She reached in for the last box and was careful to unwrap it. And the lingerie that came spilling out told her exactly who the gift was from. She held up the barely there lacy black panties and the salacious black bra, which was nothing but pasties with a halter-top neckline that could be pulled together and tied off with a corseted string down the middle of it. Not an ounce of fabric on the bra wrapped around her frame, making it the perfect bra for the dress she was currently wearing.
Her cheeks flushed a crimson that matched her entire outfit before she put everything down to pick up the letter.
She opened it carefully, trying to preserve the beautiful envelope. The cardstock was thick and the letter was handwritten. Painstakingly so. She knew Ash’s handwriting. It was practically chicken scratch. So the fact that the letter was legible and the writing was straight meant he went to a lot of trouble to pen this for her.
And with every word she read, her heart soared.
My Pretty Kallie,
I want to thank you for helping me organize my life. If you’ve checked your bank account, you’ll see that I have not only fulfilled my invoice, but I also left you a tip for your service. What you gave me on that island was all the tools I needed for a fresh start. Something I’ll never fully be able to repay you for, no matter how much money I give you.
Kallie felt her eyes welling with tears as she cleared her throat.
Tomorrow night, I have a function I’m attending. A charity event that is of the utmost importance to me. It’s the very last peg I have to orchestrate and drop in order to make my transition into my new life the best transition it can possibly be. And it wouldn’t make sense to not have the maestro there for the performance. You orchestrated my new life, Kallie. You helped all of this to happen. And I hope you will consider coming to the event. It’s Saturday night at 8 p.m. at the Grant Ballroom inside the Four Seasons. This letter will serve as your personal invitation.
Kallie looked down at the dress she was wearing before her eyes scanned all of the gifts. Was this really a charity function? Why in the world would he buy her lingerie for a charity function?
I hope the lingerie isn’t overkill. I saw it and couldn’t stop thinking of you. A dress like the one I purchased requires a specific set of undergarments. You don’t have to wear them. But I didn’t want to get you a dress without the proper underwear to go underneath it.
“Uh-huh,” Kallie said to herself. “I’m sure that’s why you bought it.”
She felt a grin slide across her cheeks anyway, though.
Please come. It would mean the world to me if you did.
Forever yours,
Ashly Worthington
She looked back at the lingerie and giggled at how skimpy it was. But he was right. The dress he’d purchased for her required a backless bra, and those were hard to come by. Everything was beautiful, and she could tell a lot of thought and preparation went into it all.
But she still wasn’t sure if she should go.
She set the letter down and took off the dress. She draped it over one of her kitchen chairs and backed away from everything. She needed some space to breathe. Some space to think.
For a little while anyway.
In the end, Kallie couldn’t resist. Partially because of Ash’s plea, and partially out of curiosity. Kallie spent all day Saturday getting dolled up. She went to get her hair and makeup done before she went home and got dressed, opting for the heels instead of the flats. Despite their height, they were surprisingly comfortable, and she was impressed that Ash had picked them out.
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sp; After putting on her lingerie and slipping into her dress, she took great care in putting on her jewelry. She picked out a black clutch purse she had stuffed in the bottom of her closet and cleaned it off, then put her essentials into it. Her card. Some cash. Her phone and her identification. She jammed the keys to her apartment in the corner before grabbing the letter Ash wrote her, then she flagged a taxi down and headed over to the Four Seasons.
And the man at the door smiled as she approached.
He let her in without even seeing her letter and she wondered if Ash had told him to expect her. But the second she walked into the event, she began to feel nervous. There were so many beautiful and rich people in attendance. Women with diamonds glittering all over their bodies and men clad in tailored tuxedos. Women were dressed in gorgeous ball gowns and she could smell the expensive food and drinks permeating the air.
Kallie felt very out of place.
Until a familiar face emerged from the crowd.
Ash, with his bright-hazel eyes and his boyish smile, pierced the crowd and headed for her. He actually looked excited to see her despite how they had left things on the island. He scooped her up in a hug and she giggled, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
“Thank you so much for coming,” he said.
“I wouldn't have missed this for the world, Ash.”
“How have you been?” he asked as he set her back down onto her feet.