WATER [AVI KAPLAN]

seven; date night

Let's set each other's lonely nights
Be each other's paradise
Need a picture for my frame,
Someone to share my reign
Company | Justin Bieber

A few days later, Avi decided that we needed an official date.

He called the Blondetourage and told them to keep me busy while he went off and planned things all mysteriously, and they were more than happy to comply.

"We're gonna glam you out hardcore, Stella Bella." Mitch chimed, dragging me out to his Rolls Royce after throwing clothes at me. They took me to Kirstie's hairstylist, who I soon learned was called Armand, who redid the gorgeous ombre that I loved so much.

I left the salon two hours later with my hair in big movie star curls, the locks shiny, bouncy, and soft. We then made a beeline to the nail salon down the street, where my finger and toe nails were buffed, filed, moisturized, and then polished a deep wine red.

We went home, the three of them chattering and yanking me up the stairs to my room. I was plunked down in the plush makeup chair in front of the vanity that had been added just before Christmas, and Mitch went to work.

He erased my face with primer, foundation, concealer, and powder until I looked alien, and then drew my features back on, but better. He made my cheekbones stand out even more with a dramatic contour and blinding highlight, and gave my cheeks a rosy blush. My eyebrows were boldened and cleaned up, and my eyeshadow and eyeliner made my eyes look big and luminous.

He gave my lips a deep wine red lipstick, sprayed my face with setting spray, and stood back, satisfied with the work he'd just done.

"Stella, you look gorgeous." Scott said, clearly impressed, and Kirstie nodded rapidly, her eyes shining.

"Okay, Kirst, you grab that Balmain dress I was talking about, Scott, find matching shoes." Mitch ordered as he put the earrings Kevin had given me in my ears. They were so quick I barely noticed, but then I was being helped into a gorgeous black gown with gold sailor buttons up the front on each side. It plunged down very low, and the slit came up very high.

Scott miraculously found matching shoes, black velvet heels with decorative gold leaf, and Mitch draped a thick black fur coat around my shoulders. I looked in the mirror and almost fell over. Who was that creature who stared back at me? She was absolutely beautiful, the picture of 1930's Hollywood glamour.

"You guys..." I said, "You did an unbelievable job."

"Oh, stop." Mitch said dismissively. "Yeah, we were happy to help." Kirstie chirped. They helped me down the stairs, me gripping Scott's arm tightly so I wouldn't fall. Almost like clockwork, Mitch opened the front door to reveal Avi in a gorgeous black tailored suit, his hair slicked back and beard groomed. He held a beautiful boquet of roses and lilies in his hands, and his mouth dropped open when he caught sight of me.

"Oh my god, Stella, you look absolutely stunning." He said, handing me the flowers as I thanked the good lord Jesus that I was wearing so much makeup to hide my blushing face. "You look so handsome, Avi." I smiled, and he kissed my cheek, offering his arm as we walked out to the car, tonight, his Aston Martin.

"Have fun! Don't do anything I wouldn't!" Mitch called, and Avi laughed. "That doesn't rule out much!"

He opened the door like a gentleman, helping me inside and then closing the door behind me. As he started the engine, I looked over at him curiously. "So....where are we going?" I asked, and he grinned. "Just a little hole in the wall known as DANIEL." He said, and my eyebrows shot skywards.

Avi was taking me to one of the most expensive restaraunts in NYC, a French eatery named after the five star chef who founded it. "No way." I said, and smiled. "Way."

We soon pulled up along the curb, Avi an expert parallel parker. He got out of the car, coming around to my side and opening my door, helping me out onto the snowy sidewalk. Entering the restaraunt, I was immediately taken by how elegant and upper crust the place was.

Avi walked up to the concierge, who gave him a warm smile. "Welcome to DANIEL, my friends. You have reservations, no?" He asked, and Avi nodded. "Reservations under Kaplan." The concierge's eyes widened slightly, and it was then that I realized that I had no idea what Avi did for a living.

"Oh, of course, of course, my apologies, sir. If you would follow Francisco right this way." He said, another waiter quickly grabbing two menus and leading the way to a table in a beautifully lit corner of the restaraunt, where he offered to take my coat, hanging it on an ornate coatrack within eyesight. Avi pulled out my chair for me, sliding it in when I sat.

"I'll be back to take your orders in a moment, in the mean time is there anything you'd like to drink?" He asked, and Avi mulled for a moment before glancing up again. "A bottle of Chardonnay would be wonderful thank you, and two waters as well."

Francisco left and I flipped through my menu, stopping on something called Beef Bourdelaise, which was marinated in a burgundy wine sauce. My mouth watered. "I already know what I want." I grinned, and Avi looked up. "Oh really?"

"Yep."

The waiter soon brought water and wine, pouring the deep red liquid into crystalline wine glasses. "Are we ready to order yet?" He asked, and Avi nodded, giving him some complex dish in perfect French, and I tried to sound as eloquent as I could when ordering what I wanted.

He left quickly again, leaving Avi and I alone.

"How would you like to go on a road trip after New Years?" He asked suddenly, and I raised my eyebrow. "What?" I asked dumbly, and he chuckled. "I said, how would you like to go on a road trip after New Years?"

"I would love to. Where?" I asked, and Avi grinned. "I was thinking we could go to my beach house in North Carolina." He said, and I fought back surprise. Avi was loaded beyond all imagination, that should not have stunned me at this point. "That sounds amazing. How long would we stay?"

He thought for a moment, and then looked back at me. "Probably like three or four days." I smiled enormously as he took my hand across the table, squeezing it gently. A warm feeling spread through my body as he smiled, the warmth the sweetest thing I'd ever felt.

Soon the food was brought out, tasting even better than it looked. I tried not to drink too much so as not to embarass myself, but the wine was just the right mix of sweet and sour to be enjoyable. We stayed for nearly two and a half hours, soon enough just having a playful conversation and sipping wine.

I set down my glass, feeling slightly tipsy, thanking the lord that Avi had drunk significantly less than me. "Shall we go?" Avi asked, waving at the waiter for the bill. "I think we shall." I said, a pleasantly drowsy feeling taking over my body.

Another concierge brought me my coat, helping me into the warm fur. Avi finished paying and then held out his arm, which I gratefully took, praying I wouldn't fall over. We made it out to the car, happy to settle into the plush seats after the biting chill outside.

The silence was comfortable on the way home, soft jazz music playing on one of the many Sirius XM stations in Avi's car. I dozed for a while, but was woken by the garage door opening and Avi pulling the car in.

I kissed him goodnight at the bottom of the staircase, and once I undressed, showered, and threw my hair up into a bun, was out like a light, Denali keeping me warm.