Veronica couldn’t wait to put it on. She found a pair of black lace bra and panties that would easily compliment the dress, and then she slipped on the garment itself. She gasped as she saw herself in the mirror. She was shocked to find it fit her perfectly, and with a pair of black heels it would give her a classy, elegant look.
Veronica hastily took off the dress, all but too eager to put it back on when her hair and makeup were done. She went into the bathroom and picked up her speed on that whole process. She found the perfect pair of black heels to go with the dress, and then put on the dress and shoes. She selected a black clutch to complete the look, as well as a matching set of pearl necklace and earrings.
She was observing herself in the mirror when she saw her door open from its reflection, and she stiffened a little as Frank walked into the room.
“Hey,” he said softly, and she watched his jaw drop slightly as he took in her wardrobe. She felt heat rush into her cheeks, and she couldn’t help but smile up at him.
“Thank you for the dress,” she said softly, feeling a flutter of arousal as his eyes swept hungrily over her.
“Thank you for wearing it,” he said, his voice husky. “You look stunning.”
Veronica dipped her head out of modesty.
“I wish it was me taking you out tonight,” Frank said softly as he moved closer to her. He placed his hands on her waist, and she could tell he was being careful so as not to wrinkle the material of her dress.
“I wish it was too,” Veronica said softly, and she meant it.
Frank gave her a sad smile and sighed.
“Well if you go on a date with me at any point,” he said speculatively. “I’ll just have to buy you an even nicer dress.”
Veronica smiled up at him, knowing that he was quite capable of doing so. They were both quiet for a moment, feeling a bit awkward for the first time she could remember since they had met.
“Are you ready?” Frank asked her.
“I think so,” Veronica said, though she was having a hard time keeping her voice from shaking.
“It’s a little chilly out, you might need a coat,” Frank said.
“Oh, thank you,” Veronica nodded, and moved into her closet to find an overcoat. She had forgotten that the chill of autumn was creeping up on them and that the warmth of summer was disappearing. She couldn’t help but think that somewhat metaphoric for her life at the moment.
Veronica stepped out of her closet with the coat and began the process of putting it on.
“Here, let me,” Frank stepped forward, and held the coat so that she could more easily put her arms through it.
“Thank you,” she said when she was securely wrapped in the garment.
“Of course,” Frank nearly whispered. Veronica could feel tension building between them, and she could see Frank’s jaw working.
“You know,” he finally spoke after what seemed like ages. “All I want to do right now is take you and kiss you, so that when you kiss Calvin tonight, it won’t be your lips he’s tasting, but mine.”
Veronica wanted to tell him that her lips already were his, and that if he had not already physically claimed her at this point, then one more kiss wouldn’t magically do the trick. Besides, she knew what he was saying, and she didn’t want the moment between them to be ruined by useless logic.
“Anyway,” frank cleared his throat. “I came up to let you know that Thomas is outside with the car for you.”
Veronica was a little relieved that Thomas would be driving her. She had gotten to know him better and better during her time her, as he was a member of the staff. He was kind, and she knew he would not judge her for where she was going, and he wouldn’t badger her with questions about her situation.
“May I help you to the car?” Frank offered, extending his hand to her.
Veronica gave him a nod, and took his offered hand. A little more slowly than they might have normally walked, he led her down the grand staircase and out the front door. Veronica saw Thomas waiting by the rear door to help her in, but with a nod from Frank, he moved to get into the Driver’s seat.
Veronica felt her nerves mounting up inside of her as she approached the car, and when Frank opened the door for her, she hesitated to get in.
“Everything alright?” Frank raised an eyebrow at her, and Veronica could hardly find her voice to speak with him.
“I…” she trailed off for a moment, feeling vulnerable. “I’m scared.”
“Don’t be scared,” Frank assured her softly. “Just try to go out and have a good time. Don’t think about right or wrong or making decisions. Just go out, and stay calm.”
Veronica nodded, and she took a deep breath. She had known Calvin for years. There was no reason to be getting so worked up over a simple date with him. Somehow, though, in such a short time, she felt like everything had changed.
Veronica lowered herself into the car, allowing Frank to help her as she did so. He bent over so he could smile in at her.
“You said you’d be back by midnight?” Frank asked.
“That’s right,” Veronica smiled up at him, taking comfort in the fact that no matter what happened on her date, she was still coming back to her life here afterward.
“Good,” frank said, and she heard a trace of humor in his voice. “That’s about when the spell wears off, or so they say.”
Veronica laughed aloud. She debated telling him that Calvin had also made a Cinderella joke, buts he decided the information was not quite welcome.
“I’ll miss you,” veronica said softly. She had not spent an afternoon away from him since she had known him, and this was more than a little strange to her.
“I’ll see you soon,” Franks aid comfortingly. “You should get going, you don’t want to be late.”
“Alright,” Veronica agreed, sounding very calm considering her heart had just leapt into her throat.
“Have a good date,” Frank said, a little acidity in his tone.
“Thank you,” Veronica said.
With that Frank closed the door and patted the hood of the car, and Thomas pulled out of the driveway, taking Veronica to her date with Calvin.
