Another love story (Mads Mikkelsen)

8. Luke

 Sophie put on the radio as soon as she got home. She tidied the apartment, thinking that Mads might be visiting, his text that morning was vague and she couldn't make heads nor tails what he was planning. At seven thirty on the dot the door bell echoed through the hall.

It wasn't Mads at the door when she answered. It was a man holding a long bag which was folded in the middle so as not to drag on the floor.

“Hello?”

“Miss Hughes?” The man questioned.

“Yes?”

“Hello. I am here on request of Mr Mikkelsen. He has requested that I bring you an appropriate dress for this evening and if I may, touch up your makeup.”

“Oh. Sure. Please come in.” She opened the door wide and stepped to the side, allowing the man to step in.

“Can I hang this on your door frame miss Hughes?”

“Please call me Sophie. And of course you can. I must admit Mads hadn't told me about anything, can I ask where I am going this evening?”

“You can certainly ask, but I have strict instructions not to tell you.”

Sophie laughed.

“Oh right okay. Where do you want me?”

He smiled,

“Can I get you to please try on the dress?”

“Of course. I'll just go into my room and get changed.”

He handed her the dress.

“May I ask what your name is?”

“Luke.” He smiled.

“Thank you Luke. Right, dress.” She took the dress and disappeared into the bedroom.

She emerged five minutes later attempting to do the zip at the back.

“Allow me.” Luke suggested, stepping towards her.

The black silk dress was floor length and sleeveless, the shoulders wide, showing off her collarbone and an acceptable amount of cleavage. It was a feminine dress, classy and fit Sophie perfectly, hugging at all the right curves.

“Perfect.” Luke said, getting Sophie to spin for him, “Now I'm going to have to style that hair of yours. Have you any opposition to straighteners?”

She shook her head, her hair had always been wavy but her young teenage years had been spent straightening her hair almost every day for school.

When Luke had finished her hair and makeup- he had given her smokey eyes and a red lipstick, much better than she could ever do- she barely recognised herself. She felt like a princess. All she had to do now was choose a pair of shoes. Luke had bought a few pairs.

“Oh it's such a difficult decision. I could go with the Dune heels,” she held them close to her face, “they're stunning, elegant and easy to walk in. Or I could go for these, red ones, show a bit of colour underneath the dress.”

“How about the Dune heels? As you say they're easy to walk in and they're gorgeous with that outfit. Try them on again.”

After the decision had been made Luke gathered all his belongings and took them to his car.

He came back and helped her walk down the steps onto the road and opened the car door that had just arrived. To her disappointment Mads wasn't in the car, she would be arriving at her destination alone.

“Hello Miss Hughes, I am your driver for this evening, help yourself to champagne, we should be arriving at our destination in around half an hour.”

“And where is our destination?”

The driver didn't say another word but she saw him smiling in the mirror.

When in Rome, she thought, helping herself to the champagne.