Page 60 of The One Timer

“I’m a little concerned about your blood pressure. It’s high again.”

“Don’t you worry. I’m sure it’s leftover from the excitement of last night.”

Letting it go, I nod, glad it’s time for me to go because I’m beat. I excuse myself and get the dress—the Cinderella ball gown—from the guest room closet it and box it back up in the fancy box it came in, marked with the large glossy red flourish of EL. I bring it down to the library and I’m not sure what to do with it, so I place it on the coffee table in front of the couch where Mrs. W sits with her book.

“What’s this, dear?”

“It’s the dress.” I rush my words. “I took care of it last night. There’s not even one wrinkle. Maybe you can return it.”

Mrs. W studies me for a beat, then shakes her head. “No. This dress is yours. It’s a gift.”

Shit. Now I feel like a jerk, for rejecting her beautiful gift.

I shift on my feet and have no idea what to say because it’s too much, more than anyone’s given me in… too long to remember.”

She reaches for my hand and pulls me to sit next to her. “Sit. We both agree—along with everyone at the gala who saw you, including Chase—that you look beautiful in that dress. It’s yours. You own it. You’re the only one who can wear it. No one else would dare wear it now that you’ve been seen in it.”

I nod, trying to hide the fact that I’m tearing up because it’s so embarrassing. I should be gracious. Taking a deep breath I smile with all the love I have in me for this woman who’s supposed to be my boss. “Thank you.”

“If you didn’t have such a wonderful career as a gifted nurse ahead of you, I’d tell you to pursue fashion modeling.”

“You can’t be serious? Maybe I should check your temperature because I think you could be feverish.”

Mrs. W. laughs and let’s go of my hand as I stand from the couch. “Don’t hide yourself from life and don’t hide from yourself under the cloud of past difficulties. You have so much to offer the world, and to those people you choose to share yourself with, like me—and Chase. We are the lucky ones.”

“That’s…” I sniff and swipe at another tear as emotions overwhelm me. “That’s the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me, Mrs. W.”

“Oh, nonsense. I bet you’ve heard some admiring words from young men over the years. And I bet your mother told you how beautiful you are.”

I nod, not willing to admit that mom never said such things and was not as eloquently as her. Mom wasn’t that way. She held back in her words even as she supported me and encouraged me to become independent. Insisted I should, and knew I could.

Without thinking, I bend close and wrap my arms around the older woman in a hug. It’s not the first time I’ve hugged her, but it’s heartfelt and somehow makes me feel closer. She hugs me back and when I straighten, I refuse to blush even though I’ve smashed the rules on professional distance to smithereens.

“School starts on Monday, so I’ll be back to my split schedule, here in the morning and in between classes and my final internship. One more semester and I graduate.”

“Tell Aunt Bea I said hello.” She winks.

When I get back to my Aunts, I tuck the box away and collapse on the couch, ready to sleep until my aunt and cousins get back from wherever they are.

But I can’t sleep because my mind spins. My last semester starts tomorrow and I should feel more excited about graduating and going out on my own, but it’s a great big unknown and hard to believe. I’m determined though. I will make my mom proud.

I eventually doze off and wake when I hear a door slam. My family comes in with questions and a carton of Chinese food.

“We brought you the left-over rice,” Penny says. They pepper me with questions about last night and where I’ve been. Penny goes on about how much fun the ball was but Petra comments about how she I ignored them and chose to dance with that man—meaning Chase, the most eligible bachelor there. “It’s not like you have a snowball’s chance in hell of catching him.”

“Of course she can,” Aunt Bea says, surprising me. “She has an in with his grandmother. I think she’s in favor of the match.” Aunt Bea nods knowingly. We’ve agreed not to mention her visit with Mrs. W to Petra and Penny. She doesn’t want to make them jealous or hurt their feelings, and the comment raises suspicion.

“How do you know?”

“It’s obvious—don’t you question me.” She’s flustered because she’s used to saying whatever’s in her head without thought.

“All I know,” Petra says, “is that you hardly said hello to us and stayed cozy with the big shots all night.”

“I told you—I was working. I was there as Mrs. Whittier’s companion.”

She sniffs, “Is that what you call it? Were you weren’t playing companion with Chase, too? You monopolized him all night and never introduced us.”

“It wasn’t all night. One, maybe two dances.” I hope my flush of guilt doesn’t show because she’s right. I should have introduced them. And I definitely shouldn’t have allowed him to sweep me away the way he did.