Part 3
Chapter 1
Veronica stepped out of the car and smiled a thank you to Thomas, who had extended a hand to help her out. When she straightened herself she saw Calvin standing at the front entrance of the restaurant and he had a sparkling smile on his face. Instantly, waves of nervousness and guilt filled Veronica and she felt her shoulders slump a little from the weight of it all.
As she heard the car being driven away by Thomas to be parked, she walked towards Calvin. She only took small nervous steps, still unsure of herself.
Calvin was dressed to the nines, and it suddenly reminded her of how hard he had tried in their initial days of being together; to please her. He was in a sharp dark navy suit and his hair was neatly polished to one side. He had a bouquet of red roses in his hand that he was gripping tightly.
She could sense that he was pleased to see her. Not only pleased, but he was excited.
“You look beautiful, Veronica,” he said, gushing, as he stepped towards her.
Veronica felt an initial instinct to step away from him when he moved towards her, but she caught herself just in time. Calvin was her boyfriend after all, and he had every right to touch her or kiss her.
“Thank you,” she said, blushing to a bright red as she accepted the soft kiss that he left on her cheek. Without a word, Calvin extended the bouquet towards her and she accepted it, hanging it from the crook of her arm. Then she felt Calvin’s hand on the small of her back as he pushed open the door of the restaurant and they both stepped inside.
Veronica was glad for the hustle bustle of the place. Surrounded by so many people, the noises and the soft background music; had put her somewhat in ease. At least they were not completely alone.
Calvin had already booked a table for them, and the host led them towards a small table for two by the large
bay windows overlooking the back garden view.
Veronica noticed the changes in Calvin’s behavior. He was quick to pull out a chair for her before he sat down, a chivalrous gesture that he had tended to forget as their relationship grew old. She was beginning to believe that she had completely been right, their time apart had definitely done them a world of good.
Calvin’s eyes were bright and he had a constant smile on his face. Like a young teenager, giddy over a crush, he sat down across from her. The host came over and lit the tall candle between them, and Veronica placed the bouquet of roses at her feet on the ground.
“Is that a new dress?” Calvin said, finally breaking the awkward silence between them. Veronica wondered if it was only awkward for her or for them both. He seemed blissfully unaware of the contradictory feelings that were going on inside her.
“Yeah, it is,” she admitted, being quick to avoid looking directly into his eyes. She was aware that she felt beautiful in that dress. Was that the most expensive piece of clothing she owned? The feel of the buttery soft fabric against her skin, was also a constant reminder of who had given the dress to her. Frank Davenport. Her cheeks colored immediately.
“When did you have time to go shopping? I thought you said you were always in the house with the two girls,” Calvin continued to interrogate and Veronica crossed her brows. Back to the cross examination! She thought.
“Will you stop being a lawyer, for one second, Calvin,” she snapped at him, and instantly regretted raising her voice. Calvin’s eyes widened and then sank down. He had rarely seen her lose her temper, and she hadn’t expected that reaction from herself either. In fact the last thing she wanted to do was to infuriate Calvin.
Veronica gazed at him, blinking, as he quietly read the menu. She still hadn’t decided when and what she was going to tell him. She could feel a familiar feeling of guilt creep up in her as she watched him.
It had been several weeks since she last saw Calvin, and given how long they had been dating and how intimately she thought they knew each other - Veronica had expected at least a little more excitement when they met after so long. But she had felt nothing when she set her eyes on him. She appreciated the effort he had put into setting up the date, and how polished and handsome he looked. Beyond that however, she didn’t feel that spark. The spark she knew she felt every time she merely set her eyes on Frank.
Calvin looked up at her suddenly, interrupting her thoughts.
“Have you decided what you’ll order?” he asked and Veronica felt her mouth go dry. After the number of times they had frequented this restaurant, she thought he would have known exactly what she wanted. She had ordered the same main and same side for the past three years, every time they came to this place. She never got bored of it.
But instead of pointing that out to him, she simply nodded her head and Calvin smiled. He shut the menu and placed it with a smack on the table, which caught the attention of one of the waiters.
“I’ll have the Arancini as a side and the Gnocchi with ricotta,” Calvin said, looking up politely at the waiter when he appeared at their side.
“And I’ll have the Linguini in clam sauce as my main, and the pesto and garlic bread on the side,” Veronica said.
“Of course, I forgot you order the same thing!” Calvin said with a nervous laugh escaping his lips.
When their eyes met, Veronica looked away from him. She was feeling guilty again, because even though she was sitting in front of her boyfriend who was trying his best to be sweet and kind to her, all she could think about was being with her boss.
Chapter 2
“How’s the food?” Calvin asked her and Veronica looked up from her plate to fix her eyes on him. They had been eating in relative silence since the food arrived. Even though Veronica wanted to make some kind of conversation with him, she couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
“Delicious, as always,” she said finally, wiping the sides of her mouth with the napkin on her lap. Calvin smiled and nodded his head, and after a few moments of silence had passed again, Veronica decided to say something too.
