by Amy Daws
“But you guys came out happier because of it, right?” I ask, feeling hopeful.
“One-hundred percent. I’m lucky, really. I was horribly selfish leaving him in the dark for so long. But it felt like such a personal struggle. Even though it takes two to tango,” she smirks at her double entendre. “I don’t know, just…for me, I had to come to grips with it all myself before I could be mature about it all.”
I ponder her insight silently, staring down at my feet soaking in the spa.
“Who’s keeping secrets, Lez…you or Theo?” she asks, eyeing me cautiously.
I shrug her off quickly. “It’s nothing major really. But there is something he’s not told me yet.”
“Sometimes it takes guys longer to open up.”
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s it.” I smile, feeling a pit in my stomach. Theo is the wear-his-heart-on-his-sleeve type. He’s been easily open with me about what he wants out of me since day one. So if he’s not talking about this, it must be something huge.
***
I gaze at myself in my antique floor length mirror and feel positively glowing. What does Theo say? Shine. Yes, I am actually freaking shining right now! For the first time in my life, I’ve made a dress that I know wouldn’t look any better on anyone else.
The delicate rosette fabric is showcased fabulously on the large tea-length skirt I made. It’s full and wavy with a sheen that makes the ivory look like the palest of pinks. It compliments my skin tone better than anything I’ve ever worn.
For the top half of the dress, I added a bit of edge—true Leslie style. I designed a buttery chocolate brown leather busier. It’s strapless with a sweetheart neckline and fits me like a second skin.
Finley loaned me a fabulous mahogany jeweled clutch she had already and it fit with everything perfectly. Nothing else. No jewelry, no nothing. Just this dress.
The stylist at the salon did a really dewy, fresh-faced makeup application on me. That no-makeup look I could never manage to do on my own. My pink lip gloss is the only splash of color on me but it all works together perfectly.
I clack down the stairs in my nude platform pumps, ready for Theo to show up anytime. I stroll into the kitchen to find Brody and Finley snacking. Both of their jaws drop as they take in my dress.
“Oh my God,” Finley says. “I knew the dress was perfect. But with the hair and makeup, it’s like a dream!”
The stylist curled my auburn hair into soft tendrils and pinned back one half behind my ear with a bobby pin. She covered the pins by double knotting pieces of my hair over top. It was a really trendy look that I hoped I could replicate sometime.
“I know, right? And look…my skirt is so big I can do this all night and no one will even know it!” I say, turning my behind to them and twerking.
“That’s perfect!” Finely squeals. “What about your Roger Rabbit? Does your dress hide that one?”
I tsk seriously, “‘Fraid not…that one is pretty obvious. Same goes for my moonwalk.”
“And your Dougie.”
“And my Walk Like an Egyptian.”
“The Macarena is surely out,” Finley says, pinging back in perfect synch.
“Yeah…and the running man, rodeo…”
“Your classic dice roll…your cabbage patch.”
“My diva power squat.”
Finley and I stare at each other completely straight faced and silent…both enrolled in an imaginary game of chicken, waiting for the other to crack.
“The fucking Macarena,” I say, finally, and bust out laughing. She joins me with her own infectious giggles.
“I have serious concerns about what goes on in you two’s heads,” Brody states deadpan, staring at us with a serious look of concern.
That only makes Finley and I erupt into full-on belly laughs.
“Classic meet-the-parents moves, babe!” Finely roars with laughter and I dab at my cheeks, gently wiping away my happy tears, mindful of my makeup.
We all turn casually as we hear a throat clear from behind us. Theo is standing there gazing seriously at us with a shimmer in his eyes that makes my heart skip a beat. He remains completely motionless. I have a brief moment of panic when I think he’s doing that breath-holding thing again. But then he groans softly—relaxing my nerves.
“I don’t…I can’t…you look…” he stammers.
I chuckle and walk over to him smoothly, kissing him on his cheek and pulling him away from Brody and Finley’s prying eyes. I love my roommates but I don’t need them present for every little event in my life. I pull Theo outside and into the concealed patio area.
