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“That sounds wonderful. So we are actually going on a real date?” I said vibrating in his arms, causing my blanket to fall to the floor. Looking down over me, he inhales grasping my waist. “Don’t you have to go soon?” I asked as he nods with a harsh exhale helping me cover up again.

“Our first real date, so I guess I should make sure this date is perfect for you?”

“Oh no not for me, it’s your birthday.” Suddenly remembering I put my hand over my mouth and look up at him in horror.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh Sean I am so sorry, I completely forgot that it’s your birthday. I forgot to say Happy Birthday,” I said watching his smile return.

“I will forgive you this once.”

“Thank you and Happy Birthday” I said with a kiss. “I promise to do better tonight.”

“I am going to hold you to that, sweetheart.”

“
H
ello. Hello?” A voice calls out from the side entry.

“Yes,” I said running into the living room, happy to see a smiling face headed in my direction with her arms out to greet me warmly.

“You must be Ava.”

“I am and you’re Abbey?”

“Yes, it is so nice to finally meet you. I have heard so much about you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too.”

“So. You need a dress for the night?”

“Yes, I am not sure what would be appropriate though. I guess you know this restaurant that Sean is taking me to?”

“I know everything, but we don’t have much time to get done all that I want to get done.” She said taking my hand and leading me out the door. Before we make it to any type of shop, Abbey takes me to a quaint café for lunch and she does not hesitate to start asking me questions. “So you like Sean?”

“Yes, I like him.” I smile, careful not to give away too much information.

“No, you’re in love.”

“What? No I am not.”

“Please, I can read your feelings for him all over your face. Besides I think it’s a good thing.” I stare at her curiously. “Well considering how crazy he is about you. I would hate to see his heart get broken.” She looks happily at my stunned face. “Oh Ava, tell me you realize how much he loves you.”

“He loves me?”

“Oh right, I forgot how these Grant boys work. Well I will tell you then, it is hard to miss his feelings for you. You should hear the way he talks about you, how much he misses you. He might not have said it to you yet, but he is, that I am positive. He has been moping horribly for the last few weeks. That’s why I told Ethan we need to get you here somehow.”

“You told him to bring me here?” I asked.

“He certainly would have never thought of it on his own. So you’re in love with him right?”

“I think so.”

“I knew it,” she said pleased with herself.

As we eat, and talk about our men, we become fast friends. She told me about finding out that she’s pregnant a few months prior and how nervous she is about it but that she never lets onto Ethan, because he would surely become a nervous wreck. I shared more about my feelings for Sean and anything I thought important to judge his feelings for me.

After we finish our lunch, we leave for a hidden away boutique, where a small woman seeming to be in her early 70’s greets us. “Hello darling, I haven’t seen you in awhile,” she said to Abbey in a raspy German accent.

“I am sorry Greta but I can’t fit into your clothes these days,” Abbey says pulling her shirt tight to show off her small belly sticking out.

“Oh my, how wonderful! Ethan has done well.” She said jubilantly kissing Abbey on the cheek. “So then what can I do for you?”

“Well Greta, I was hoping you could help out my friend Ava here, she has a
very
important and romantic dinner tonight.”

Greta turns to me with her chin poked out and her eyes squinted with measurements running across her face as she scans over me. I gulp louder than I would have liked to. “How important and how romantic?” She asked with a fixated expression.

“Well we would like to make it hard for him to take his eyes off her but we want him to remember to breathe,” Abbey said satisfied with her explanation.

Greta grunted once before jutting off to the back of the store. “Ah! Here it is,” she yelled, as I glance over at Abbey nervously. She nods with reassurance but I am less concerned about the outfit and more so about the price, but before I can ask, Greta is back hurrying me into a dressing room and tossing me an ivory dress. I finally am able to change into it after some time trying to figure out how. I step out of the dressing room hoping I have it on right. They both smile with pride and then quickly throw shoes, underwear, and every other accessory possible at me to try on with it, until they achieve the look they are wanting. After I change back into my clothes and step out to pay, Greta hands me my entire outfit, wrapped up neatly for me. “Good luck my dear. I think you will have him right where you want him in this.” Great smiles.

