Single Dad's Surrogate

by Annie Young

  “You taught my daughter how to swim,” he said. “Trust me. That's something special. Not to mention, you put a smile on her face that I hadn't seen in quite some time. I assure you, getting you a simple dress won't even come close to repaying the debt that I owe you.”

  “For what it's worth, I would have done everything I did last week for free,” she said. “But, if you insist, I'll go down to La Dress and pick something up for Friday evening.”

  “I do insist,” Wyatt said.

  He heard Mildred and Maggie downstairs. They were chatting loudly in the kitchen and Maggie was squealing in excitement. He assumed that she had just opened one of the souvenirs that Mildred had brought back from her trip.

  “Did you hear that?” Wyatt asked Lily.

  “Yeah, was that Maggie?” she asked. “Wow. She sounds excited about something.”

  Wyatt laughed. “I'm pretty sure Mildred just let her open up some gifts.”

  “Should I let you go?” she asked.

  “I suppose so.” Wyatt glanced in the mirror as he spoke, making sure there weren't any obvious signs that he'd cried. “I'll just plan on seeing you Friday then, if that's okay.”

  “Yes, definitely,” Lily said. “I can't wait. What time should I be there?”

  “I'll pick you up in the Lamborghini,” Wyatt said. “I'll be at your place at seven.”

  “Sounds great,” she said. “I'll see you then.”

  “Bye.” Wyatt hung up the phone and tossed it onto his bed.

  The anxiety and nerves that had filled his belly were now replaced with nothing but excitement for Friday night. He couldn't wait to have a real date with Lily.

  This week can't go by quick enough, he thought, then headed downstairs to join Maggie and Mildred in the kitchen.

  Chapter 24

  Lily

  Lily pulled her rickety old Honda down the narrow one-way street downtown. It was Friday morning and she'd called in sick at her coffee shop job, just so that she could go to La Dress and buy an outfit for her date with Wyatt that night.

  She knew right where she was headed. She'd walked by the shop a hundred times, but had only ever glanced in the window to gawk at the dresses they had displayed. The price tags started in the thousand dollar range, meaning she never ever considered actually walking into the store.

  I can't believe Wyatt is buying me a dress, she thought. How sweet is this? No guy has ever done anything remotely like this for me.

  After parking her car, she headed toward the shop. In an attempt to not look completely out of place in the expensive boutique, she'd dressed up the best she could. She had on a skirt suit that she normally saved for job interviews, but figured it would at least make her look like she could afford to be in the store.

  As soon as she walked in, the young woman standing behind the counter looked up. She looked to be about Lily's age and was dressed in a beautiful green gown, which Lily was pretty sure must have come from the store's racks.

  “Good morning,” the woman said. “I'm Allison. How can I help you?”

  Lily shuffled her feet, suddenly feeling a little nervous. Each article of clothing that surrounded her was worth more than every possession she had combined. It was almost like she was afraid to touch anything, because of the fear of having to pay for it if she accidentally messed it up somehow.

  “Hi there,” Lily said, approaching the counter. “I'm looking for a dress.”

  The lady smiled. “Well, then you've obviously come to the right place.”

  “Yeah, I suppose that's a good point,” Lily said. “I guess I'll just take a look around and see what I find.”

  “Sounds great. I'm Bonnie, by the way,” she said. “Let me know if you need any help. I can get your measurements if you need me to, otherwise let me know if there's a dress that catches your eye and I'll unlock the fitting room for you.”

  Lily nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Bonnie. I'm Lily.”

  “Good to meet you,” Bonnie said, then brought her attention back down to her work, where she busily typed away at her computer.

  Lily felt like she had just walked into a dream. Surrounding her on all sides were some of the most beautiful dresses she'd ever seen in her entire life. At just a glance, she could tell that they were of the finest quality. The material seemed to shine in the light. The stitching was clearly done with care. The attention to detail on all of them was something that she knew a factory couldn't have produced. It was as though each one was custom built by an artist.

