Gina giggled into her hands and sat down in a chair usually reserved for tea parties. Gina looked the part of a princess going off to a fancy tea party. She kicked out her feet, and I slipped the shoes on over them.
“I’m so excited!” she said, clicking her heels together when I was finished with her shoes. “When is Daddy getting home?”
“He should be home soon, so now I’m going to go get ready,” I said.
“Can I watch?”
“Sure.”
Gina came into the master bedroom, and I set her up on one of the chairs near the window.
I pulled out my dress, and she let out an appreciative, “Oooh.”
“You like it?”
“I do.”
“I’ll be right back.”
I went inside the walk-in closet and shed my bathrobe. I found this dress a few months ago at a boutique during one of our trips. Gina and Noah had gone off on their own for the afternoon, so I walked the area and window shopped.
When I saw this dress, I knew it was special. And I was proved correct when I tried it on. The strapless dress was fitted at the waist, and the bottom flowed down my legs in waves. A golden fabric peeked out the bottom of the dress that reached my mid-thigh.
I hadn’t worn it before, waiting for a special occasion. Even though we’d had plenty of fancy dinner nights in the past, none of those nights felt right. That is, until today. There was an electricity in the air that I couldn’t ignore and I had a feeling this night was going to be special.
I slipped on the dress, and it still fit me, even after all these months. I grabbed a pair of high heels and slipped them on, adding almost four inches to my height and accentuating my calf muscles.
When I came out of the closet, Gina jumped out of her seat. “Wow, Jess.”
“Thanks,” I said.
Then I heard the front door slam downstairs.
“Daddy!” she said and took off.
I heard his voice floating up the stairwell and knew Gina would be preoccupied. I took a moment to check myself out in the full-length mirror and couldn’t help but smile. I’d tied my hair back into a simple bun at the back of my neck, and I went over to my jewelry box to pick out a bracelet and earrings. The dress was simple enough that I didn’t want to overdo it on the accessories, but I needed something to make it pop just a teeny bit more.
When I was finished, I looked at myself in the mirror one more time before heading downstairs.
Noah’s briefcase sat next to the stairs, and I heard their voices in the living room.
Noah went into the satellite office once a week to consult on the operations of his company. I knew he couldn’t stay away forever, but since he “retired,” he was particular about the amount of time he spent there. And since going back, he had weekends off to travel with us, and he was always home before five. I was happy that he could fit in his job with his new lifestyle. It only took him a year to figure it all out.
I walked into the kitchen and smiled when I saw Noah sitting on the couch with Gina. He wore a suit from work, but this one was a little more dressy than normal. I’d been right about tonight. I didn’t pry, but I had a feeling that Noah thought tonight would be special too.
He stood up and crossed the room.
When he reached me, he took my hands in his. “You look absolutely breathtaking.”
“Thanks.”
He turned to Gina. “Shall we?”
Noah hadn’t told us where we were going for dinner that night. But I was surprised when he got onto the highway toward Sydney.
For other dinners, we stayed local to Mona Vale or one or two towns over. But this time it appeared I’d been right about tonight being more special than just a regular dinner out with the family.
Gina kept Noah preoccupied with the events of the day, so I didn’t get a chance to ask where we were going.