I think as Finn gets to know me, he’s realizing he’d misjudged me too. Or maybe it’s more a case of him learning to like the things he assumed he would hate about me, like how I am passionate and make decisions with my heart and not just my head. Like how I react to things emotionally, and if I see someone being wronged, I will attempt to fix the situation, even when doing so isn’t technically my problem to fix.
“Ash? Are you almost ready? The car will be here soon,” Finn calls from the living room, pulling me out of my head.
“Almost,” I call back. I stand in front of the mirror, tweak my hair one last time, and smile to myself, happy with the way I look. We’re going to a party tonight, one I would normally have dreaded, but I’m actually looking forward to it.
It’s a yearly party being thrown by his father’s oldest friend. He normally attends, but he said he knew how much I hated these things, and since it would look weird him going without me, he would get us out of it, but I shook my head and told him we should go.
I think he was more than a little shocked, but was also a little pleased. It wouldn’t look good for us to hide ourselves away, and tonight is a good chance for Finn’s friends and relatives to see that we’re the real deal.
He gave me his credit card and told me to buy something to wear. Naturally, I started to object, accusing him of being pretentious. He laughed and told me I could shop in a thrift store if I wanted to, but he didn’t think I’d want to go in my work clothes and my pajamas weren’t the right shade of pink for a party. I found myself laughing with him and accepting his offer, remembering how I had felt when I was dressed all wrong for the restaurant the first day I met Helen.
I hadn’t gone to a thrift shop, but I hadn’t gone to an expensive designer shop either. I settled for something in the middle, going for something right for the occasion without having to feel guilty for having the dress.
“Seriously Ashley, the car is here,” Finn shouts from the living room.
I can imagine him pacing, looking at his watch while wishing I’d hurry up and finish getting ready. “Coming,” I shout back.
I quickly spray some perfume behind my ears and over my head. I step out of the bedroom and move quickly towards the living room.
Finn’s eyes open wide when he sees me. His throat moves as he swallows hard.
“What’s wrong? Is it too much?” I ask, instantly regretting the dress.
“No, it’s perfect. You’re perfect.”. He looks at me as if he can’t take his eyes off me. He smiles slowly, possessively. “You look beautiful, Ashley. There’s not going to be a man there who won’t envy me.”
“Thank you,” I say, feeling myself blushing and no longer regretting the dress. “You look great too.”
And he does.
Dressed in a full suit and a tie, Finn looks dashingly handsome. For a split-second, I have to admit I am tempted to suggest we skip the party to just stay home and make love all night long, but Finn holds his arm out to me. I slip my hand through his elbow, deciding we should go to the party after all. He will look this good even after we return from the party and we can still make love all night long.
My hand tingles where it touches Finn’s arm, even through his suit jacket, he has this effect on me. As he leads me from the apartment, I’m a little bit surprised to find I have butterflies in my tummy.
19
Finn
I can hardly stop myself from staring at Ashley. We’ve been at the party for almost two hours now, and I’m still as completely enchanted by her as I was when she stepped out of our bedroom. To say she was worth waiting for tonight, hell, for my whole life, would still be an understatement. She’s by far the most beautiful woman in the room, and I’m starting to think she would be the most gorgeous woman in any room.
The dress she has chosen is long, coming right down to her ankles. It’s red, a color that looks absolutely delicious on her. The body of the dress is tight and fitted, but the skirt flows out slightly from the waist, so it billows when she walks. She’s wearing high red heels that not only make her taller, but make her walk with more confidence and grace. Along with this, she’s wearing a silver chain with a little rain drop shaped pendant on it and matching earrings.
She’s not just stunning, she’s a vision, and how I’m keeping my hands off her, I really don’t know.