  This is incredible, she thought, letting her fingers slide over some dresses as she walked past. I had no idea this place was so big and had so many dresses. This is like a girl's dream come true. The best part, though, is that I'm actually going to be able to purchase one of these today. My friends would be so jealous if they knew where I was right now. They'd flip. Actually, I doubt they'd even believe me if I told them.

  She walked through the maze of clothes racks, her eyes glazed over like a kid in a candy store. Each dress seemed like it was more elegant than the last. She wanted every one of them.

  How on Earth am I supposed to pick out just a single dress to buy with all of these to choose from? She thought, continuing her stroll through the store.

  Lily stopped at a clothes rack near the back. There were a few dresses hung on it, all made of different colors of silk. She wasn't sure exactly what it was that brought her attention to one of them, but suddenly her eyes focused and her heart leaped from her chest.

  “This is beautiful,” she whispered, shaking her head in awe.

  In her hands was a baby blue gown made of the smoothest silk she'd ever felt. The upper part was low cut, with a V-neck that plunged pretty far down. She carefully pulled the dress from the hangar and held it out in front of her, letting it flow elegantly just above the floor.

  “It's nice, isn't it?” Bonnie's voice came from behind her.

  Lily glanced over her shoulder, to see Bonnie approaching her with a long cloth tape measure in her hands.

  “It's amazing,” Lily said. “This color. I've never seen anything like it.”

  “It's the silk that brings out the color,” Bonnie explained. “This silk is from France. There's a special area there where they harvest it. The area is small, though, meaning only a certain amount of silk can be obtained every year. What you're holding in your hands right now is quite rare, but obviously quite beautiful.”

  Lily suddenly felt like she was holding something as valuable as the Queen's crown. She carefully put it back on the hangar and hung it up.

  “Let me get a few measurements on you,” Bonnie said. “If you like that dress, we can always tailor it if needed. It wouldn't be a problem.”

  “How long would tailoring take?” Lily asked. “I need a dress for tonight.”

  “Tonight?” Bonnie raised her eyebrows.

  “Yeah, I've got a date,” Lily replied, with a coy smile.

  “Well then, I guess we'd better get to work,” Bonnie said, with a chuckle. “Let's get your measurements first. There's always a chance that we won't have to do too much tailoring to make the dress work for you.”

  “I'll keep my fingers crossed,” Lily said.

  “Good.” Bonnie unraveled the cloth tape measure and stretched it between her hands. “Alright, hold your hands up in the air and I'll get your waist measurement.”

  Bonnie moved around Lily quickly, taking measurements and immediately jotting them down onto a small notepad. It was clear she had done this thousands of times before. She didn't even have to speak. She just went to work.

  “You're fast,” Lily said.

  Bonnie shrugged. “I've done this a time or two. That's really all it is. Practice, practice, practice.”

  She continued to take some measurements and Lily stood still. Her mind was doing anything but resting, though. She was far too excited. Not only for her date with Wyatt, but for the chance to try on this amazing dress that hung in front of her.

  “So what do you do
, Lily?” Bonnie asked, without looking up from her clipboard.

  “Oh, I work at a coffee shop at the edge of town,” Lily replied.

  Bonnie lifted her gaze and she seemed a bit surprised by Lily's response. “Coffee shop?”

  Lily nodded innocently. “Yeah. It's just a small, Mom and Pop type store. It gets pretty busy, though.”

  “I don't want to sound rude, but you do know how much this dress costs, right?” Bonnie asked.

  Suddenly, Lily felt really embarrassed and also, a little annoyed that Bonnie would say something like that.

  Who cares that I work at a coffee shop? Lily wondered. Am I not allowed to shop here, just based on what I do for work? Maybe I'm really good at saving my pennies, or maybe my parents are rich. It's not like she would know one way or the other.