“Leslie,” he starts, but I interrupt him.
“Sorry, we were just being dumb,” I chuckle softly, feeling like I have to explain the ridiculous scene he walked in on.
“You were being the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Leslie.” His face is shining with pure adoration—and something more. Something that makes me nervous and flustered. Quickly wanting to get the focus off of me and back on Theo, I smooth my hands down his shoulders and arms.
“This suit, Theo. Oh my God. I feel like we’re going to the cool kids’ prom.” I rub my hands over him, walking around to inspect further.
Earlier in the week he asked me to go tux shopping with him. I went a bit overboard convincing him to do something a little different than the traditional black tux. My instincts were spot on. He’s fitted to the nines in a slim-fitted suit that looks black at first glance, but in the right lighting, you can see a dark chocolate textured sheen to it. It’s sexy as fuck. His tie is that same dark chocolate and lies smoothly over a vibrant blue button-down tailored shirt. His ivory pocket square, tie clip, and glasses make him look like he just stepped out of a GQ photoshoot.
“I don’t know how you just keep getting more beautiful, Leslie,” he says, seriously, dropping feather-light kisses on each of my cheeks and then my shoulders.
I half-smile at him. “Pot, meet kettle.” He chuckles softly. “God, we’re a sexy couple,” I say playfully.
“I’m glad you’re finally starting to learn. Well…that you’re sexy, I mean. I’m just the lucky bastard that gets to call you mine.”
“For now. As long as you play your cards right.” I smile and see a fleeting look of anxiety mar his face. I kiss him deeply, swirling away any anxious thoughts his mind was running off with.
***
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Theo pulls up to a very grand and incredibly maintained Gothic architecture building. He stops on a carpeted valet area and I watch him shoo away the valet driver in order to open my door himself.
He folds my hand in his and leads me through the large lobby and into a beautiful ballroom. It’s got a great vibe—Victorian meets modern chic. One whole wall is covered in several huge modern murals and the tables are all white linens, white flowers, and white place settings.
I see a wall of silent auction items and see several of Theo’s pieces displayed grandly with colored up-lighting. I make a mental note to bid on something. I need something made by my man’s bare hands.
Theo grips my hand harder than necessary and I look at him curiously. Why does he look so nervous all of a sudden?
“My mum is over there. Let’s go say hi.” He pulls me over to where a robust woman in a long sparkly gown stands talking to someone with a headset on.
“Mum,” Theo says, softly kissing her on the cheek.
“Theo.” She says it proudly. Her mouth grins with pride and she looks at me bright-eyed. “You’re Leslie, I hear.”
“You hear right.” I smile and she comes in and hugs me.
“This is my mother, Winnie Clarke.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Clarke.”
“Winnie, please,” she says, releasing me from her embrace and clasping her hands over her mouth as she looks back and forth between me and Theo. “We’ve heard all about you, love. So, so happy to...” she stops herself, suddenly overcome with emotion.
“Come now, Mum. You s
aid tonight would be a happy occasion,” Theo says curtly. I scowl at him. I feel like I want to snuggle right up with Winnie for a good cuddle.
She clears her throat and straightens herself, both mentally and physically. “Yes, of course. Happy is right. We are just very happy to see you, my dear. You are simply stunning.”
Her mouth pulls into a genuine smile but her eyes look tight and strained. Sad almost. They are that same light brown as Theo’s and remind me of what his looked like when I first met him at Shay Nightclub.
“I’m going to take Leslie to get a drink,” Theo says coolly. He grasps my elbow and leads me away. I look back at his mother apologetically and she waves me off congenially.
“Why were you so rude to your mother just now?” I hiss as he grabs us two champagnes from a passing server.
“I wasn’t,” he says flatly, taking a swig of his drink.
I stare at him incredulously for a second. He looks at my expression and rolls his eyes.
“She promised she’d be good tonight,” he states cryptically.
