What If Just...

26 Vivian

The working day passes unnoticed.

When Grace and I get home, Aiden is about to leave.

"Where are you going in such a hurry, dear?" his grandmother asks.

"I promised Leo to come to the club today", the young man explains reluctantly.

"Take Vivian with you - I think it might be a part of her entertainment agenda."

Aiden is clearly not very happy with the suggestion.

"She still has to get ready, and I can't stay too long", he says abruptly.

I knew that someday he would get tired of bothering with me.

"No, no, we won't take more than ten minutes from you - I'll help her," Grace assures.

"I...I don't think I should go. I've worked twelve hours and I'm really tired, to be honest. I'll just fall asleep before I reach the destination," I say, but Grace is already pulling me by the hand to the stairs.

"I don't want to hear anything. You are young and beautiful, everyone should see it. Especially you yourself."

Halfway upstairs, she remembers something and runs to her room.

"Choose a dress for now," she shouts from afar.

"And what do they usually wear to the club?" I mutter to myself.

"Girls usually wear the most uncomfortable thing they have," Aiden's voice is heard.

I quickly go upstairs and look through the clothes in the wardrobe.

I now have a lot of dresses with a challenge: short length, open shoulders, low necklines.
They are all uncomfortable to some extent.

Probably due to fatigue, my gaze is riveted by a sky-blue dress opposite to my current gloomy state.

It's slightly above the knee in length, sleeveless, with no visible cutout from above.

I'm already glad to be so lucky with the choice when I turn it over.

At the base of the neck, the dress is tied with thin strings in a bow, and below it to the middle of the back there is nothing, no fabric, which means a naked body.

I hear footsteps on the stairs and take it as a sign that I need to make a decision as soon as possible.

Eventually, I assume an open back is not the worst thing that can be, and take a steamer to quickly smooth out the creases in some places.

Grace comes in when I am struggling to tie a bow.

"Let me help, sweetheart," she offers. "I brought you my light T-straps."

I want to protest, but she doesn't let me start.

"The heels are very stable, you won't even notice the change", the woman assures with kindness.

"Thank you," I say, smiling shyly.

"You look so fresh. It's even too fresh for a club," Grace laughs. "Next time we'll have more time to prepare and I'll help you curl your hair and put on makeup," she turns me around to face her and gently touches the tip of my nose with her index finger.
We both can't help but laugh softly. "Now, go. Have fun."

I hope it hasn't been more than ten minutes, as we promised Aiden, otherwise, I have a feeling he just left without waiting.

I realize I was wrong when I see him leaning against the door frame and reading something on his phone.

I have to slow down a little on the stairs so as not to fall.

Aiden must have heard the clicking sound and directed his gaze at me.
His displeasure is replaced by...surprise?