ROSES FOR RACHEL: EPISODES 31-40
By Painter
Episode 34
I cut him off by throwing one of my pillows at him. “Um, no!” I laughed.
He threw the pillow back at me and held his hands up in surrender. “Fine.” He chuckled. “You better get up though.” He smiled. “Get dressed and I will be back in an hour to pick you up for our date.”
I hopped off the bed and skipped up to him, taking his hands in mine. “Date?” I repeated then bit my lip.
He grinned, showing off his perfect dimples. “Yes, a proper date, for my beautiful girlfriend.” He chuckled leaning in to kiss me, but I leaned back.
“What are we doing?” I asked excitedly hopping up and down.
He looked down at me in that way that only he can and smiled. “It’s a surprise, but you’re going to love it.” He told me before sneakily stealing another kss.
I tried to grab him to kss him again, but this time he was the one who slid away. “Save it for later” He winked, then turned to the door. “Pedro!” He called and the door swung open.
“Hello, dear.” He smiled at me then did a twirl in his blue suit. “I’m here to help get you ready for your date, madam.” He said with a clap of his hands.
Behind him Maria and the other girls crept into the room, being careful not to let Calvin see my dress.
“Hello, ladies.” Calvin greeted them, then he turned back to me.
I reached up to hold his face like he does to mine. “You’ve just got everything planned out don’t you?” I smiled.
He grinned back and reached down into his pocket, pulling out the tie I’d made for him. “I’ve even planned my own outfit.” He chuckled. “Thank you so much for this, baby.” He smiled. “No one has ever made me something before, and I can’t wait to wear it.”
I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him hard, even if other people are watching. “I’m so excited.” I told him honestly. “Now get out so I can get ready!” I said smacking him on the shoulder and he backed out of the room.
“You’re going to love it.” Pedro smiled to me. “Now sit your butt down in this chair and let the girls work their magic.”
I did as I was told with a grin from ear to ear.
I let the girls do their thing, curling my hair just right and applying just enough makeup to make my eyes pop, but not so much that I stopped looking like me.
I was practically bouncing in my seat the entire time with excitement.
My mind was still turning flips from my time with Calvin earlier today, so thinking of what kind of date he might have planned for us was really driving me mad.
“Are you ready for your dress?” Pedro asked from behind me, and I turned around on the bench to see him holding up an adorable blue floral print dress.
I clapped my hands in front of me when I saw it. It was knee length, fit snuggly with just enough room to move around comfortably, and the back was scooped, showing my shoulder blades.
“I love it so much.” I told Pedro.
He smiled. “It’s much more you than the other things I usually have made for you, so I had a feeling you would like it.” He said. “Plus, I think you’ll want to feel like yourself tonight.” He told me then winked.
His weird behavior made nerves stir deep in my belly. “What are you all up to?” I asked and the girls just looked away, while Pedro shrugged his shoulders and handed me a pair a simple tan flats.
I looked at myself and Pedro was right, I do look more like me now. This is something I would have picked on my own.
There was a quick knock on the door and my heart went a flutter.
I walked over, pulling it open to reveal Calvin standing there, looking completely adorable in the tie I’d made him and his light blue button down, untucked, over his dark wash blue jeans. “Good evening, beautiful.” He said sweetly, picking up my hand and kissing it gently. “Are you ready to go?”
I had the jitters but I nodded my head anyway. “I am.” I smiled.
“You look gorgeous, as always.” He complimented as he wrapped my arm around his and led me away from the room.
I shot one last nervous glance back at Pedro and the girls and they all waived, Pedro blowing me a kiss and looking slightly emotional for him.
Calvin led me to the elevators and up to level 5, squeezing my hand as we approached the ornate golden doors of the green house.
He pulled a key from his pocket, unlocking the door and pushed it open wide for me.
“Oh my god, Calvin.” I whispered, immediately hit with the familiar smell of flowers. “It’s even more beautiful in person than it was on TV.” I told him as I rushed over to the first row of gorgeous daisies, lightly running my hands over their soft petals.