“Thank you but how much …” Abbey quickly grabs my arm, pulling me away. “But I didn’t pay her for any of this.”

“She knows who you are going out with, Ava. Sean will pay for it and she will bill him happily.”

I stop abruptly, “Sean? But … no. I can’t let him do that.”

“You can and you will.” She frowns at my frustrated stare. “Fine. Then you can write him a check for it when we get back,” She said pulling out one of the tags for me to read.

“What? This was that much?” The blood begins to rush from my face.

“Ava, it is a special occasion and you’re going to look your best for him. Besides, it is his birthday and I am sure it will make his day that he could buy this for you. Trust me will you?” She insisted. “He is going to be eating out of your hands”

“He does owe me a dress, a closet full he said so I guess this would be about the same price.” I quickly glance at the other tags and nearly faint. “Or maybe not.” Abbey laughs and helps me back to the car.

I
arrive home eager to see her but she keeps me waiting until she is ready. I can hear the anxiety in her voice as she speaks through my own bedroom door. “Okay, I’m ready,” she calls out to me from the stairs. I turn and my mouth drops to the floor. She stands nervously as I gaze over her in awe and motion for her to turn for me, which she does ending it with a shy smile. Her dress is amazing, her hair hangs down her back in one big long curl and her blue eyes are sparkling with anticipation. A perfect Grecian princess, and she has me rapt.
Abbey damn you!
She knows me WAY to well.
“So what do you think?” Ava asks me, not that she should have too.

I walk towards her and take her hand, kissing it gently before looking into her awaiting eyes with a reverent smile. “You take my breath away Ava.” I said weakened by her presence. “Are you ready to go, beautiful?”

“Yes,” she said smiling as bright as I have ever seen her. Taking her politely by the hand, I lead her to my car and spend the entire drive to the restaurant smiling ridiculously.

Pulling up to the restaurant, I hand the keys to my car over to a known assistant while Ava finds her way to my side. She takes my hand helping me forget about my car that is disappearing into the night.

Leading Ava into the already open back door, “Sean, so nice to see you again and who is this?” Carlo greeted us.

“Easy Carlo, this is Ava, Ava – Carlo, an
old
family friend.”

He smirked waving me off as he takes her hand and kisses it gently, “old friend but not old.”

“Do you have everything ready for us?” I asked taking her hand away from his. “And she is my date Carlo.”

“Of course, follow me,” he laughed motioning for us to follow him up the less than impressive backstairs but when we get to the top and turn down a short hall Carlo opens the door, “please watch your step.” He helps Ava step up into the space and I watch as her eyes grow wide. It is the roof of the building and being the tallest building, in this area anyway, it is private and the view is perfect from the hill the building sits on. This secured garden area, atop the hill is where I have planned the perfect date. There are candles, delicate lighting and flowers everywhere, even a gathered bunch sitting atop a table for two. There are dozens of sunset colored, movie star roses all for her. “We received the flowers earlier and I took the liberty of putting them all in fresh vases for you, very romantic I think, yes?”

“It’s perfect,” Ava said glowing beautifully.

“Very good, I will let you get settled and be back soon to take your order,” Carlo said.

I walk Ava over to the table, holding out her chair for her before sitting myself. “Sean this is incredible, did you do this?”

“It’s our first date and it has to be perfect, right?” I asked but her lit up expression is enough to tell me all I need to know. She sits taking everything in, seemingly to notice every detail as if she is trying to memorize it to re-create it somehow when she feels the need. I begin to wonder when her last date had been. Carlo comes back to take our order and pour us some wine. Taking her hand once again, I toast to her being here, she adds to my birthday, and I add her dress with a wink. We talk endlessly, laughing about her trying to figure out the dress she has on and me screwing up my lines today by calling everyone Ava. I am surprised we have anything left to talk about but she continues. She even tells me how much she enjoyed shopping today with Abbey but she is worried about how much it cost me and offers to pay me back. “Don’t be absurd Ava, it makes my day to be able to make you this happy and to see you in this dress is payment enough.”

