Second Chances

Chapter 23

We had spent the entire day lounging around, watching movies and just genuinely enjoying one anothers company. He hadn't let me lift a finger at all. If I wanted something to eat or drink, he would go get me whatever I wanted. If I wanted to change the channel on the TV, to save me from moving, he would get the remote and pass it to me. It was nice to be waited on. It was nice for someone to care for me for once, rather than me care for them. I'm always too busy worrying about other people's feelings and emotions, that I forget about my own.

Come the evening, Leon had instructed me to go get dressed up. Since I didn't pack my bags, I didn't even know if there was anything formal enough. I walked into our bedroom and was surprised to find a white dress bag laying across the bed with a folded card on top of it. My name was displayed on the front in the same beautiful calligraphy that the envelope with the Ball details had come in.

I picked the card up and opened it to see the familiar, elegant handwriting:

My Love Ava,

In the dress bag is something I would like you to wear for me tonight. Don't worry about shoes, you won't need them.

Put it on and head on over to the beach when you're ready.

You have an hour.

I love you, Leon.

With a giggle I shook my head. I turned the card over in my hand, giving it a quick inspection. The expensive material was embossed on alternating corners with elegant swirls and thick enough that is was barely bendable.

He had only given me an hour, and since my outfit was already chosen for me, it was an achievable target time. I left the dress bag untouched and turned towards the bathroom. I had a super quick shower to freshen up, avoiding getting my hair wet. There wasn't enough time to wash and dry my hair, so dry shampoo would have to suffice.

I looked at my reflection in the LED lit mirror. I couldn't help but smile at myself. I was glowing with happiness. My eyes were bright and twinkling with joy. My skin was smooth and clear with only the odd small scar courtesy of teenage acne barely visible here and there, and I had a fantastic tan developing on my skin.

I started with my hair first. I kept it simple, with some loose beachy curls. Taking a section from one side, I split it into two and twisted the sections around themselves and pinned them in the centre of my head at the back. I repeated this on the other side. Holding the two sections together, I removed the pins and secured them with a clear elastic into a ponytail. I then pulled some hair out around the front to frame my face.

Happy with my hair, I moved onto makeup. I wanted to keep it light and almost natural. My skin was looking good, so I just applied a minimal amount of concealer, more so to brighten the centre of my face slightly. I lightly bronzed my face, adding a light amount of depth the my features. Turning my attention to my eye area, I dusted a light brown shadow in my crease before applying a little black eyeliner on my top lash line, creating a thin cat eye, before coating my lashes with black mascara. Using a light hand, I filled in my brows, before moving onto my lips. I lined my lips with a brown liner then filled the rest with a slightly lighter nude.

I looked in the mirror and admired my handiwork. Pleased with the outcome, I turned back to the bedroom and headed to the bed.

I slowly pulled the zip on the dress bag down without revealing what was inside. Curiosity building with every inch of unzipping. Once the zipper was all the way at the bottom, I peeled the sides of the bag away and I gasped at the dress laid before me.

It was the dress that I had pointed out a few days ago when me and Leon had browsed the shopping district together. It was a silk blush pink coloured dress that had spaghetti straps over the shoulders. I slipped the dress on and looked in the mirror. Stopping to just above my knee, the dress was fitting, but it wasn't so tight that I couldn't move or breathe. Smoothing the fabric over my stomach, I admired how good my body looked in the dress.