“When? You’re kind of a busy guy.”
“After prom.”
“Gosh, I’m not sure I can go with you. I have to study for a test in Algebra, and after school, I have band rehearsal.”
His body shook with laughter. “Band? We’re doing band now?”
“Bet you never got sucked off by a tuba player before.”
“Hm, let me think about that.” He tapped his cheek. “This might take a while.”
She gave him a shove. “I have my hand on your dick, and you’re going to play me like that?”
“Excellent point. Now, I have to get Paisley on the bus. When I get back, we’ll talk about the sucking skills of a tuba player.”
“Sorry, I promised Evvie I’d take her to your dad’s pool.”
“Damn. Fine. Guess I’ll have to wait until after prom tonight.”
“You’re not actually serious about this, are you?”
“Oh, but I am. I’ve got the corsage and everything.”
“But it’s January. There’s no prom in January. Besides, I don’t even have a dress.”
“That’s all taken care of.” He started off, but she tugged on the back of his suit coat.
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see.” He grabbed a napkin and wiped the chocolate off Evvie’s hands, and then walked Paisley out of the kitchen. On his way out, he called over his shoulder, “The hair and make-up crew will be here at three.”
“You have got to be kidding me. Hair and make-up? What is this, the Oscars?”
The first crew member turned out to be Knox, who’d walked into the house with the most gorgeous pale pink gown Hailey had ever seen. The back plunged dramatically, and the top was sheer with sparkly white hand-sewn flower cut-outs.
She’d never worn anything like it. It was something only princesses and famous people wore to galas and award shows. The first thing Hailey had said once she’d put it on was, “What if I spill something on it?”
“I guess you’ll have to be careful.”
“I can’t give it back to you with a stain, and I could never afford something like this.”
Knox had smiled warmly. “It’s yours, honey. This is a gift.”
“What? No. You can’t give me something this fancy.”
“Sure, I can. I’m the boss. I can do whatever I want. Besides, I made this for a very fussy bride. We’d gone through about a hundred different sketches and concepts, and she finally settled on something. But halfway through the project, an idea popped into my head. It had taken me a while, but I’d finally cracked that woman’s style. She loved the new concept, leaving me with this half-finished dress. When Cole asked me to help him out, I knew this was the right one. So, I finished it with you in mind.”
“I can’t believe it. It’s the most beautiful gown I’ve ever seen.” The fabric swished each time she turned to see it from another angle. When she stopped fawning over it, she’d asked the question that had been on her mind since she’d first seen the rose petals. “Why would he go through all this effort for a prom? We’re twenty-eight.”
“He told me he ruined prom for you, and he wants to make it right. That man’s got it bad for you.”
Next, Glori had come over with a stylist, and together, they did her hair and got her all glammed up. They’d finished exactly on time because Paisley had burst into the room. “LaLee, LaLee, Cole’s waiting for you. Come on.”
Now, as she took one last look at herself in the floor-length mirror, Hailey couldn’t believe it. She’d never been this glamorous. She turned to Glori and the stylist. “I don’t even know what to say.” Inside, she was shaking. “I’m overwhelmed. Thank you so much for taking the time to make me look like this.”
“You’re welcome, honey.” The stylist finished packing up his kit and headed out the door. “Have fun tonight.”
Glori came up behind her and, with hands on her shoulders, gently steered her back around to face the mirror. “Do you know what I see?”