“And how is yours?” she asked, her voice catching a little in her throat.
“Very good,” Calvin replied.
Did they really have nothing left to talk about? They were seeing each other after nearly four weeks. Granted that they spoke over the phone every other day, surely, there would be something more private to discuss? Veronica racked her brain.
“Ashley, Mr Davenport’s older daughter…just won a dance competition,” she said. Veronica had to try very hard to remind herself to refer to him formally, instead of just calling him Frank. She didn’t want to slip up unexpectedly. Any news she wanted to break to Calvin would have to be done gently.
“That’s lovely. Sounds like you’ve grown quite fond of the kids,” Calvin said, with another one of his kindly smiles. It seemed to Veronica that he was trying to please her. They had lost a lot of their comfort and it felt more like a “first date” rather than a hundredth.
She nodded her head vigorously.
“I love them. They’re brilliant kids,” she said with a smile. She noticed that Calvin was looking at her curiously, something was on his mind.
“And what is Frank Davenport like? I’ve heard that he is quite a difficult man to work for,” Calvin said, dropping his fork on his plate. He was gearing himself up to listen to what she had to say.
Veronica felt nervous again. How was she supposed to describe Frank to him? What words could she use to tell Calvin that Frank Davenport was the most interesting and affectionate man she had ever met. She considered if this was the opportunity she needed to confess everything to Calvin.
“Umm…he’s okay. We get along fine,” she blurted out, before she could formulate any other words.
Calvin’s eyes seemed to expand.
“And I suppose you don’t bump into him very often anyway, do you?” he asked and Veronica spooned a mouthful of food into her mouth. She tried to bide her time before committing to a response. She couldn’t decide how to frame a response.
“I see him everyday,” she said flatly, when she was done chewing. Calvin licked his lips and nodded his head, before going back to his food. A deathly silence had descended on their table again. It was evident to Calvin that Veronica didn’t want to talk much about her work for some reason.
“How is your work coming along?” she asked, just as Calvin opened his mouth to ask something else. She wanted to distract him. He closed his mouth shut and nodded his head again.
“Good. The usual. Nothing new,” he said and then cleared his throat.
Veronica was still trying to avoid looking at him directly. She was still trying to find more neutral ground to talk about.
“But, we’re not here to discuss my work,” he said suddenly and she jerked her head up to look at him. Calvin had his eyes narrowed at her, he was studying her face intently. Veronica gulped.
“What are we here to talk about then?” she asked, and she was sure that he could hear the loud thumping of her heart in her chest.
“You. Us. Our relationship,” he said, without wasting another moment.
Veronica put her spoon down lightly on her plate, wiped the sides of her mouth and reached for the glass of water beside her. Calvin was following all her movements with intent eyes. He was giving her a chance to respond.
“What do you want to discuss about our relationship?” she asked, in a voice that sounded more weak than confident. She was afraid that somehow Calvin knew that she had cheated on him, that she had been cheating on him for the past four weeks. She was guilty and afraid and upset with herself. Looking at Calvin’s narrowed curious eyes, which showed that he was trying to be patient with her; Veronica was sure now that she had taken him for granted. He didn’t deserve this treatment.
“When you took this job, you told me that we needed some time apart. You said that we had fallen into a routine…quite frankly, you were trying to tell me that you w
ere bored of me,” Calvin said, still keeping his eyes on her.
Now that she was hearing those words, and after what she had done with Frank; Veronica could see how harsh it might have sounded to him. Calvin’s face was softened. He wasn’t accusing her of anything, he just seemed sad.
“I’m sorry Calvin, if I hurt you…” Veronica said, but he interrupted her again by shaking his head.
“No, you were right,” he said and her mouth nearly dropped open. Those were the last words she was expecting to hear from him.
“Don’t look so shocked, babe. I’ve given it a lot of thought and I know you were right. And I want to make up for what you felt was lacking in our relationship,” he continued.
Veronica still couldn’t say anything. She was dumbstruck by Calvin’s apologetic voice and his patient kind eyes. Then she saw him put his hand into the inside pocket of his jacket. In silence, with her eyes widened, she watched as he extracted a small blue velvet box.
In the next moment, Calvin was down on his knees beside her. He was opening the box, while Veronica’s hands flew to her mouth in shock. Calvin was proposing to her!
Chapter 3
When Calvin opened the box, Veronica was struck instantly by the size of the diamond ring. It was sparkling in a hexagonal shape with smaller diamonds covering half of the platinum band on either side.
Some sighs and cheers had erupted around them, other people had taken note of the proposal and some had even begun clapping. Calvin remained on one knee on the floor beside her, looking up with an earnest face and enthusiastic dark eyes. Veronica was still dumbstruck, she still didn’t know what to say to him, except to remain in shock.
“Veronica Jane Lawrence, will you do me the honor of being my wife?” he said finally, in a loud confident voice. He wasn’t expecting a refusal, he didn’t appear to be able to think of a single reason why his longtime, dedicated girlfriend would refuse a proposal right now. And Veronica could say nothing to that.
Yours Forever: A Holiday Romance Page 83
