See, that wasn’t so bad was it, Stace? You handled that really well. You threatened to beat up a teeny-bopper but hey, it worked.
My conscious starts to make me feel bad for being quite so short with the guy. I shrug off the nagging voice and see that I am due my twenty-minute break. I tell the other bar staff that I am going to Lydia’s office for a time-out. I pour myself a soft drink and take it with me.
When I open Lydia’s office door, the smell of Chinese food hits me. As the room comes into full view, I see Lydia has some company. Paul and Jake are sat there, eating from Chinese take-away cartons.
“Can anyone join this private party? Or is it invite only?” I ask. My mouth starts to water from the aroma of the food. Well, I presume it’s from the food, it could of course be the sight of Jake sat there. He looks good in his suit trousers and white shirt which has the top two buttons undone. My, my, my, very tasty.
“Nah, we can allow you to gate-crash,” Lydia’s answer interrupts my thoughts.
“Well, jeez, thanks so much,” I reply sarcastically. I sit on the empty chair, which is next to Jake, and I take the spring roll that he is about to eat out of his hand.
“Hey,” Jake says.
“What?” I say innocently as I take a bite of the spring roll. Jake smiles.
“Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about you. Your food is in this bag,” he says as he lifts a bag from the desk and hands it to me. I lick my lips and take a carton out of the bag. I delve straight into the carton to see that it is chicken chow mein. “Wow, someone is hungry.”
“Yeah, I’m starving. I didn’t eat before I came to work, and I’ve been busting my butt out there.” The others all stare at me in amazement. “What?” I say once I have swallowed my mouthful of food.
“You know, for someone with such a cute little figure, you sure can eat, Stace.” Lydia gawps at me as I shove noodles into my mouth. The food may not be piping hot, but it still satisfies my taste buds.
“Oh shut up. Anyway, what are you all doing in here? And Lydia, do you realise how busy it is out there? I really don’t think that the other bar staff can cope.”
“The staff will be fine, they do it all the time. The customers aren’t going to leave as they are all too pissed to go anywhere else by now. And as for what we are doing, we are eating Chinese food. Isn’t that obvious?”
“Oh, ha ha, very funny,” I reply, sarcasm once again taking over my tone.
“Actually, I wanted to drop by and see Lyd, so I text her and Jake just so happened to be with me. We thought that we would grab some food on the way,” Paul says.
“Uh huh,” I reply. He’s a really bad liar. I decide to bite the bullet and voice why I think they are really here. Well, why Jake is here anyway. “So, no one has come here to check up on how I’m coping then?” I direct my question at Jake. He averts his eyes away from me, confirming what I suspected. “I thought so. You guys really need to think of better excuses. And I’m doing fine by the way.”
“I know, I saw you tell that guy that you would put him on his ass,” Jake chuckles. I stare open-mouthed at him. “Remind me never to pinch your ass,” he teases.
“How the hell did you know that?” I ask.
“Oh, I was coming back from the toilets when I saw the confrontation happen. I must say, I’m impressed. I don’t think that he will be bothering you again.”
Lydia and Paul burst out laughing and I can’t help but smile. Warmth courses through my body from the people sat in this room.
This is how my life should be.
A life full of laughter, love and friendship.
Chapter Twenty-Six
I wake up on Sunday morning and my feet are throbbing. Wearing high-heeled boots for my first shift back at The Den was not my best idea. I forgot how excruciating the pain can be.
I get out of bed and make my way to the bathroom. After using the facilities and splashing some cold water on my face, I head to the kitchen to make some strong coffee. It is only nine in the morning, meaning that I have only had four hours’ sleep. I make my coffee and go back to my bedroom to lie down on the bed. I smile to myself as I settle back under my quilt. My first shift back was brilliant. It has boosted my confidence significantly. It was also kind of sweet that Jake came to check up on me, but I’m not going to tell him that.
My phone buzzes to notify me that I have received a text message.
