Dressing Mr. Dalton

by Charlotte Byrd

  I have an hour or so to get my hair and makeup in order.

  I’m getting discharged tomorrow and, to celebrate the occasion, he is taking me out on a date.

  Not far, just to the roof.

  But it’s still a date.

  “You look…breathtaking,” he says. I smile as my heart fills with joy.

  “Thank you. You, too,” I mumble.

  That’s quite an understatement. Finn is dressed in a tailored gray suit without a tie.

  The white button-down shirt is perfectly starched, bringing out the olive color in his skin and the brightness of his eyes.

  His hair falls loosely into his eyes, but in that perfect casual way which makes girls swoon.

  “Are you ready?” Finn asks. I nod and he wheels me away. We take the service elevator to the top.

  “Are you sure we’re allowed to be here?”

  “No,” he says, nonchalantly. “But I got everything ready.”

  When the elevator doors open, I see a little set-up at the edge of the roof.

  String lights wrap around railing, creating a cozy atmosphere around the little table and one chair.

  “One chair?” I ask.

  He points to my wheelchair.

  “Oh, of course!”

  He laughs and pushes me forward.

  “What are we having?” I ask.

  “Something very gourmet. California Pizza Kitchen.”

  That sounds perfect.

  I love their pizza, and I haven’t had it in ages.

  When we finally get to the table, I see that the food may not be gourmet, but the setting definitely is.

  The table is covered in thick, white linen and set with expensive plates and cutlery. There’s even a daffodil and daisy centerpiece.

  “Lila told me that these are your favorite flowers,” Finn says.

  “They are,” I say.

  When he opens the covered silver platter, I see a variety of pizza slices placed carefully in a round pizza.

  “I wasn’t sure which ones you preferred, so I got a little bit of everything.”

  “I’ll start with a slice of pesto,” I say.

  “Pesto, it is.” Finn takes a slice of Hawaiian pizza for himself.

  43

  Chloe

  After pouring us some wine, he sits down across from me and looks at me.

  “I’d like to make a toast,” I say.

  He nods.

  “I’m not much of a toast maker, but I just feel like I have to say something to you. You have done so much for me over these last few weeks, and I will never be able to repay you. You have been there for me, even though…before this accident, I was horrible to you.”

  “No, you weren’t.”

  “Yes, I was. Don’t interrupt.” He flashes a coy smile and waits. “And so, I just want to take this opportunity to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for everything that you’ve done. From paying for all of my medical bills to just being there with me. Day in and day out. Without you, living in that hospital for so long wouldn’t have been that fun.”

  “Thank you,” Finn says after I’m done. “And I would like to say something, too. I’m so happy that you have made such a swift recovery. It has been a pleasure spending all this time with you and I hope that we can continue to spend time together in the future.”

  The rest of the dinner isn’t so serious.

  We joke, we laugh.

  We talk about stupid old movies and shows.

  He tells me that the first time he wanted to be an actor was when he saw the Brady Bunch on television.

  Mr. Brady made him feel like families on television were better than families in real life, and he wanted to go off and find himself a television family.

  I tell him that the first clothes I ever made were for my childhood cat.

  I used to torture her by running around and trying to measure her to make the sweater just right.

  It was soon after that I realized that it was easier to get people’s measurements and made Lila a t-shirt.

  After stuffing ourselves silly with pizza and wine, we take a break from eating.

  He wheels me out the opposite side of the roof and runs back for his chair.

  He sits down next to me, takes my hand in his, and we look out over the lights of Los Angeles in front of us.

  The world is buzzing with activity, but we’re above all that. Up here, there’s nothing but peace and quiet.

  Not even a single insect dares to interrupt our silence.

  “I love you, Chloe,” Finn suddenly says, completely out of the blue.

  I turn to face him.

  He isn’t even looking at me.

  He’s looking somewhere far in the distance.

  For a second, I think that I misheard him.

  “What?”

  “I love you,” he repeats himself in the exact same tone. He turns to me. “I’ve never said that to anyone before. Not to anyone but my mom.”

  “You love me?” I ask skeptically. “But how…do you know?”

  “I used to ask that same question. And now I know. I know because I love you. Because of a million different reasons. But mainly because I want to spend all of my time with you. In all of these weeks, even when you could barely speak, and now that you’re almost back to normal, I’ve always wanted to spend time with you. I look forward to seeing you, no matter how much time has passed. Even if I had just gone out for a snack to the vending machine. I love you, Chloe, and I just want you to know that.”

  I stare at him.

  At his intense eyes.

  His beautiful lips.

  I don’t know what to say.

  I should say what I feel.

  That I love him, too, and that I’ve loved him since our first date. Since that moment when I thought that someone had stood me up and he had rescued me. But for some reason I choke up. Tears start to gather.

  “Oh my God, are you okay?” he asks, taking my face into his hands and wiping my tears with his strong thumbs. I nod.