  “Yes, I know how much it costs,” Lily said, although she didn't actually know the exact number. It didn't matter what it was, though, because this transaction would be on Wyatt's account. “My friend is buying it for me.”

  Bonnie's face relaxed. “Oh, okay. Is Wyatt his name?”

  Lily's jaw dropped a bit. “Yes, how did you know?”

  Bonnie smiled. “He called earlier this morning and said someone would be in buying a dress. He gave me all of his credit card information.”

  “Yeah, that's him,” she replied.

  “Well then, you're all taken care of,” she said, jotting a few more notes down onto her pad. “As far as your measurements, I've got good news. That dress should actually fit perfectly, with the exception of the length. I may have to hem the bottom. Luckily, that's a quick job for me and you'll be able to get the dress in less than an hour. That is, of course, if you end up liking it after you try it on.”

  “I can't imagine a world in which I wouldn't like a dress this beautiful,” Lily said.

  Bonnie set her notepad down and then took the baby blue dress off of the hangar for Lily. She handed it to her, and Lily cradled it across her arms like it was the most valuable thing on the planet.

  “Thank you,” Lily said. “I'll head back to the dressing rooms.”

  “I unlocked Room Two for you,” Bonnie said. “Go ahead and try it on and let me know what you think. If you don't see me, I'm probably just up front at the cash register.”

  “Sounds good.” Lily turned and head back toward Room Two. She stepped inside and closed the door, carefully laying the dress down onto the velvet bench that was against the back wall of the room.

  She took off her skirt suit, which now felt cheap and flimsy compared everything she'd seen in the shop. Standing just in her underwear, she picked up the dress and pressed it against her front. She faced the mirror and cocked her head to the side, smiling wide. It was almost like she was practicing her smile, getting ready to put it to use later that evening when she saw Wyatt.

  Alright, she thought, as she began to step into the dress. Time to put on the most expensive article of clothing I've ever had touch my body.

  The silky material slid easily up her legs and her sides, as she pulled it all the way to her shoulders. The front rested perfect against her chest. It cradled her tits just right, exposing a fair amount but not enough to where she looked slutty. In fact, it looked more like she was about to take a stroll out on the red carpet.

  Lily tied the string around the back of her neck, which held the dress in place. She almost cried when she looked at herself in the mirror.

  It's beautiful, she thought, running her fingers down her sides. It's so perfect.

  The baby blue silk was shining as it reflected the overhead light in the changing room. For the first time in her life, she felt just as beautiful as a movie star or a model. She slowly turned to side and placed a hand on her hip, flashing a flirtatious smile at herself in the mirror.

  Wyatt's going to flip out when he sees me in this, she thought. He won't be able to keep his hands off of me. At least, I hope that's the case.

  Lily was really looking forward to getting to spend some quality one-on-one time with Wyatt. The date was the perfect opportunity to get to know him better. More than that, though, she wanted to see what he was like outside of his house and his responsibilities. She wondered if there was a possibility that they'd get to resume what they had started the week before. There was no doubt that she still craved him physically.

  As long as he's ready, then I'm ready, too, she thought. I don't want to overstep my bounds and I need to respect his emotions toward Caroline. But if what he said was true, that he was beginning to heal from that pain, then I think there's a chance he really does see some potential of a relationship with he and I.

  She couldn't help but wonder what her parents and friends would think if she actually ended up dating him. They'd probably call her creepy or weird, but it wasn't like she hadn't heard that kind of thing before from them. They all thought it was strange that she even talked to Wyatt at all. She could only imagine their reaction if they found out she was dating him.

  Whatever, though, she thought. This is my life. I can make my own decisions. I don't need their opinions. If Wyatt makes me happy, then that's all that should matter.

  Lily spun around in front of the mirror as she thought to herself about the situation with Wyatt. She turned to the side again and pushed her butt out a bit. She was happy with the way the dress fit. It clung to her curves so perfectly that it was as though the dress had been stitched for her. Bonnie had been right, though, at least as far as the length of the dress was concerned. It was a little bit long and the bottom of it was touching the floor of the dressing room. Even if she wore heels, she knew that it would likely need to be shortened up a bit.

