Page 43 of Petals & Promises

That had me burst into laughter since I felt the same way about her. I hadn’t had much luck with friends in the past, but somehow, I knew Zelly and I would stay in touch.

“All right, my adorable little Polly Pocket, what do you think?” she asked, twisting the chair around so I could see what she’d done.

Stunned, I looked at my reflection, amazed at her talents. Matching the dress’ colors, for my eyeshadow, she used one on each eye, drawing attention to the fact I had mismatched eyes.

“I couldn’t help myself. You have such a unique appearance. I had to celebrate that,” Zelly shared, resting her arms on the back of the chair, peering over my shoulder. “What’s that saying… if you’re born to stand out, why the hell would you want to blend in?”

“Thank you, Zelly. You have no idea how much this means to me,” I said with a sniff.

“Hold up there, B-Rose, there is no crying allowed,” Zelly ordered as she quickly lunged for a bottle and proceeded to mist my face. “This stuff will lock in this makeup look that even a whore sweating in church will come out looking sexy as hell. It’s what my sister uses for her live performances, so I know what I’m talking about.” Leaning close, she whispered, “It’s absolutely sex-proof as well. So get your freak on, girl, and no one will be the wiser.”

Winking, she pulled off the cape she’d used to cover the dress and helped me to stand.

“Now, I just need shoes to complete the look,” I noted, glancing at my sandaled feet.

“Pff, easy-peasy,” Zelly said, waving off my worry. “You a heel or wedgie girl? Never mind, I have the perfect pair for you to try.”

Giving my dress a twirl in the mirror, I felt giddy with how special I felt. While I might be going to the ballet with Vili, all my guys were here and had been in on the plan. How could a girl not feel like the luckiest woman in the world when they’d sacrifice their time to hang out in a dress shop?

“Tell me these aren’t perfect for you,” Zelly challenged, holding up a pair of wedge heels that looked like sprinkled doughnuts. “We just got these in from a local designer, and you would be the first person to wear them.”

“Hell yes,” I agreed, holding out my hands, grabbing for them. “I need to put these on now.”

My foot fit perfectly, which was surprising since I normally needed to buy from the kids’ section. It completed the outfit to perfection. “This is the most amazing fashion moment of my life.”

“Damn straight, sister. We alternative girls need to stick by each other,” Zelly agreed, giving me a side hug. “Now, it’s time to show the men and watch them drool over how fantastic you look.”

Grinning, I channeled my inner Kate Moss and strutted my stuff. The guys cheered and whistled as I did my runway walk until I almost fell off from laughing, but Yun was there to catch me. Zelly had been right about that spray. I can personally confirm my makeup was indeed make-out proof times five.

twenty-one

Bailey-Rose

We had dinner together as a pack, but afterward, Vili and I split off from the group to head to the theater. I loved how easy it was for us all to be together as a family, but I was thrilled to get a little one-on-one time with Vili. Solo dates with my Alphas were something I wanted to keep as a common occurrence in our lives. There would be times in our lives when someone might need more from me, and the others would have to understand, which is why creating moments like this would make it easier for everyone since it was already part of our routine.

The theater was decked out for the event, but Vili had refused to tell me the name of the ballet. Yet when I saw the giant decorated pile of whipped cream, center focus in the lobby, I connected the dots. However, my excitement was cut short as a man in a red suit jacket with the theater logo on it was pointing at Waffles and yelling at me. I’d planned on learning Numolandian, but this moment had me putting that higher on the list of priorities.

Vili cut the man off, saying only three words in a threatening tone, which had the man backing away. There were a few more words exchanged before another man approached us, shooing the angry man away.

“Mr. Rantala,” the man dressed in the fancy suit greeted, shaking Vili’s hand. He continued to speak in Numolandian in a manner that had me guessing he was apologizing for the interaction.

Vili raised a hand so the man paused long enough for Vili to get a word in. “Gustaf, allow me to introduce you to Bailey-Rose, my bonded Omega, and her service dog, Waffles. She’s here with me from Preidon.”

Gustaf placed a hand over his heart and gave me a small bow. “A pleasure, madam,” he said in flawless English. “Vili, I was simply thrilled when I got the word you were coming tonight, and now I get to congratulate you on your bonding in person. Mrs. Rantala, you’re in for a wondrous evening, and I applaud you for dressing so beautifully to match tonight's performance.”

“Thank you. I’m incredibly excited to be here,” I offered. “However, I would like to mention it’s not Rantala but Thatcher.”

Gustaf blinked, not following my train of thought since, in his mind, that conversation was five minutes ago. Vili gave my hand a reassuring squeeze and pressed a kiss to my hair.

“When we bonded, I took her last name of Thatcher,” Vili explained. “We are Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher.”

“Forgive me,” Gustaf gasped, looking horrified, and flipped open the tablet he’d been holding. “I will make the adjustments to your file at once. Please forgive my mistake, Mr. Thatcher.”

“No need for apologies, you couldn’t know,” Vili assured the man. “I think it is best we head to our seats, no?”

“Certainly, follow me right this way,” Gustaf said, jumping into action.

He led us to an elevator, brought us to the second floor, past a security guard who nodded at us, then pulled back a thick red velvet curtain to reveal the private box. Vili used a hand on my waist and urged me forward as he hung back to say something to Gustaf, but I was too in awe to pay any attention. The theater was exquisite, having retained its original beauty and architecture. Everywhere you looked, there was something to take in. Craftsmanship like this didn’t exist anymore, but this building held onto it like a secret, revealing the treasure within to those who took the time to appreciate the arts.