Chapter 45
Eliza
Yesterday was more perfect than I could have imagined.
Knowing that Mac lied to his dad about when we were arriving specifically so we could have a day together had me melting.
As if he needed to do something else to make me fall more in love with him.
Following that with a walk, people watching in the park, and a show at the Globe was like a dream come true.
Mac kisses my forehead as he slips out of bed, and I stretch my arms above my head. Normally I’d go back to sleep, but I want to get some reading in before I meet his mom later for brunch. She has plans for us after that she’s kept close to the chest and has refused to share anything about.
After we left London last time, Isobel has been texting me almost every other day, checking in and seeing how I am, asking about this trip and our plans.
She barely asked me about Mac, and it was kind of nice to have a motherly figure checking in on me.
My mom reaches out occasionally, but nowhere near the amount as Isobel, and her’s often feel more like checking to see if I’m alive rather than how I am.
Before Mac leaves, he gives me a kiss and tells me he’ll try to be back as early as possible. I grab my Kindle and open my book to where I left off.
Isobel smiles at me widely when I arrive at the restaurant. She’s pushing out of her chair and wrapping me in a hug the second I’m at the table. It’s warm and feels so much like what I’ve always thought a warm mother's hug would feel like.
Even while we eat, she’s tight lipped about our plans, instead asking me questions about my friends and family, wanting to get to know about all of them.
Every time I think I’ve answered all the questions about them, there seems to be another.
She mentions wanting to meet everyone when she comes to visit, also finding a way to drop that she’s planning to come for Christmas this year.
A weight drops in my stomach at the mention.
Mac and I won’t be together when she visits, she won’t have the chance to meet all these people she’s asking a million questions about.
I force my smile to stay on my face though, because I’m not ruining this perfect day with thoughts about the future.
I promised myself I’d spend this trip living fully in the present.
The here and now. The future can wait until I’m back on Canadian soil.
I go to pay for the bill, and Isobel waves me off, leaving cash and offering me her arm when she stands. I take it, and we make our way onto the street.
“Now for the next part of our day, dear. I hope you’re ready.”
I smile and shake my head. “I don’t even know what we’re doing, Isobel. How can I be ready?”
She pats the top of my hand. “All in good time, dear. All in good time.”
She finds us a taxi and gives him an address and we’re on our way.
I stare out the window, still not used to riding in a car on the wrong side of the road.
We eventually pull outside a shop, and Isobel ushers me out of the car and pulls me into a dress shop.
There are gorgeous gowns everywhere, and my jaw drops.
“We need to get you a gown as gorgeous as you, dear, before you head into that gala.”
I turn and face her. “I brought something.”
She waves me off. “You deserve something new. If you’re going to put up with Reginald for an entire night, you deserve some new armour.”
I chuckle at her dig at her ex-husband. A sales rep joins us, and Isobel gives her the breakdown of what she’s looking for.
We follow the rep to the back of the store where she gets us set up with a dressing room.
She tells us she’ll be right back, and a few minutes later she returns with a few dresses in her hand.
She pulls back the curtain to the dressing room, and I rush in as she follows and hangs the dresses on a hook.
She helps me into the dresses, doing the tough zippers and corsets, and with each dress, I head out to show Isobel.
She gushes over them all, but none of them feel exactly right, until we find a purple dress with a sweetheart neckline and slit right up to my upper thigh that only makes itself known when I push my leg through it.
I join Isobel and stare at myself in the mirror.
It makes me feel elegant and sexy all at the same time.
Staring at it, I know that it will make me feel strong in a room full of businessmen all there to show off their wealth and status, two things I don’t have.
I’ve never felt out of place with Mac, he’s never really thrown around his money and he doesn’t talk about it, but I know based on where he lives and the role he has in his father's company he at least makes good money. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a trust fund baby, too, but I don’t know because he’s never mentioned it.
The more I think about tomorrow and everything Mac’s mentioned about it, I can’t help but think I’ll be out of place.
This dress feels like it can be exactly what Isobel called it, armour.
“I love it,” I say, and she smiles.
“Purple is your colour. You look stunning.”
I head back into the dressing room and slip out of the dress, and the sales rep takes it up front and packages for me while I finish changing back into my own clothes.
When I go to pay for the dress, the rep hands it to me in a bag and tells me it’s all been taken care of.
I look at Isobel, and she says, “It was Mac’s treat. He wanted you to have something.”
I thank the rep, and she waves as she tells us to have a good day. When we step out onto the sidewalk, I look at Isobel. “I could have bought the dress. Mac didn’t need to.”
She takes my hand and pats it softly. “I know. Mac likes to take care of the people he loves. He’s just taking care of you dear.
I’m so happy for you two.” She steps forward and tucks my hair behind my ear, much in the way Mac does sometimes, but this touch is different.
It’s almost reverent. “I always prayed my boy would meet a nice girl like you. Someone who would make him stop and smell the roses, enjoy life. I always feared he’d end up too much like his father, and I think he did, until he met you.
I haven’t seen him this happy since he was a boy, and I know I owe it all to you. Thank you.”
Her words tear me apart, and I feel the tears hovering at my lash line.
I blink, hoping that will push them away, but it just has them dropping, and I feel them slowly run down my cheeks.
I brush them away with a hand and look up, trying to gather myself.
I wish nothing more for her words to be true.
For Mac to love me and for me to be part of the reason he’s happy.
I push all my emotions aside and slip my free arm in hers and let her lead me to our next stop.