  “Still, it's perfect,” she said to herself.

  And I can't wait for Wyatt to see, she thought.

  Then she slipped off the dress and got back into her skirt suit. She didn't have a second to waste. She needed to get the dress to Bonnie so that it could be shortened. As soon as that was done, she needed to head back home and get prettied up for the date.

  This is going to be the best date ever, she thought, then headed back out into the maze of dresses to find Bonnie.

  Chapter 25

  Lily

  Laying on Lily’s bed was the dress she'd bought just a couple of hours before. Bonnie had been kind enough to hem the bottom of it, knowing that Lily needed it for her date that night.

  She glanced at the clock on top of her night stand and her eyes widened.

  “Shit,” she whispered. “He'll be here soon.”

  It was already a quarter to seven, which meant that Wyatt would be at her apartment to pick her up in fifteen minutes. Luckily, she had already showered, but she still needed to straighten her hair and do her makeup.

  It's a good thing this isn't the first time I've had to rush to get ready, she thought.

  She dropped the towel that had been wrapped around her body. Naked, she walked over to her dresser and pulled out several different pairs of panties. After a few moments of consideration, she ended up picking the blue ones with the lacy top and the see-through front. They were sexy as hell. She'd never worn them before, but figured that this date was as good of a time as any. If there was even a slight possibility of having sex with Wyatt, she needed to make sure that she looked flawless from head to toe.

  Lily slipped on the panties and began digging through her bras. That was before she remembered that the dress wasn't even designed to be worn with a bra.

  “Panties it is,” she whispered.

  She headed to the bathroom and quickly did her makeup. The minutes were passing by faster than she wanted them, too. She was excited to see Wyatt, but didn't want to overlook anything because of the fact that she was having to rush. The last thing she needed was to forget eyeliner or perfume.

  This night has to be perfect, she thought. It's not like it's the first time I've ever hung out with Wyatt, but that doesn't matter. This is most certainly the first time we've ever done anything that could be considered a date. In my mind
, this is potentially the beginning of something really special and I want to make a good impression. I want to show him that I can be as pretty and as sexy as any other girl. I want to show Wyatt that, if he were to ever choose me as a girlfriend, that it wouldn't be a bad decision.

  Once Lily had finished applying her makeup, she straightened her hair. It took a few minutes to smooth out her natural curls, but once she was finished, it looked great. Another glance at the clock told her that Wyatt would be there any minute.

  “Shoot,” she whispered, walking quickly back to the bedroom. “I've got to hurry.”

  She slipped on the dress, once again completely impressed by how well it fit. She carefully tied the string at the back of her neck and then checked herself out in the tall mirror that was hung on her bedroom door.

  I really hope he likes this dress as much as I do, she thought. And secretly, I really hope that he's unable to keep his hands off of me.

  Her body tingled with excitement as she smoothed down the sides of the dress with her hands. She then slipped on her high heels, glancing down to see where the bottom of the dress now fell.

  “Perfect,” she said.

  Bonnie had done an excellent job shortening the material and the bottom part was now the perfect length. It hovered just an inch or so above the ground, floating nicely as she walked.

  Lily quickly sprayed on a few pumps of her best perfume, letting it land over her chest. She heard her phone buzz on the night stand as soon as she'd set the perfume bottle back onto the top of the dresser.

  That must be him, she thought, making her way across the room.

  Sure enough, when she picked up the phone, she saw a text from Wyatt. It read, “Hey, I'm out front. I've got a little surprise, too. Let's just say I decided not to take the Lamborghini tonight.”

  Lily smiled and cocked her head to the side.

  I have no idea what that means, she thought. Did he take the SUV? That doesn't seem like a very exciting surprise. I'm guessing he has something else up his sleeve.