Good morning, sunshine. I hope that you are
well rested, because we are going out for the
day. Be ready for 11am. I will have Eric pick
you up in the limo. Jake
What the hell? Why is he taking me out? Actually, I don’t care why, but it would be nice to have some sort of clue as to what he has planned. I text back.
Morning, Mr Waters. And where might
we be going? Stace x
It only takes a few seconds for him to reply.
Don’t ask questions. All will be revealed
soon…
Jake x
So much for trying to get information out of him.
I jump back out of bed, take a few sips of coffee and then rush into the bathroom, where I shower at the speed of lightening. When I return to my room, I am faced with choosing what outfit to wear. With no idea of where Jake is taking me, I choose something simple. I put on my white sun-dress and team it with my sandals and white cardigan. I leave my hair to dry in waves and I apply some mascara and lip gloss.
The whole time my mind is conjuring up different ideas of what Jake might have planned. I wonder if he does this kind of thing with all of his friends?
Don’t read too much into it, Stace. He has made his feelings clear about just being friends.
I take one more look at myself in the mirror and then I go and knock on Lydia’s bedroom door, so that I can tell her that I am going out. I enter before being told to and am confronted by the vision of her and Paul in a very compromising position.
“Ahhhh,” I shriek. They both stare in my direction and I quickly shut the door. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to erase what I just saw. “Sorry, guys,” I yell so they can hear me. “I’ll… Um… I’ll leave you to it.”
Shit, I was not expecting to see Paul’s bare ass at this time on a Sunday morning. Actually, I never thought I would see Paul’s bare ass at all. How awkward! I didn’t even realise that he had stayed the night. I thought that he was just seeing Lydia to the front door for a goodnight kiss. I was so exhausted last night that as soon as I got in, I got changed into my pyjamas and went straight to sleep. Hence why I didn’t hear a thing.
I sit on the sofa in the lounge and clock watch until it gets to eleven o’clock. The doorbell rings at the exact time stated in Jake’s message. I grab my bag and answer the door to see Eric standing there, dressed in a smart suit.
“Miss Stacey.” He smiles. “Mr Waters is waiting for you. Please follow me to the limo.” I shut the front door behind me and do as he asks. I resist the urge to laugh at his tone. He sounds so serious.
“Eric, there really is no need to be so formal around me,” I tell him, but I get the feeling that my comment falls on deaf ears. Eric strikes me as very old school when it comes to manners and etiquette. “Where am I being taken to?”
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that, Miss Stacey. Top secret.” He winks at me as he answers.
“Uh huh.” I get into the limo and pull my phone out of my bag.
Jake, are you going to tell me what’s
going on? I’m not a great fan of
surprises.
Stace x
I hit the send button and wait for a reply. I get nothing back which irritates me. I’m not used to people surprising me. The usual surprises I tend to get are generally bad ones. This better be good.
I sit in the limo with my arms folded, waiting to see where I am going. Eventually, Eric pulls up in front of a clothes shop. And not just any clothes shop. It just so happens that we are in front of the most expensive clothes sho
p in the county. I gawp as Eric opens the limo door for me. I step out and my eyes instantly find the gorgeous outfits that are on display in the window.
“Here we are, Miss Stacey. Jake is waiting inside for you.” I open and close my mouth a few times before I can speak.
“Uh, thanks,” I say. Eric nods his head and then returns to the limo. I watch as he drives away and then I turn back to look at the big gold-plated front doors of the clothes shop. I have never set foot in here before.
What the hell has Jake brought me here for? Why a clothes shop? I thought guys hated shopping?
I approach the building and a doorman, who I hadn’t noticed before, opens one of the doors for me.
“Good morning,” the doorman says.
“Uh, morning.” I smile sheepishly and walk through the door.
As I enter, I instantly feel underdressed. The women are in designer outfits, and the men are all in designer suits. Even the few children that are in here are immaculately dressed. Not a pair of trainers in sight. I look down at my clothes and gulp. My high street sun-dress just doesn’t cut it in here.
