“Sure.” I stand and tie the knot for him, making sure it’s straight. I also run my hands down the front of his jacket and over his shoulders, prolonging his exit.
“Are you sure you won’t come with me?”
“I’m sure.”
He kisses me lightly on the cheek before saying goodbye to Morgan. I jump slightly when the door closes and sigh as I sit back down.
“How come you don’t want to go?” Morgan asks, snuggling into my side.
“Who would stay with you and eat all the ice cream?”
Morgan sits up on her knees and places her hands on her hips. “Is it because you don’t have a dress to wear?”
Shaking my head, I reply, “No, your dad made sure I had a dress if I wanted to go.”
She throws her hands up in the air in very dramatic fashion and collapses onto the couch. “Mommy, you should go and be a princess for the night. My dad looks like Prince Charming and you could be his Cinderella. I can stay by myself. This place is safe compared to Grandma’s.”
She’s right, it is, but I’m not leaving her. “I want to spend the night with you.”
Morgan climbs onto my lap and places her hands on my cheeks. “But I want you to go and have a good time with my dad. Besides, if he bought you a dress, that means he wants you to be there with him.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Make it easy,” she says, shrugging. Before I can respond, she’s off my lap and running down the hall to Finn’s room. When I hear her say “Oh my god” I chase after her.
“Are these yours?” she asks as I enter the closet to find her touching the gowns.
“Yes.”
“Which one is for tonight?”
“The black one,” I tell her while pointing.
“Put it on, Mommy. I want to see you in it.”
I do as she asks because who am I to deny her anything? Once I’m in the gown and my shoes are on, she pulls me into the bathroom and sits me at the vanity. Standing behind me, she moves my hair off to the side and smiles.
“You’re beautiful.”
“So are you, little miss.”
“Please go with my dad, it’ll make him happy, and your eyes sparkle in this dress.”
She’s right, they do. I finally agree after sending a text to Lamar, letting him know I’ve changed my mind, but want to surprise Finn. He tells me he’ll arrange a car and then be right up with every Disney movie on DVD so he and Morgan can bond over animation.
Morgan helps curl and pin my hair to the side, then watches me apply my makeup. I finish just as Lamar arrives.
“Mr. McCormick will be very pleased to see you tonight, Ms. Webster.”
“Please, call me Macey.”
He nods and hands Morgan a pile of DVDs.
“Morgan, this is Lamar. Please listen to him.”
“Will do, Mommy.”
“Thank you for coming to watch her,” I tell him.
“It’s my pleasure. The car is out front and waiting.”
I thank him and hurry out of the apartment before I change my mind. As he said, the car is waiting for me and takes me immediately across town to the hotel where the event is being held. The driver follows me in, ensuring that I get into the event without any hassle and once I’m inside, my eyes scan the room looking for Finn.
As soon as I find him, everything that I thought could change tonight does, but not in the way I had hoped. Attached to his arm is Brandy, and it’s in a way that suggests that they’re more than friends. When she sees me, she smiles and says something to him that makes him nod. When she moves toward me, I know I have to get out of there.
“Macey,” she calls after me. Everything in me tells me to keep walking, but I don’t. I turn to face her. “I’m surprised Finn didn’t tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“That we’re engaged.” She flashes her ring finger with a massive diamond on it. Truthfully, it’s too big for my taste, but what the fuck do I know? I’m a stripper who got paid by her baby daddy to fuck him for a week.
“Must’ve slipped his mind after we fucked earlier,” I tell her with a slight shrug. Her mouth drops open, but closes instantly. It’s taking every power within me to keep from crying. Why would he dress me up, only to propose to her?
“Well, I’m sure now that he’s gotten you out of his system, he’ll be sending you on your way.”
“Yes, I’m sure that will be the case.”
I turn and leave, rushing out of the hotel with my dress cinched in my hands. This is the second and last time he’s made me out to be a fool. I hail a cab and reluctantly head back to his hotel, wishing I were staying someplace else. Next time he wants to see Morgan he can come pick her up or stay there while he visits. I won’t be coming back to Vegas to see him ever again.