Masquerade - A Short Romance

Chapter Eight

Noah had left an hour later, giving her a kiss as he found a spring in his step. She loved him. And that was all the proof he needed that she was the one for him. Making a call, he made sure the ring at Tiffany's was ready to go and polished. He had found a ring of hers while she was in the bathroom, and slipped it into his pocket so he would have the correct size for a finger. She loved him... And he loved her.

Monica was getting dressed now, after busying herself with cleaning the apartment and trying to get her mistake out of her head. Her dad sat on the couch, playing with Menchie like he had when she was a kitten, smiling and laughing as she jumped around. Her mother was sitting on the bed, chatting away about nothing really important. She was doing the one thing that she hated most, not listening and only humming her response at random times. Deciding that it was going to be a lazy day, she slipped on her distressed shorts and a burgundy shirt that flowed around her, ending at the top of her bellybutton. Making sure her black lace bra was in place, she slipped the shirt on to see that it showed a little of the lace slightly, working fine for the simple design. The shorts were dark, but seemed to complement the shirt as she slipped on a long chained necklace over it.

She had taken a shower a few minutes ago, deciding to leave her hair alone so she could pull it up into a messy bun. Her makeup was light, a powder foundation so her freckles were easily seen, and her eyes only bearing black wing liner and her favorite lashes. It was a minimal day, and it had only taken her about seven minutes to finish the look. Tossing her hair up in a large, messy bun, she moved some strands around her face to frame it. Deciding that it was about as good as it was gonna get today, Monica slipped on her black sandals, her Mother still talking about gossip from back home.

"So, I told her that she would need to do cheery instead of apple!" she said, laughing. Nicole looked at Monica, seeing the dull look on her face, instantly sighing. She had decided on a pair of skinny jeans that she rolled up at the bottom, a pair of blue flats, and a short sleeved grey and white stripped shirt. It was fitting to her body, the look finished with a necklace the same color as the shoes. Her hair was down around her face, minimal makeup on her face, and she had worn her glasses for the day. She didn't look to be in her age, but the glasses helped give her the motherly look that Monica had known her entire life. "You haven't been listening, have you?" she asked with a small smile.

Monica let out a breath, shaking her head. "Sorry, Momma. I'm just kind of lost in thought," she said with a shrug. Her mom nodded, getting up to hug her. "Thanks, Momma."

"You're welcome, honey. Do you still want to go out? We can just stay in and watch a mo-" Monica laughed, shaking her head as she cut her off.

"No, no. This will be good, and I missed our girls days. Besides, we've got an appointment at the spa that I put together after we go shopping for a little while." she said with a smile, getting her phone off the charger, seeing a message from Noah on the screen. They had finally gotten back on texting terms, but she didn't feel like looking at it right now. She was still embarrassed. Even though he had seemed over the moon about her expressing her feelings.

"I love you sweetheart," she said before kissing her cheek. "Let's go!" and just like that, they grabbed their purses and phones, kissed Benjamin and Menchie goodbye, and they were off.

_____

After spending over an hour shopping in Macy's and then Victoria's Secret, Monica was already starting to feel the day sink into her bones. Every muscle ached, her brain seemed to be running on empty, and everywhere she turned she was met with happy couples smiling and kissing. Deciding to keep her head down and try to not look at those surrounding her, she instead decided to dip into her savings and splurge on some shoes, perfume, and a few dresses. The spa was expensive, about one grand for the massages and salon after, but it was worth it. She saved her money, sent a good portion of it to her parents to help with bills, even though they constantly told her to stop and keep the money that she earned. She was just never one to stand by and not help.