I get a few snotty looks as I wander around the ground floor, trying to find Jake. A woman approaches me as I get half way through the store, and I think that she is coming to tell me that I am in the wrong place.
“Are you Miss Paris?” she asks me.
“Yes.” I look at her name tag which says “Gloria.”
“Please follow me. Mr Waters is waiting for you on floor five.” Gloria then turns, and I obediently follow her. She doesn’t give off a very friendly vibe and it makes me feel uncomfortable.
I survey the clothes as we walk to the lifts and each item I see is more exquisite than the last. I bet the price tags are pretty too.
When we get to the lifts, Gloria presses the button and we wait. When the lift arrives, I get in, but Gloria remains where she is.
“Remember floor number five is where you will find Mr Waters,” Gloria says. I press the number five button and when I look up Gloria has disappeared. Thankfully, I am in the lift on my own, so there are no eyes judging my choice of attire.
I take a few deep breaths as I try to calm myself. My heart is beating a little faster than usual and I think it’s a mixture of excitement at what Jake might have planned, and also a touch of nerves as I feel so out of place.
The lift doors ping open when I reach floor five, and I step out to see some of the most gorgeous dresses that I have ever set my sights on. However, none of them are as gorgeous as the man approaching me. Jake is wearing a navy blue suit and white shirt with open collar. He looks incredible. He smiles at me and I almost melt. As he reaches me, he gives me a hug.
“Hi. Are you okay?” he asks.
“Not really, Jake… I am dressed completely wrong. You could have given me a clue as to what to wear. The looks that I got off of some of the people shopping when I entered were looks of complete disgust. What the hell am I doing here?”
“You look beautiful. There is nothing wrong with what you are wearing.” Jake gives my body a quick perusal and I feel my sex begin to stir. His gaze makes my body feel alive. I need to keep myself in check. We’re friends and nothing more.
“Oh, and I brought you here to ask you a favour,” Jake says. He appears to have finished looking at my outfit and seems ready to get to the point of this outing. I raise my eyebrows in question. “I have an event to attend this evening, and I was hoping that you would accompany me. If you say yes, then I want you to pick out one of these dresses as a thank you for coming with me.” My mouth drops open. He wants to buy me one of these dresses? Wow, I wasn’t expecting that.
“And what if I say no?” I decide to tease him for a moment. It’s the least he deserves after not warning me about what to wear here.
“Well, then I guess I will just have to try and change your mind.” I swear I see a mischievous glint in his eye, but I choose to ignore it. I can’t let myself think that anything is going to happen between us.
“Hmm, now that could be interesting,” I reply. I appear thoughtful for a few moments before giving him my decision. “Of course I will go with you, but you don’t need to buy me one of these dresses, they are so expensive. I can’t let you spend that kind of money on me.”
“Why not? You would be doing me a favour and for that, I would like to get you something. In this case, the something is a dress.”
“But––”
“No buts. If you don’t want to choose a dress then that’s fine, I’ll just have one picked out for you.” Jake smirks as I scowl at the sneaky sod. Either way it looks like I am getting a new dress from here. Seeing as he hasn’t given me much choice, I might as well take a look around myself.
“What’s the event for?” I ask.
“It’s just some corporate thing that I need to attend.”
“Oooo, sounds so exciting,” I mirror his unexcited tone and Jake laughs.
“This is why you will be perfect as my plus one. You are just as excited by the thought as I am.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. “You drive a hard bargain, Mr Waters,” I tease.
“I’m sure the dresses did most of the persuading for me.” He smirks. “Now, go and have a look around and see what catches your eye. Don’t take any notice of the price tag either.” He gives me a stern look, and I almost feel like I am being told off. “I will be waiting at the chairs outside the changing rooms.” Jake then turns and leaves me standing like a lost lamb in the aisle.
