Beautiful Dichotomy

chapter 44

"Did you get it?!" Rae asked Dahlia excitedly.

Dahlia walked out with her head hung low as she hugged herself.

"Oh... I'm so sorry-"

"Sike!" She erupted into joyous laughter and jumping, "I finally got the promotion!" Rae immediately screamed with her and joined in on the jumping. "They've literally hung this over your head for months! I'm so happy for you! You really deserve it!"

"Thank you girl!" Dahlia squeezed Rae in a tight embrace, "I gotta call Jarrod! He's gonna be so happy!" She squealed and ran towards her phone in her room.

Rae unable to stop smiling as she continued her work, genuinely happy and proud of Dahlia. They announced the open position a couple days after she got nearly blackout drunk and Samuel left her a note. A note which she, of course, kept.

It had been at least three months since then and every day, she grew more anxious at the thought of blurting out how much she loved him to his face. Every single time she saw him it got more and more difficult to keep it in. Somewhat afraid of what would happen if she just said it.

Some days, it was the only thing she thought about. What time would be right? Does Sam feel the same way? What if he doesn't? Even if he doesn't, should she just put it out there anyways?

It didn't help that she heard Gabby ask Samuel when Michael ruined an entire day. He didn't answer or address that at all when Gabby asked. It also doesn't help that she heard Jarrod say it to Dahlia last week. Dahlia did ask if they could give it more time, which he was totally fine with. He just said he wanted to put his feelings out there to let her know where his head was at.

Rae thought it was so sweet and even considered doing the same. It was brave.

Pushing all of this to the back of her mind until she finished work, she saw the text from Samuel confirming that he was still good to pick her up to meet his parents... again?

Rae ended up straightening her hair the day before. It was so long and light: she felt strange. Now in her turtleneck dress, she adjusted so the dress seemed a little longer and made sure her tights were even. Her pointed toe, black heels bringing the look together as she stared at her reflection.

She could see subtle changes in her figure as Samuel somehow managed to drag her to the gym some days.

With her middle part, she brushed her hair behind one ear and just continued to analyze herself. Blotting her lips to distribute the chapstick deciding on a natural look. She could feel how shaky and deep her breaths were. Hyper-fixating on the sound of her breathing, now stuck with the task of manually breathing as if her body doesn't do it on its own.

Her ringtone sent a full shock through her system, making her flinch before she frantically picked it up, "hello?"

"Hey, you ready? I'm at the door," Rae closed her eyes as she heard the nerves in his voice. "Oh okay. Yeah, I'm coming out now."

With each click of her heels, she was clenching a fist tighter, trying to calm her nerves. Her wave to Dahlia was short and quick, especially as she blushed from the compliments Dahlia was throwing her way, finally wishing her luck.

Opening the door, both of them simultaneously took in each others' appearance. Samuel with his hair slightly styled and brushed from his face, only one tendril hanging perfectly over his forehead towards the end of his eyebrow. His black button up shirt effortlessly rolled up on his sleeves and tucked into his slacks.

"You look beautiful," Samuel immediately had to let it out. Unable to keep from taking in her entire outfit.

"Ha, thanks," she brushed the hair back once again as it fell from behind her ear, "you look really handsome Sam." Rae responded with a nervous smile, arching her back as he reached to close her door for her. She awkwardly wiped her hands on the bottom half of her dress.