67. Theo Fairview
“Fuck…” I swore, and I fumbled around with my new tie. It wasn’t that I didn’t know how to knot a necktie. I did it all the time when I helped out at Fairview, it was just… this tie felt weird.
The suit I wore when I was lending a hand with transport for services had cost me two hundred dollars at Macy’s, and it had served me well for roughly ten years.
I had no idea you could even buy suits that cost as much as the one Cassandra had put me in for this fundraiser.
The all-black, single-breasted Tom Ford she’d finally decided on had been nearly six grand. When I tell you I nearly fainted when the clerk rang everything up … My god.
And it didn’t stop there. Apparently, my old dress shoes just wouldn’t do, so Cass had swiped away another fifteen hundred dollars on Gucci loafers without blinking. Then there had been the five-hundred-dollar Dior crew neck… and don’t even get me started on this fucking tie.
The tie alone was over three hundred dollars. I think it was Gucci or something… maybe Hermes? I was getting the brands all mixed up.
Then of course, the rush tailoring job she’d insisted was necessary put another eight hundred dollars on her card, which kind of pissed me off if I was being honest.
Because what do you mean I needed to get my six-thousand-dollar suit tailored? Bitch, if the suit costs that much, it should be able to magically tailor its damn self… but, what did I know?
Nothing about formal wear, apparently.
Cassandra wouldn’t let me pay for any of it, which made it difficult for me to complain.
I wasn’t sure if she thought I couldn’t afford it, or if she genuinely got a kick out of dressing me up like her own personal doll, but either way, I couldn’t really say much about the insane price tags, considering she was the one footing the bill.
I’d just been along for the ride.
Now, though, standing in front of the mirror, it was clear that there was a massive difference between my off-the-rack Macy’s discount suit and this literal work of art Cassandra had put together for me.
I looked… like a fucking rockstar or something.
The only thing was… the tie looked super weird for some reason, no matter how many times I redid the knot, and I couldn’t figure out why.
“Oh, sweet girl, you look fucking amazing!” Cass crooned as she strode out of the ensuite she’d been locked in for the last hour.
I jumped at her sudden appearance and twisted away from the mirror to tell her I wasn’t so sure about the tie… but the second I laid eyes on her, my jaw dropped.
Jesus fucking Christ.
If there was a god, the dude really said ‘hold my beer’ the day he decided to make Cassandra.
She was in a sparkling, champagne-colored Chanel dress that clung to her hips like a second skin. The hemline stopped mid-thigh, showing off her long, toned legs and perfect feet, which she’d slipped into a brand new pair of nude Louboutins.
She’d put some sort of lotion or body spray that made her tanned skin glisten and sparkle as she walked, and her long dark hair had been curled into loose, beachy waves.
Stalking toward me, she positioned herself between me and the mirror, and my mouth went dry as I realized the dress was completely backless, except for a thin criss-cross of gold chains that held the sparkly fabric together.
Jesus Christ.
No bra…
How the fuck was I supposed to get through this without ripping that dress right off her?
Completely oblivious to the fact that she’d completely mollified me by simply walking into the room, she frowned, pursing her lips.
“Oh, no, baby. The tie isn’t for this outfit. You need a collar for a tie.”
“Huh?” I rasped, doing my best to pull myself out of whatever trance it was she’d somehow managed to put me in by simply fucking existing.
Gently, she took the tails out of my hands and slipped the black silk tie off my neck before hanging it up and putting it away in the closet.
“Why’d you get it for me then?” I asked, bewildered, as she made her way over to the dresser to scoop up my silver Q-Tip.
“You need a proper tie, Theodora. Your little skinny one is cute and all, but not every event we go to is going to call for 2002 Avril Lavigne chic.”
I blinked at her as she slipped the silver chain for my charm over my neck before standing back to see how it looked.
Straightening the lapel of my jacket, she smiled.
“But you won’t be wearing a tie at all tonight.
I went with the crew-neck so you could keep your magic wand with you in case you needed it.
There’s going to be a lot of alcohol there, and dealing with the press can be overwhelming, especially if you’re not used to it.
So, I just wanted to make sure you had everything you needed to feel comfy. ”
“Oh,” I said dumbly, feeling my eyes burn slightly at how fucking thoughtful that was of her. I curled my fingers around the cool metal of my charm. It seemed to tingle in my palm, as if it really was magic, and it had the power to protect me if I needed it to.
“You look fucking stunning. Jesus. I hope you let me dress you up all the time. I don’t think you understand how fun this is for me.”
I grinned, shaking my head slightly as she turned so she could look at us both in the mirror.
“If it makes you happy, it makes me happy, baby girl. Though you might have a bit of a shopping problem. I don’t think you even looked at the price tags for half this shit,” I mumbled, and she laughed.
“Why do you think I worked so hard to become a lawyer? I knew early on that if I didn’t lock down a job with a high salary, I was going to end up living in a damn box somewhere. I like pretty things! And pretty things tend to be a little expensive. Sue me.”
I reached out and pinched her chin between my fingers before drawing her in for a swift kiss. My stomach flipped as her lips curled into a smile against mine.
“I like pretty things too, princess,” I murmured, nipping her bottom lip softly. “And you’re the prettiest damn thing I’ve ever seen.”
Her cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink, and I marveled for a moment at the fact that I had the power to make her look at me like that.
“Uhm… so I was thinking…” she said softly, and my breath caught in my chest. The way she was looking at me caused a rustling flutter to explode through my gut, and I couldn’t decide if I was excited or nervous about whatever it was she was going to ask me.
“Yeah?” I swallowed, and she cupped the side of my face gently, before skating another soft kiss over my lips.
“I know things have been busy with me getting ready for this event and you for your big fight, but… After… I was thinking maybe we could go somewhere, just you and me? I can get us an Airbnb on a beach or something, and you can bring your gaming thing, and maybe we can order takeout… like real takeout. You can get a real beef burger or whatever, and I’ll get a veggie burger… Maybe tacos too?”
I stared at her in disbelief for a long moment, doing my best to process the fact that she was asking to spend a weekend away with me… after the fundraiser.
Did that mean… she didn’t want this to be over either?
I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but even my self-deprecating mind couldn’t convince me that she would ask me to do something like that if she didn’t actually like having me around.
Jesus.
Why did this woman always make me feel like I wanted to cry?
Maybe… Maybe if we really ended up doing this, it would be a good time to tell her the truth.
Maybe it was the perfect opportunity to tell her that I loved her.
Not just that I loved her. But that I was so fucking hopelessly in love with her it physically hurt me to think about sometimes… But it hurt in the best possible way.
“I would love that, baby girl,” I whispered, forcing myself to swallow the lump of tears that had gathered in the back of my throat.
And then, she smiled, and it felt like the whole world grew a little brighter.