The pause was much longer. Much longer. As Stacy babbled on somewhere behind me, styling my hair to perfection, I stared down at the screen. Waiting for a reply.
When a full minute went passed, I almost texted him again. Worried that I’d upset him or appeared ungrateful. But then, just as I was reaching for the screen, the phone dinged again.
I thought we agreed, I get to treat you like a girlfriend.
Before I could reply, he followed it up.
Girlfriends get chocolates. Amongst other things...
A reluctant smile lit my face, and I cupped the phone protectively against my chest. The last thing I wanted was for Stacy to grab the thing and read it out loud.
Oh yeah? And what might those ‘other things’ be?
A single message followed. The last one I’d receive.
Abigail Wilder...you’re about to find out.
Chapter 7
THE NEXT THING I KNEW I was on stage for a segment on Good Morning America.
“Nick is a billionaire entrepreneur who has multiple zeros in his bank account and a gargantuan mansion,” the host asked. “Does his money intimate you?”
“I’m not dating Nick for his vast fortune. But it’s wonderful to date him. He’s my everything. He’s my greatest fan and my toughest adversary. There’s nothing we can’t face if we stand together.”
“And what makes you think he’s the one?”
I looked straight into the camera. “Our love started out as a bud, for about two years. But then one day that bud blossomed into something beautiful, special, and wonderful, into a glorious red rose. We have a love as soft as the dawn, as radiant as the sun, as bright as the moon. He’s not only my best friend but my one true love.”
“That’s so romantic. How did you tame him?”
“We started out as friends. And our friendship slowly grew into something romantic over time. I admit I was scared when I knew we could possibly cross that fine line. I was scared that I’d ruin the friendship we already have. But I think that relationships grow from friendships. Dating after a friendship is established is key. Now I’m dating my best friend and those levels of respect have already been established, before the passionate part comes into play. I think it really worked for us.”
“And what if you would’ve jumped straight into intimacy the first few months of meeting Nick?”
I laughed. “Then obviously I wouldn’t be sitting up here today with you. I’d still be in his little black book.”
The audience laughed.
“It’s the best foundation ever for an awesome relationship,” I continued. “I can’t think of a better person to face the adventures of life with...other than Nick. Our relationship is built on trust and understanding. He’s my world and I couldn’t live without him. I love him with all my heart, and I know he loves me too.”
“That’s beautiful. And I agree. There is nothing wrong with taking the time to know one another before you jump into a relationship.”
She thanked me for joining the show and finally it was over.
I WENT BACK TO MY PLACE and hung out. Stacy and the crew came back around five pm to help me get ready for my dinner date with Nick.
Now it was time to get out the gorgeous dress.
I hadn’t touched it since the day that Nick and I went to Dior. I’d extracted my work purse, and nothing more. The rest was left to haunt the empty space beneath my mattress. Filling me with frustrations, curiosities, and questions to which I would never have the answer.
And so, it was with a sense of gravity that I pulled it out that night.
Only Stacy was with me. The rest of them had either been banished, or had left of their own free will—having discovered that there were no surfaces of my body left to preen. She and I peered down together, as if we were about to unlock some sort of ancient treasure chest or mystical door. Then, when she could take the anticipation no longer, she gave me a hard shove.
“Do it,” she coaxed. “Before we age into next season.”
I lifted out the tissue paper, and slowly extracted the items—one by one. The shoes, the necklace, the lingerie (oh gosh—I’d forgotten about the lingerie), and then finally—the dress.