“What do you mean by that? Why wouldn’t she be good?”
“Leslie, can we stop talking about my mother, please?” He seems exasperated and I’m about to fire more questions at him when we’re suddenly interrupted by a skinny blonde.
“Hi,” she says, meekly, with a small wave.
“Hiya, Daph!” Theo hands me his champagne and picks the small girl up into a big hug, lifting her feet off the ground. She looks embarrassed by his grand gesture and tucks her long blonde hair behind both of her ears.
“You’re Leslie, yeah?” She looks at me with wide, brown eyes. She couldn’t be more than eighteen.
“You must be Theo’s sister, Daphney?” I ask excitedly noticing the slight resemblance between the two.
She nods nervously.
“Hi! So nice to meet you!” I hug her excitedly, feeling like meeting her makes me closer to Theo somehow. She looks momentarily shocked and nervous.
“Daphney, Leslie. Leslie, Daphney,” Theo says in a clipped tone looking somewhat nervous and edgy.
“Mum said you guys had arrived.”
“Yeah, just popped over here for a drink.” Theo looks around the room like he’s searching for someone. Daphney looks down at her hands, looking sweet and somewhat awkward as to what to say next.
“I have to run to the bathroom to powder my nose. Do you want to come with me, Daphney?” I ask and her eyes flash with surprise.
“Um…yeah, sure. Maybe?” She looks to Theo for approval.
“You don’t need your big brother’s permission. Come on.” I grab her hand and pull her away from Theo who looks slightly uncomfortable. Honestly, what is it with him introducing me to his family?
“Your dress is…wow,” Daphney says, looking at me through the huge vanity mirror in the plush ladies restroom. “Did you make it? Theo says you make stuff.”
“Yeah, I make stuff.” I giggle and wink at her, hoping she doesn’t feel bad if I tease her a bit. “I did make this one actually. I even impressed myself with how it turned out!”
“That’s so cool you make clothes. Theo makes furniture. I still don’t know what I want to do. I’m just working for my dad.”
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do at eighteen either.”
“I’m nineteen,” she replies glumly.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought Theo said you just graduated.”
“I did. I’m old for my grade. I…um…had to resit my GCSEs.”
She stops herself midsentence. She had to repeat? That takes me off guard. I know I just met her but she seems very bright and well mannered.
“Sorry…I shouldn’t have said that,” she says, her eyes cast downward.
“Why not?”
She shakes her head quickly. “It’s nothing…so, you do camera bags too?”
“Yes, I do. That’s just as fun as dresses actually. Do you enjoy working with your dad?” I’m prying now. I feel the urge to dig deeper.
“It’s okay, I suppose.”
After a heavy moment of silence, she says, “So, you and Theo are happy together?”
“Yeah, we’re happy. Why do you ask? Don’t we look happy?” I’m smiling at her but I’m concerned Theo is giving them the impression we’re not doing well.
“It’s not that. We’ve just never seen him with anyone like you before. At least, not for the past few years.”
“Like me?”
She looks horrified. “Oh God, no! I didn’t mean it like that! I’m so…you’re wonderful. Perfect really. It wasn’t. I wasn’t…”
I giggle at her nerves. “Daphney, you’ll learn soon enough that I’m a smartass.” I wink and she smiles, looking relieved. “Best to try and play along…more fun that way.” She giggles cutely and I can already tell I’m going to like her. She reminds me of Theo.
When we come out, Theo is standing outside the door, looking nervous.
“Waiting for us?” I ask as he pulls me into his side.
“Just checking on how you two are getting on,” he fixes a look at Daphney and she shrinks in her cute little silver dress.
“I’ll see you later, Leslie,” she says softly and scurries away.
“My dad wants to meet you. Come.” Theo pulls me by the elbow and I jerk it out of his hand.
“What is your problem?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve transformed into a crabby jerk ever since we got here. Where’s the sweet, sexy Theo that kissed the life out of me on my patio?”
