Tied to You

Chapter Ten

"Mija, are you trying to impress the boy or tease him?"

My mother was helping me pick an outfit for  tonight and this was the third outfit that she had turned down, telling me I couldn't wear it because it was either too revealing or not revealing enough.

It was now the evening and the time was nearing for Alessandro to arrive to pick me up.

At this point, I could've just worn trousers and not given a fuck.

"Mama, please. I need your help but you turning all the outfits down isn't helping." I sighed.

I went back into the cupboard and went through each of the hangers, trying to find a good enough dress for me to wear.

Then, my fingers skimmed over a gorgeous dress, hiding between the various other dresses I had bought or had been gifted. I pulled it out with its hanger and held it up in front of me.

The dress was elegant and classy, with thin spaghetti straps and a slit on the left side. It was a beautiful, backless dress in black and I thought it was perfect.

"I think I've found the one." I said, calling out to my mother. I quickly changed into it and took the towel off of my head, letting my curls fall down my back.
I walked out holding a pair of heels to go with the dress, and presented myself to my mother.

"So, what do you think?"
Her eyebrows rose in surprise and she gushed at me, "Oh mija, you look incredible! Alessandro should want to have you by his side at all times tonight, he won't be able to resist."

"Gracias Mama, honestly. Thanks for your help." I smiled, kissing her on the cheek. "Now quick, I need to dry my hair properly and grab a few accessories so I can leave soon."

She left me alone, and I began to work on myself. The wand of the mascara made a satisfying pop as I pulled it out and applied a little to my eyelashes. I began to dry my hair and made sure I did it on a low heat, then swiped my lips with a layer of lip gloss.

I heard the doorbell ring downstairs and I looked at the time on my phone. It was seven on the dot.

He really is punctual, isn't he?

Carefully I slipped on my heels and went downstairs, my hand gliding over the banister to steady myself in case I fell.
I looked to the front door to see my father and mother speaking to Alessandro.

He was wearing one of his usual suits, with silver gleaming cufflinks and no tie. He held a bouquet of red roses and when I reached the bottom of the stairs, I caught his attention and his eyes moved from my parents to me.

Despite trying to hide his surprise, I noticed the slight raise in his eyebrow as he looked me up and down, taking in my appearance.

I walked towards them and greeted my parents first, kissing them both on the cheek before saying hello to Alessandro.
As he gave me a kiss on the cheek, he whispered: "Bellissima..."

I let out a small breath as a laugh and thanked him. He handed me the flowers and I smiled at the gesture.

I gave them to my mother to keep, then turned back to Alessandro.

"Shall we?"

*   *   *

We arrived at the restaurant on time for our reservation. Alessandro had come in his Audi R8 and had gotten out before me so he could open the passenger door for me.

I walked beside him and I took in our surroundings. He had chosen a restaurant on neutral ground and before we had sat, he had already insisted on paying for our meal. It seemed that he came here often, as the staff all recognised him as a regular and treated him with a higher amount of respect than expected.