The room was humid, but the smell was mesmerizing.
Everywhere I turned were row after row of perfect flowers, then I felt Calvin right behind me and I turned around, smiling like a doofus when he passed me a single red rose he’d pulled from one of the bushes by the door. “Like I said before, roses are the flower you give to a beautiful woman.” He said as he watched me hold it up to my nose and take in its aroma.
“I’m glad you like this,” He said motioning his hands around the room. “But we aren’t staying here.” He grinned mischievously.
“Oh?” I asked, clinging to my flower.
He took my free hand and we weaved through the rows until we reached the back of the room where there was a metal door with a padlock on it.
Calvin dropped my hand just long enough to get the lock off, then his hand was back in mine.
The door creaked loudly, and cobwebs fell from the top as he shoved it open, revealing a metal spiral staircase leading up. “Are you ready?” He asked me as he pulled me to the stairs.
I couldn’t feel my heart beating anymore, and I didn’t know if I was still breathing or not, but as I stared up the stairs to the hatch in the ceiling, I knew I’d never been more ready for anything. I chewed my lips nodding my head up and down frantically.
Calvin chuckled at my reaction and moved up past me to push the hatch open, then he came back down so that I could be the first one to go.
Somehow my brain communicated with my legs, telling them that I needed to walk, and I made my way up the stairs and out into the real world for the first time in over a month.
I took a deep breath of the crisp fresh air, and I cherished the feel of walking in the damp grass.
I somehow felt lighter up here, more open, and…free. The gardens didn’t look like they had in my dreams, but they were spectacular nonetheless.
It looked like we were in the center of a maze. Winding dark green shrubs, boasting huge white and red blooms of roses that vaguely reminded me of an old cartoon movie I used to watch as a child, surrounded us.
As if being outside at all wasn’t amazing enough, I spun around to see tiny twinkling Christmas lights woven through the shrubs and over our heads like a canopy of lights.
Right in the middle of our opening there was a square table with a white table cloth and candles, with two covered plates and a bucket of ice with a bottle of champagne sitting inside of it.
I didn’t even realize I was crying until a breeze ran through my hair, making it stick to my wet face. “Calvin.”
I whispered and he squeezed my hand, then let go to hold my face, wiping away my tears with his thumbs.
“You deserve so much more than this.” He said and I shook my head at him.
“No.” I told him. “This is so beyond perfect.” I said with my voice shaking. I was just so happy that my emotions were all over the place.
“Let’s eat, then.” He said kssing my head then pulling me to the table.
He pulled out my chair for me and helped me to sit down, then he went to sit across from me.
I looked up at him and admired the way the flickering of the candles reflected in his eyes.
We both put our hands on top of the plate covers and pulled them off at the same time. I looked down at my plate and giggled. “I thought we’d have dessert first.” He explained.
“I think that’s the best idea you’ve ever had.” I laughed, scooping up a giant bite of my peach cobbler and ice cream. “Oh my god.” I said as it melted in my mouth. “It’s so freaking good.”
He rubbed his foot against mine under the table while we ate. When the deserts were finished, and we’d both enjoyed a glass of the champagne, Calvin clapped his hands once and two men dressed in black and wearing white aprons appeared with new plates, clearing the old ones out of the way.
My stomach practically cried out in joy when it saw the plate of grilled chicken slathered in some kind of heaven like mushroom sauce, with a side of bright green asparagus.
I ate greedily, finishing every bite in under ten minutes. When I finally took a breath and looked up, I caught Calvin staring at me with a somewhat bewildered look on his face.
When I raised my eyebrows at him he smiled. “I was just trying to figure out how on earth someone like me, got so lucky as to meet a girl like you.” He said shaking his head.
“You’re just being cheesy now.” I joked, but his face remained serious.
“That might be true, but that’s how I really feel.” He proclaimed. “If there is a god, I am going to start thanking him every single day for sending you to me.”
ROSES FOR RACHEL: EPISODES 31-40
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