He looks at me like he wants to argue but then bites his tongue, seemingly thinking better of it.
“This night is just hard for me, that’s all.”
“Why?”
“My family and I…well, it’s hard to explain. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings. I just…I hate this charity and the cause and I’d rather just get you home and back in my bed where I can get you naked and fuck you sideways.”
I ignore the fucking part of his statement because I’m certain he’s doing it on purpose to distract me.
“If you hate this charity so much, why did you ask me to come?”
“I was just trying to make my mum happy.”
“Then maybe you should start acting happy.”
“I’ll be happy when we leave, alright? Can we please just get on with it? My dad wants to meet you.”
“Well, only because you asked so nicely.”
He gives me a chaste kiss on the temple and leads me over to where his mother, Winnie, and his father, Richard, are sitting.
“Leslie. A pleasure,” Richard says politely, shaking my hand. He’s a heavier-set version of Theo with a white goatee.
“Likewise. You’ve got quite the Superman of a son here,” I say, trying to loosen everyone up with a little joke. Maybe a little story about Theo and me.
“Superman?” Winnie asks in question.
I start to respond to her question but Theo stalls me in my tracks.
“Don’t mind Leslie, Mum. She likes to joke a lot.”
It’s like he could have slapped me in the face just now. He’s always claimed to love my sparkle—my shine. What the fuck is his problem now? His mom looks wounded and I smile softly at her, physically resisting the urge to nut-punch Theo as hard as I can. I didn’t sign up for a night out with a brooding jerk who’s seemingly keeping secrets from me.
“They’ll be serving dinner soon. Shall we go sit?” Richard asks, eyeing everyone cautiously like he’s desperate to keep the peace. I feel terrible for how Theo is behaving. His mom’s eyes already looked sad and strained earlier in the night and now his dad looks nervous. Surely they don’t deserve this kind of rudeness from him!
We arrive at our large round table and I’m seated next to Theo. I glance over to the empty seat by me, wondering who it’s saved for.
“Don’t worry everyone. The brother is here!” Hayden peals loudly over the top of everyone’s chitchat, making me jump slightly. Everyon
e stops talking and looks up at Hayden, who’s swaying slightly.
“You literally can’t throw this party without me!”
I frown briefly, wondering what that’s all about. It seems like a poor joke considering the cause. Surely he’s not a suicide survivor. Hayden’s tux is rumpled and his hair is disheveled. He looks like he’s been drinking for days, not hours. I look over to Theo with a quizzical expression and he shakes me off like there’s nothing to worry about. I’m beginning to feel a lot more than just frustrated with how little I actually know about his family—and maybe even Theo.
“Hayden, my boy. Please sit down,” Richard says firmly.
“Righto, Daddio!” Hayden plops down hard into his seat.
Theo leans over and whispers in my ear, “Don’t talk to Hayden too much. He’s obviously pissed. He wasn’t even supposed to be here tonight.”
I scowl at him for being rude once again but our conversation is stifled when the MC begins talking into the overhead mic to announce that the bidding starts on some of the donated items before dinner is served. Winnie hops up suddenly.
“Theo, we’re auctioning off one of your pieces first. Would you be a dear and help your old mum get it up to the stage? It’d be nice to have you up there to represent it.”
Theo frowns briefly at her and then looks to me. I smile brightly at him. Begrudgingly, he gets up and follows his mother to the side of the stage.
“Fancy seeing you here, Leslie. And Theo too for that matter,” Hayden slurs into my ear. He stinks strongly of stale beer and cigarettes.
“Happy to help the cause,” I say, feeling awkward. God, what does one even say in scenarios like this?
“What a cause it is, eh? Truly a great cause.” He mocks a smile and grabs the bottle of wine from the center of the table and pours himself a drink. Theo’s dad scowls at him but doesn’t say anything. I chance a glance at Daphney who’s watching Hayden nervously.
“Theo’s never come to this gig before. You must be having a positive effect on him.”
