Black Lace

Chapter 9- Roses

After a few hours of meandering in random shops, Tessa tossed dress after dress at me until she found the one she approved. Mind you, she ensured that I couldn't sneak a peek while we were in the dressing room.

Two hours later, I was ready. "You look absolutely incredible," Tessa gasped, holding her hand over her mouth looking like she was going to cry.

Even though she decorated houses, she had proven she was talented enough to dress any celebrity.

Trembling in anticipation, I clenched my eyes shut as she guided me over to the closet door that was covered in mirrors and placed me carefully in front of them so I wouldn't knock into them.

"Open your eyes," She whispered, excitement apparent in her voice.

Slowly but surely, I opened them and gasped at the view that stared back at me and threw my hands over my mouth in shock. I looked like a completely different woman.

My long blonde hair was curled in soft ringlets that were carefully broken apart by her fingers tips, creating a fancy but everyday look. My makeup was perfect with smoky eyes and cinnamon colored cheeks. My lips were outlined with a clear pencil and filled in with a nude color lipstick.

A white gold heart-shaped pendant with diamond accents around the edge casually swung from my neck, one of my favorites from mom.

Moving further down my body, a solid black tube top dress came to my inner thigh and was finished off with black high heels. Tessa even picked out a cute little cover all for my shoulders just in case it got cold.

Turning to Tessa, I grabbed her and hugged her tightly. "Thank you," I whispered. "Great job on my hair and makeup, you learned well."

The clock read 6:55 pm and I started freaking out. Butterflies fluttered anxiously in my stomach as a feeling of lightheadedness overwhelmed me.

"Tess, how is he going to pick me up when I never told him where I lived?" The realization dawned upon me, making my stomach clench even more than before.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the doorbell rang. It was a perfectly timed coincidence, one that made us both giggle. Tessa started jumping up and down, clapping her hands together like a teeny bopper excited for their favorite artist.

"Let's go," She smiled, smacking my butt and dragging me down the stairs.

Standing in front of the door, I straightened out my dress and took a deep breath. I was so nervous that I could hear my own heartbeat thundering in my ears.

With my hand trembling on the silver doorknob, I opened it slowly, taking in the sight in front of me. Sebastian stood less than 3 feet away with a hand full of roses and a drop dead gorgeous smile.

He was wearing a black button up shirt that hugged his arms and chest in all the right places along with a pair of light blue jeans. His hair laid messily on his head, but it was perfect in its own Sebastian way.

"You look amazing, Veronica," He smiled, scanning my body up and down quickly before lingering on my face for a moment. Then his gaze slowly moved to my dress, staring so intensely that it was like he could see through it. I could hear his breath catch in his throat as he brought his eyes back to mine.

Handing me the roses, our hands brushed against each other and my body tingled. I was starting to get used to the sensations I felt when he would touch me or breathe on me. This was a good thing, right?

"Thank you. Let me go put these in some water and then we can go. Come inside and make yourself at home."

Walking into the kitchen, the obnoxious sound of my high heels clicked against the tile floors, filling the room with an echoing sound. Grabbing the lavender vase out of the cupboard, I artistically placed the roses inside. They were red and pink with swirls of white along the top. I had never seen a rose so intricate before. It was as if the tops were hand painted, adding to their intricacy.

Turning on my heel, I walked back into the foyer where Sebastian and Tessa were talking, her hand casually resting on his arm, whispering into his ear, giggling as he looked at her. Seeing the two of them together sent a ping of jealousy through me. "He is mine, what the hell is she doing," I thought to myself, trying to hide the smoke escaping my ears.

"Are you ready to go babe?" He said in a flirtatious way. His words sent tingles through my body, tingles that ached within my bones pressuring me to jump him and indulge in inappropriate activities.

In reality, I was stunned by what he just called me, I was at a loss for words. All I could do was shake my head in a nodding motion and smile.