𝑺 𝑬 𝑹 𝑬 𝑵 𝑰 𝑻 𝒀 (18+)

twenty-one

                         S E R E N I T Y

                                          ♥

I had plenty of expectations for that night. I expected Noah to come to pick me up in a black town car. Expected him to be dressed in black and smell of Tom Ford cologne. Expected him to introduce me as his assistant, and guide me through the room with a gentle hand on my back. I had even expected us to be photographed together, the article defining us as a boss and his employee.

What I didn't expect was for him to buy me a dress and have it delivered to my home with a note attached to it. It was a big black box with an even bigger white bow. I brought it into my house and placed it on my kitchen island, carefully uniting the knot. That was when I saw the note slip out from under the ribbon.

The front of it read Noah.

Dear Serenity,

I know you probably have an assortment of decedent dresses just waiting to be worn. While I'm sure they are lovely, this one was just too exquisite to not be worn by you. Consider it a thank you.

                                                                      Signed,
                                                                        Noah.

I sat the note down on the countertop and carefully pulled the dress out of the box. It was a champagne-tinted satin dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves. The cut of the dress was balconette to enhance the bust while the torso was similar to a corset. It was as if he'd taken a peek into my wardrobe. My eyes dropped to the slit at the leg, the last requirement in the Serenity Taylor fashion handbook. I quickly ran up the stairs to hang the dress up on my door, admiring it before I hopped in the shower.

The event I was attending was a party that honored Seattle's most successful businessmen. It was another opportunity for people with corporate lives to feel like celebrities when they were nothing of the sort. My mother called me bitter for rarely attending the event when my father was invited but I had to disagree. Success should be praised, by all means, celebrate your victories. But something about congratulating a room full of men never sat right with me.

"I'm getting dressed, can't we just talk when I'm there?" I winced at the sound of my mother's scolding. This time it was about my attire and remaining, modest.

"Thank you for insulting me nicely. Noah actually gifted me a dress so I'll be wearing that tonight." I could practically hear the smirk on her face. "Noah? Oh my, I have to thank him!"

"Why are you thanking him?" I sneered.

"Sweetheart I have to go, your father just put on this awful tie."

"Wait mom–" She hung up before I could finish my sentence.

I sat my phone aside and looked at my reflection in the mirror. The dress fit like a glove and the color suited me well. Noah could be quite the stylist when he wanted to be. I put on my usual jewelry and slicked my hair into a middle part to make a low ponytail. To cover the hair tie, I wrapped a piece of hair around it and tucked a bobby pin inside to secure it.

Noah arrived at my house at seven-thirty on the dot. I had just finished the final touches on my hair when I heard my doorbell ring twice. "Coming!" I yelled while walking down the steps. Rule one of wearing heels? Never run downstairs in them. I opened the door and there he was dressed in his black suit with his Tom Ford cologne, and a parked black town car behind him. He shook his head and whistled, putting out a hand to help me down the steps.