Ambivalently Yours

Formal

With the upcoming formal on your mind, it was hard to concentrate on classes. You kind of floated through the week, going shopping once with Rafe for jewelry and shoes (he wouldn't let you look at price tags and sent you away when it was time to check out, so you hoped you hadn't chosen anything too expensive), then you went to a mani/pedi appointment with Liz one evening after classes, and you ended the week with a Friday night in ordering pizza and watching movies with the boys at their apartment. You all wanted to save your energy for the following night.

Early the next afternoon, as you're beginning to think maybe you should go ahead and get in the shower since it was going to be a long one, Rafe calls you.

"Hey, I'm driving, that's why I called," he says, answering your question before you get the chance to ask it.

"What's up?"

"Pack a bag for tonight," he says.

"Pack a bag?" you repeat.

"I booked us a suite at the hotel where the formal is," he explains. "You mentioned the other day you were worried about your dress getting wrinkled in the Uber on the way there, so Kelce and I booked suites for the night. You can bring your dress in your garment bag, and you can get ready and change in the room. Then it'll be up to your standards."

You were equal parts touched and surprised. You'd very casually mentioned the thing about a wrinkly dress in front of him the other day. You hadn't realized he'd been paying such close attention.

"You think of everything, don't you?"

"I should add we booked separate suites," he says. "So we would be alone afterward."

"Oh, I see," you say dramatically. "The ulterior motive has been revealed."

"No ma'am, I'm a gentleman," he says, and you can picture the look on his face as he says this. "So what do you think?"

You go silent, pretending to think about it for a moment. "What are my breakfast options for tomorrow morning?"

"They serve a full breakfast in the lobby, or we can order off the room service menu," he says. "We're also going to be very close to several restaurants. You'll be fed, don't worry."

"Food is my priority," you say seriously.

"I really love the fact that I told you I got us a suite at a fancy hotel for the night and you're asking me about food," he says.

"I ask the important questions."

He laughs. "So are we staying at the hotel tonight or not?"

"Yes," you answer.

"Cool," he says, and you can hear the smile in his voice. "So I'll pick you up at like 5:00? Since you're so concerned about food, we can go eat somewhere downtown after we check in and drop our stuff in the room."

"This plan keeps getting better and better," you reply.

After saying your goodbyes, you get off the phone and head for the shower. You can hear Liz on the phone in her room, probably with Kelce, as he goes over his identical plans with her. When you emerge from the bathroom, she's in the hallway, looking slightly annoyed.

"Please tell me you didn't use all the hot water," she says, eyeballing the steam rolling out from behind you as you adjust your towel around you.

"No, you're good," you promise her. "Were you on the phone with Kelce earlier?" you ask.

"Yeah, he was telling me he got us a suite for the night," she says.

"Rafe got us one, too," you say. "It'll be nice not having to figure out how to get home."