Am I ready to wear it again? Is tonight the right kind of night to bring it back out of retirement?
“I don't know, sweetheart,” I say. “That's a lot for a first date.”
Jade breathes out another sigh and rolls her eyes. “Oh, come on, Leah. I’m sure your mom would want you to wear this tonight. Didn't the guy say to dress up? Besides, green is the color to wear when you're trying to make a good impression.”
“Is it?”
I don't tell her I've already made a first impression on Viktor, and it was not a good one.
“Mama, please?” Eliza says, giving me her infamous puppy dog eyes that rival Benji’s. “You know Grandma would want you to. Suzie, too.”
“And you and Benji?” I ask, trying but not succeeding to smother my smile.
“Yep.”
I sigh and gesture for her to give me the dress, which I slip on while Jade goes to the closet to root around in my jewelry.
When I turn to look at myself in the mirror, I suddenly wonder why it took me so long to wear this dress again. Even if it was just for myself, even if it was just to run errands. I immediately feel closer to Mom when I wear it; it almost feels like a hug. And itdoes look fantastic on me, showcasing my every curve and asset, while hiding those things I'd rather not let others see.
“Here.” Jade reemerges with a pair of diamond drop earrings, delicate and shimmering as the light hits them. And in her other hand are a pair of sky-high heels that have been unworn for so long, they have actual dust on them.
“No way.” I shake my head and poke the earrings through the holes in my lobes. “There is no way I'm wearing heels like that. I haven't worn them in forever, and the last thing I need is to fall flat on my face in front of this guy.”
Eliza gives me the look she inherited from me, and my mother before that, and parks her hands on her hips. I sigh. Is this the hill I want to die on? Then again, if I wear the heels, I might just die on it anyway.
“I’m willing to negotiate.” I swear, she's going to follow right in my mother's footsteps. “I promise I will wear heels if they're slightly lower.”
The clock on my phone tells me it's getting late and I need to hurry.
I haven't been this nervous in a long time. Everything happened in such a rush today, and I still can't quite believe the guy who saw me in nothing but a T-shirt and ripped jeans, underwear and thigh on display this morning, actually asked me out on a date. Even just the memory sends a thrill through me, makes my heart beat a little faster, and my fingers tingle with nerves and excitement.
My alarm goes off as I'm putting the finishing touches on my makeup. I do one more swipe of lipstick and check myself in themirror a final time before I run out the door, slipping my feet into theslightlylower heels Eliza left for me near my bed.
“Time to go!”
My daughter bounces out of her room holding Jade’s hand. “Have fun, Mom,” Eliza says, and Jade gives me a wink that has me rolling my eyes.
I hurry downstairs before I can spiral.
A black car is waiting by the curb outside my apartment building. The driver's side door opens, and I expect Viktor to step out. But instead, a hulking guy in a black suit and sunglasses walks around the car. The suit strains over his muscles, and tattoos are scattered across his knuckles and on the backs of his hands.
“Are you Leah?” he asks in heavily accented English.
“That's me,” I respond nervously, wondering what exactly this is.
“Mr. Antonov sent me for you. I'm to drive you to the restaurant.”
“Viktor? Is that Mr. Antonov?”
I realize we only exchanged our first names earlier. The man nods and opens the back door for me. With a deep breath, I slip into the sumptuous interior, all leather and wood accents.
It’s evident Viktor is loaded. But between the car and the restaurant at which we arrive promptly at 7:45, I can tell he isn't just rich, butwealthy. Even the partners at the firm can’t get into this restaurant, although their clients often hold lunch meetings here. It has a waiting list several months long, and costs close to my monthly rent for just one meal.
I'm already overwhelmed when Viktor meets me at the door. If I thought his suit this morning was nice, this one is spectacular. The deep blue brings out his eyes, the tailoring shows the length and breadth of his shoulders and chest, and his hair is rakish, a few locks hanging over his forehead.
“I'm so glad you could come tonight.” Viktor leans down and presses a kiss to my cheek, one that lingers slightly too long and that I feel down to the tips of my toes. “I couldn't wait to see you again.”
“Thank you for inviting me,” I reply, giving him a shy smile.