“Abbey said you would say that but I still feel like I owe you something.”

“Right now, with you, is all I want.” I say meaning every word.

“But I actually have something for you, well I have a birthday present for you,” she said getting up grabbing something to bring over to me.

“Ava I didn’t expect you to buy me anything. I appreciate it but …”

“Well I didn’t buy it. I mean I bought the materials to make it,” she said causing me to sit back in confusion. “When I got those pictures from Ashlen there was one picture of us that inspired me to paint again.”

“You painted something for me?” I asked excitedly.

“Well that wasn’t the initial intent but when your brother called about your birthday, I panicked because I had no idea what to get you and it seemed ridiculous to try to buy you something. So Kyle told me that I should give you the painting. I wasn’t sure at first but he insisted you would like it, but I am still not sure.”

“I’m sure I will but how did you get this here?”

“Abbey dropped it off for me,” she said as her trembling hands motion for me to open it. Laughing at her nervous impatience, I hurry through the paper and my mouth drops. Stylized in her own style, is the same picture that sits underneath her locket on my bedside table. Ava somehow was able to express the emotion and bring that moment alive - the feeling I had flawlessly painted.

“It’s not exactly the picture but my version of the picture. Rather my thoughts and feelings at that moment, so that may be why you don’t recognize it.” She said shying away from my eyes on her.

“No, I recognized it right away. Ava this is extraordinary,” I said looking over at her as a single tear strolls down her face. “Why are you crying?”

“I was scared that you wouldn’t like it.”

“Ava this is by far the best gift anyone has ever given me. I didn’t know you were so good at this.”

“I get by but I do better when I get inspired by something.”

Sitting the picture down carefully I then lean over the table and pull her face to mine, kissing the tear from her cheek and then her lips. “I love it, thank you.” Sitting back down we toast to her beautiful artwork, plane crashes and rainy islands with no room service. After we enjoy our food, I ask her to dance and she readily accepts. I guide her to a good spot pulling her in close and move effortlessly to the music, earning a kiss with every spin and a giggle with every dip but I get her laughing aloud when I sing for her. Carlo checks on us quietly, bringing us more wine and winking at me as he leaves. I have never brought a girl here before, no one has ever been important enough to me. Sinking my head down into her hair, I listen to the flowing music as I kiss and touch her every chance I can get. Feeling more pathetic with each passing second. “Ava I …” Suddenly I am interrupted by a loud crash when a man comes stumbling through the door. The intruder crouches down, slowly gathering broken pieces of dishes while making moves towards his bulging pocket. Eyeing him steadily I try to place his familiar face.
The door is clearly marked private and Carlo never allows anyone up here but himself or some special member of his staff, all of which would be well aware of that step up.
In an instant, I find myself hovering around Ava, hiding her. “Don’t speak, don’t move.” I whispered to her.

“Oh I am so sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was up here,” the intruder said eyeing Ava directly.

“I think it’s best if you go,” I said sliding my jacket off.

“Yes sir, I am so sorry to interrupt you and your … girlfriend?” He said standing rapidly and jerking out his camera, sending a barrage of flashes our way.

My reaction is quick, throwing my jacket over Ava and shielding her from him and his camera. Frustrated, the wiry kid runs out the door and out of sight.

“Who was that Sean, what’s going on?” Ava asked with a trembling voice.

“I don’t know for sure.”

Carlo runs in breathing heavily. “I am so sorry, this man bribed his way in and then found the backstairs before I could do anything. I called the police but he has already run away,” he said looking down in shame.

“You don’t have any idea who he is Carlo?” I asked.

“No, I’m sorry.”

“We need to go.” I said.

“Of course!” Carlo yelled rushing out to give orders.

I call Ethan, putting him on alert. By the time I get off the phone, Carlo has given Ava some extra food he boxed up for us, along with all of her flowers wrapped tight into a paper wrapping. She looks ridiculous trying to hold everything.