry you.”
After all, three of us can play this game.