  “I’m sorry,” I apologize for crying more than anything else.

  “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. That was too much for you. I shouldn’t have come on so strong.”

  I shake my head no.

  He doesn’t get it.

  These are tears of joy.

  Relief. Hope.

  I look into his eyes and then pull myself a little closer to him.

  When I close my eyes, his lips touch mine, and sparks of electricity course through me.

  It feels just like the first time.

  His touch causes this chemical reaction in my body, one that I can’t control. His tongue makes its way into my mouth as he buries his hands in my hair and pulls slightly.

  My heartbeat speeds up, and we start to move as one. His hands run down my neck and shivers run up my spine.

  As his tongue demands more and more of my mouth, his fingers make their way along the top of my breasts.

  I start to breathe a little faster. I run my fingers down his body and stop at his thighs.

  I move my hand up and down his thighs, and his breathing speeds up to match mine. I feel his hardness in my hand as I wrap my fingers around him.

  “Oh, Chloe,” he moans into my ear.

  “Does it feel good?” I ask. He nods through the kiss.

  We mess around for a little bit longer, but never cross the line.

  My doctor has made it clear to me that I can’t participate in any recreational activities quite yet, and that includes sex.

  As much as I want to violate that rule, I can’t.

  A big part of me is relieved when Finn pulls away first. He was there when the doctor explained all the rules of recovery to me.

  After we stop making out like teenagers, he takes my hand in his and we again look over the roof, admiring the lights below.

  “Finn,” I say after awhile.

  “Yeah?” he responds after a moment. Lost in thought.

  “I love you, too.”r />
  44

  Chloe

  It is our two-year anniversary.

  Exactly two years since our date on top of the rooftop of the Cedar Sinai Medical Center.

  Though my recovery has been difficult at times, and I still have some pain in my neck when it rains, I’m pretty much all better.

  After our rooftop date, I went home with Finn and pretty much never left.

  At first, it was all under the guise that I still needed help with getting better, my parents had to go back home and Lila had to go to work.

  But after a few weeks, it was because we both wanted it that way. Every time I thought that I was overstaying my welcome, Finn would convince me that I wasn’t.

  He’d ask me to stay for a few days more.

  After a while, I just moved all of my things in and we were living together.

  Over the last two years, we moved to Malibu, Finn won an Independent Spirit Award for the movie that we had worked on together and became People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive.

  I started my own wardrobe styling business and just landed a big account with Universal. Three medium-budget movies.

  On my request, we kept our relationship pretty private, and because I’m not famous, the paparazzi have pretty much left us alone.

  But occasionally, I do see pictures of myself in US Weekly, shopping at Trader Joe’s in sweats.

  I rarely look good, and I’ve learned to avoid those magazines altogether.

  Last year for our one-year anniversary, Finn and I both had to work (him in Norway and me in LA), and we had to celebrate the day over FaceTime.

  So, when this one was coming up, he said that he had planned something extra special, but it’s a surprise.

  Finn isn’t really the super romantic sort, but I still have no idea what to expect.

  “Where are we going? Can you at least tell me that?” I turn to him in the back of the limousine.

  “That would ruin the surprise.”

  “Why can’t I at least take this off?” I ask, referring to the silk blindfold around my eyes.

  I don’t know anything about this, except that I should wear a dress and bring a jacket and a scarf.

  As a wardrobe stylist, I find it particularly annoying getting dressed for a surprise event.

  A dress, a jacket, and a scarf?

  In the middle of a Southern California summer?

  I’m not sure if I should wear something too dressy or too casual, so I finally settle on a short, light blue dress with pockets and a tailored waist. It can really go either way.

  With heels, it’s a good fit for a fancy restaurant and, in flats, it’s a good option for the beach.

  I bring a pair of flats, just in case, a tightly-fitted black jacket, and translucent chiffon scarf.

  When we arrive at our destination, Finn suggests that maybe flats are in order. I change my shoes, and he helps me out of the limo.

  We walk for a few minutes over soft grass.

  “Good call on the flats,” I say.

  “Okay.” Finn stops me. “I’m going to take off the blindfold now.”

  We’re standing on a pad, and there’s a giant yellow hot air balloon tied up next to us.

  “Oh my God,” I whisper, unable to contain my excitement. “I’ve always wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride!”

  “I know.” He smiles in that coy way that makes me swoon. “That’s why we’re here.”

  A few minutes later, we are flying high above the fields of Temecula, the wine region of Southern California.

  The view is absolutely breathtaking.

  Rolling hills, vast horizons, patches of green and yellow as far as the eye can see.

  “This is magical,” I whisper, holding on to Finn as tightly as I can.

  “No, you are,” he says.

  I turn to face him.

  A few strands of hair fall into his face. His eyes twinkle in the sunlight.

