“Oh…” I tilted my head. “What is it?”
“I have no idea. It’s from Mr. Foster. There’s a note as well.” He pushed the box towards me, so I took it.
“Thank you.” I nodded and waited until he walked away to close the door.
What in the world is this?
It was a black rectangular box with a red bow, but it wasn’t very heavy. I gave it a shake and heard a slight thud inside it. I carried the box to the table in the dining room and stared at the envelope taped to the top. I was afraid to open it, yet I knew I would have to. It was almost a relief when there was no letter on the dining room the previous night or earlier that morning. The envelope was too small to hold a letter. I finally tore it open and found a small card inside of it.
Chrissy,
Give me one chance to show that I know you’re more than just a girl who needs a Daddy. Wear this.
-Greyson.
I opened the box and my eyes opened wide when I saw what was inside. It was a gorgeous black dress with an Oscar de la Renta hand-sewn label. The thud I heard was a pair of shoes—the label inside confirmed they were made by Christian Louboutin, but the red soles told me that before I held them in my hand. Underneath those was another card with a date. I checked my phone and saw that the invitation was for Saturday night. I sat down in the chair and stared at the card. He was asking me out—and it appeared we were going somewhere fancy—if I accepted.
I’m torn, but I do still care about him. I guess I can go on a date with him—he definitely won’t see me as a girl who needs a Daddy in this gorgeous dress.
I waited for Greyson to come home, but he never did. The chef showed up, without me calling for him, and made dinner. I ate alone, called home, and then I worked on my assignments until it was time for bed. I still had to finish my first semester before I could get my schedule set for an Event Marketing degree that didn’t involve Sports Management. It would let me graduate on time instead of spending an extra year at USC, and I felt like it was the right option. When I woke up the next morning, I was curious enough to check Greyson’s room. He didn’t make it home. Apparently, he wasn’t looking forward to our awkward meeting either.
Saturday night
Greyson didn’t return home after I told him that I needed time. I spent the rest of the week alone in his house. I had no idea where he went, but I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of guilt. I knew it would be awkward, but I never meant to kick him out of his own house. The time apart gave me time to think, and when I woke up on Saturday morning, I knew I would be putting on the dress that evening. We needed to talk, and I was a little curious to see what it was like to go on a real date with him. I wasn’t sure if he could actually see me as the woman I had become, but I did miss him. The time apart had reminded me how much I enjoyed spending time with him and being away from him didn’t feel right.
I don’t know if this will lead to anything, but I’m willing to give it a shot.
The dress was beautiful. The shoes were magnificent. I didn’t have a purse to match, but I had one that was close enough to pass for elegant. I walked downstairs once I was finished getting ready and was waiting by the door when I heard a car outside. I opened the door to see John standing beside a limousine, and he immediately opened the door. I expected Greyson to be inside, but he wasn’t. John wouldn’t tell me where we were going, but he said Greyson would be there. I looked out the window as he drove—and after twenty minutes, I realized we were entering Beverly Hills. Some of the mansions we passed put Greyson’s to shame, and when the limousine pulled up to the front of one, I saw several faces that I recognized.
“Oh my god…” I slid over to the window. “Is that…”
“It probably is.” John looked over his shoulder and chuckled. “This place belongs to a rather famous movie director.”
Greyson mentioned a black-tie affair that he was supposed to attend—this must be it.
I was a little starstruck as I stared out the window. There were movies stars, musicians, professional athletes, and all sorts of famous people. I was pretty sure I could name most of them if they were in a lineup. I continued staring until I saw one face I recognized—and not from the movies. It was Greyson. He was wearing a tuxedo and standing next to Ricky Bonds—his star client. He finally spotted the limousine and started walking towards it. John opened the back door and I stepped out the car. Greyson had a smile on his face—and in that moment, I realized just how much I had missed seeing it during our time apart.
“You look—ravishing.” He extended his hand. “Thank you for coming.”
“It was hard to pass up an opportunity to wear this dress.” I looked up at him and smiled as I let him take my hand.
“I thought it would be.” He grinned and tilted his head slightly. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too…” I felt a lump rising up in my throat.
“Come, let me introduce you to a few people.” He squeezed my hand and started walking towards the mansion.
Greyson introduced me to Ricky Bonds, several movie stars that knew him by first name, and a few athletes that weren’t quite as recognizable as the starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Bashers. There was a part of me tha
t wanted to turn into a total fan-girl, especially when I met the lead singer of Avalon’s Kiss—I had a poster of him on my bedroom wall when I was in high school—it was probably still there. I was a little overwhelmed meeting so many people that I recognized due to their fame in such a short period of time, but I managed to hold everything together until we got through the crowd and made it to the bar.
“Would you like some champagne?” Greyson looked over at me.
“Uh…” I tilted my head slightly. “Is this some kind of trick—like the last time you offered me a drink?”
“No.” He shook his head back and forth. “Tonight, you’re my date—and I’m not your Daddy.”
I took the glass of champagne and nervously sipped it. The event was to raise money for a charity that seemed to have a lot of support. Everything was intentionally expensive to raise money. The glass in my hand cost nearly a thousand dollars and it was twenty times that to sit down and have dinner. Greyson had already paid for two plates—so after I met a few more people, we went into the dining area to eat. We were seated at a table with some of the people I had already met, and they seemed to be interested in getting to know the new person—me. I answered their questions and found a few of my own to ask that weren’t pulled from the depths of my fan-girl heart. After about an hour, they all left, and I was alone with Greyson. I knew we were going to have to talk things through—and it seemed like the time had come for that discussion.