I slowly start to walk around and study the dresses on display. How am I meant to know which dresses to try on? They are all so gorgeous. As I continue to look lost, an older lady approaches me.
“Can I be of help, dear?” she asks. She has white hair which has been tied back into a neat bun, and she has a kind face. Very different from Gloria’s overall vibe.
“Oh, I’m just looking around. I’m not exactly sure where to start though, everything is so beautiful.”
“Would you like me to help you? My name’s Edele and I am one of the personal assistants here.” She smiles at me and holds her hand out for me to shake.
“That would be great, thank you.”
Thirty minutes pass by and Edele has helped me choose ten dresses to try on. Edele actually picked out most of them. She clearly knows what she is doing as I like each and every one of them.
I pass Jake as I walk into the changing rooms and give him a smile. He is busy talking on his mobile phone, but he still smiles back at me.
I enter a changing cubicle which is massive, and even has a plush armchair in the corner. Mirrors adorn each wall of the cubicle and the lighting is subtle. It is a vast difference from the harsh, bright lights of the high street changing rooms.
“If you need any help getting into any of the dresses then there is a bell you can press, just by the mirror there,” Edele says as she points to the button. “I will only be outside the changing rooms anyway.”
I thank her, and she draws a deep, purple velvet curtain across the cubicle so that I have some privacy. I eye each dress and pick the first one that I want to try on. It is a floor length, halter-neck, red dress. It is lovely, but it isn’t really fitting my figure the way in which I would like it to. I take the dress off and try on a further three before deciding that those aren’t right either.
I want a dress that is going to blow Jake’s mind. Just because we are friends doesn’t mean that I can’t make myself look as good as possible around him.
The fifth dress I decide to try on is one of the dresses that I picked out myself. It is gorgeous. It is a floor length, strapless navy blue, silk gown with a thigh high slit. It is simple and made of the softest material. I slip it on, do up the side zip and gasp as I look at myself in the mirror. The dress hugs my body in all the right places, and it compliments my blue eyes.
I press the button to call Edele in to see what her opinion is, drawing back the curtain and waiting for her. She appears seconds later and gasps when she sees me.<
br />
“Oh my, that dress is perfect. It fits you like a glove, and it looks like it was made for you,” she says.
“Thanks, Edele. I like this one too.” I am so pleased to hear that Edele agrees with me about how good the dress looks. Of course she may be working on commission, but I don’t let that thought cloud my judgement of her. I twirl around and survey myself in the mirrors once more. “I don’t think that I need to try on any of the other dresses. This is the one that I want.”
“Well then, my dear, this one it shall be. It is stunning. I will have it boxed up for you once you have changed out of it,” Edele says.
“Okay.” I pull the curtain back across the changing room and I carefully take the dress off. I put my white sun-dress back on and open the curtain to hand Edele the navy blue dress. “Um, could you not let Mr Waters see it, please? He’s the guy sat in the chair out the front. I would like to keep the dress a surprise until I wear it.”
“Of course. If I may say so, he isn’t going to know what’s hit him when he sees you in this.” Edele takes the dress and I smile at her compliment. Edele then exits the changing rooms, and I slip my sandals back on, leaving the other dresses where they are.
I exit the changing rooms to see that Jake is now tapping away on his iPad. He looks up at me as I approach him.
“Have you chosen a dress?” he asks, looking to my hands and finding them empty.
“I sure have,” I say grinning.
“Well, that didn’t take as long as I thought it was going to. Where is it?”
“Edele is packing it for me.”
“Do I not get to see it?”
“Nope. You will just have to wait until tonight.” I feel a little bit of excitement at the suspense of making him wait.
“That’s not fair.” He pouts playfully.
“You surprised me with a shopping trip, and now I get to surprise you with what dress I have chosen.” I can’t wait for him to see it. I hope it does the trick and accomplishes blowing Jake’s mind.
The Complete Perfect Series Page 15