  “Thank you,” I say. “This is the best anniversary present ever.”

  “There’s something else,” he says after a moment of gazing into my eyes.

  Suddenly, his face grows more serious.

  Contemplative.

  For a second, it feels like something is wrong, but then he reaches into the front pocket of his gray suit jacket and pulls out a tiny little box.

  I look at it.

  No.

  No, this can’t be what I think it is.

  Can it?

  “Chloe, you have completely changed my life. You have made me into someone who loves life. You have made me a better man. You have taught me what love is, and for that, I can never thank you enough. Every day I feel myself falling more and more in love with you. I cannot imagine my life without you.”

  Finn gets down on one knee and opens the ring box.

  Inside, there’s a large halo diamond ring with little sparkling diamonds all around the sides.

  My heart starts to beat faster and faster.

  The world is spinning all around me. It’s difficult to tell whether it’s me or the balloon.

  “Will you marry me?”

  I look into his eyes.

  We haven’t talked about marriage at all.

  This is the last thing I ever expected, but there’s only one answer to his question.

  “Yes,” I whisper and wrap my arms around him.

  “Yes? Yes? Yes?” Finn asks over and over. It’s as if he can’t believe it. I can’t really believe it myself.

  When I look up into his eyes again, Finn has never looked this happy. He pulls me closer to him.

  I close my eyes.

  When our lips collide, the entire world becomes a blur.

  Life is an adventure, and he is the only person I want to take on my adventure.

  Thank you for reading Dressing Mr. Dalton!

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  I don’t belong here.

  I’m in way over my head. But I have debts to pay.

  They call my name. The spotlight is on. The auction starts.

  Mr. Black is the highest bidder. He’s dark, rich, and powerful. He likes to play games.

  The only rule is there are no rules.

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  Chapter 1- Ellie

  When the invitation arrives…

  “Here it is! Here it is!” my roommate Caroline yells at the top of her lungs as she runs into my room.

  We were friends all through Yale and we moved to New York together after graduation.

  Even though I’ve known Caroline for what feels like a million years, I am still shocked by the exuberance of her voice. It’s quite loud given the smallness of her body.

  Caroline is one of those super skinny girls who can eat pretty much anything without gaining a pound.

  Unfortunately, I am not that talented. In fact, my body seems to have the opposite gift. I can eat nothing but vegetables for a week straight, eat one slice of pizza, and gain a pound.

  “What is it?” I ask, forcing myself to sit up.

  It’s noon and I’m still in bed.

  My mother thinks I’m depressed and wants me to see her shrink.

  She might be right, but I can’t fathom the strength.

  “The invitation!” Caroline says jumping in bed next to me.

  I stare at her blankly.

  And then suddenly it hits me.

  This must be the invitation.

  “You mean…it’s…”

  “Yes!” she screams and hugs me with excitement.

  “Oh my God!” She gasps for air and pulls away from me almost as quickly.

  “Hey, you know I didn’t brush my teeth yet,” I say turning my face away from hers.

  “Well, what are you waiting for? Go brush them,”
she instructs.

  Begrudgingly, I make my way to the bathroom.

  We have been waiting for this invitation for some time now.

  And by we, I mean Caroline.

  I’ve just been playing along, pretending to care, not really expecting it to show up.

  Without being able to contain her excitement, Caroline bursts through the door when my mouth is still full of toothpaste.

  She’s jumping up and down, holding a box in her hand.

  “Wait, what’s that?” I mumble and wash my mouth out with water.

  “This is it!” Caroline screeches and pulls me into the living room before I have a chance to wipe my mouth with a towel.

  “But it’s a box,” I say staring at her.

  “Okay, okay,” Caroline takes a couple of deep yoga breaths, exhaling loudly.

  She puts the box carefully on our dining room table. There’s no address on it.

  It looks something like a fancy gift box with a big monogrammed C in the middle.

  Is the C for Caroline?

  “Is this how it came? There’s no address on it?” I ask.

  “It was hand-delivered,” Caroline whispers.

  I hold my breath as she carefully removes the top part, revealing the satin and silk covered wood box inside.

  The top of it is gold plated with whimsical twirls all around the edges, and the mirrored area is engraved with her full name.

  Caroline Elizabeth Kennedy Spruce.

  Underneath her name is a date, one week in the future. 8 PM.

  We stare at it for a few moments until Caroline reaches for the elegant knob to open the box.

  Inside, Caroline finds a custom monogram made of foil in gold on silk emblazoned on the inside of the flap cover.

  There’s also a folio covered in silk. Caroline carefully opens the folio and finds another foil monogram and the invitation.

  The inside invitation is one layer, shimmer white, with gold writing.

  “Is this for real? How many layers of invitation are there?” I ask.

  But the presentation is definitely doing its job. We are both duly impressed.

  “There’s another knob,” I say, pointing to the knob in front of the box.