The hairdresser had piled my hair up on my head in such a way that it looked as though cascades of dark curls would fall endlessly down my back. I didn't even know how she made it look like my hair was that full and thick, but it was beautiful. My makeup was perfect, and it all accented the little black dress Owen had left at the spa for me to wear. Marissa had drooled as she looked at the designer label and threatened to steal it when I wasn't looking.
I felt like Cinderella.
"If you're Cinderella, what does that make us? The ugly stepsisters?" Allie asked, sipping on a cup of tea. I hadn't realized I had said anything out loud.
"Yeah, and we don't even get to go the ball tonight!" Marissa added with a laugh. I blushed slightly, flustered.
"Oh, hey, speaking of which, here comes Prince Charming now," Allie announced, looking out the window to the street.
I looked in the mirror just in time to see Owen sauntering up to the glass door. He was wearing a casual gray suit and looked hot enough to start a fire. He looked so hot, I was surprised that there wasn't smoke drifting off of his footsteps.
He opened the door and glanced around until he saw me. His jaw dropped a little, and even in the reflection of the mirror, I could see his pupils dilate as I stood up to greet him. I hadn't gotten a reaction quite like that in a while. It made me feel all tingly and special.
"You look spectacular," he whispered, leaning forward to kiss my cheek gently, careful not to mess up my makeup. "Not that you don't usually look amazing, but...wow."
I laughed, glad to see him a little flustered. "Thank you."
"Well, ladies, thank you for keeping my date company today. I think it's time I stole her away, though," he said, managing to regain his composure as he turned toward Allie and Marissa.
"Thank you for the invite! We had a great time," Allie answered quickly. She grinned up at him.
"You sure you don't have a brother? Maybe a cousin, even?" Marissa asked. Owen laughed. I was glad he was able to take her in stride. I loved Marissa, but she could be a bit much at first.
"You two have a great time. And remember to tell us all the good parts at work on Sunday," Marissa said with a wink. I could feel myself blush, but Owen just took my arm in his and grinned at her.
"I don't know if she'll have time to tell you all the good parts. Your shift is only twelve hours long after all." He winked at her and she lit up in a smile.
"I think you've got a keeper, Kaylee. Though, Owen, if it doesn't work out..." Marissa gave him a naughty smirk.
"Then I'll give Allie a call," he replied with a straight face. Allie snorted. He turned to me, his smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. "You ready?"
I nodded, and my friends waved goodbye as we stepped out the door. A limo pulled up to the curb as we stepped onto the sidewalk, and the driver hopped out to open the door. Owen let me slide in first, following closely behind me. The interior was warm and had romantic lighting.
"So where are we going?" I asked, excitement thrumming in my voice. This close to him, I could smell the soft scent of his cologne and his leg was warm against mine.
"You'll see. I want it to be a surprise. It's not far," he murmured as he leaned forward and kissed my cheek again.
The limo began to move. It went about three blocks before it stopped again and the driver appeared at the door. I wondered just how many miles I was going to end up going in fancy cars today. I was guessing around three.
I stepped into the darkening evening, the cold air rushing up against my bare shoulders. We were in front of the Des Moines Botanical Gardens, the big glass dome glowing slightly from an inner light. Owen stepped out of the car and immediately shrugged out o
f his jacket and draped it across my shoulders without even waiting for me to get cold. It was warm and smelled like his cologne. I took a deep breath, my insides going tingly at being wrapped in his scent. He grabbed my hand, his body heat seeping into my palm, and pulled me toward the entrance.
He led me into the big dome housing all the tropical plants. I loved to come here during the winter to take a break from the gray Iowa cold and to be surrounded by heat and tropical flowers. It was usually busy as everyone else in Iowa typically had the same idea, but tonight, we had the place to ourselves.
By the waterfall in the center of the garden, a thick blanket was spread out along the floor with a full picnic dinner. Soft lighting gave the entire area a moonlit glow, the gurgling sounds of the waterfall filling the humid air. A small arrangement of plumeria flowers sat in the center of the blanket.
"This is amazing... how did you do this?" I asked. I had never heard of anyone renting the space for a private picnic.
He shrugged and smiled. "It wasn't hard. Here, come and have some dinner."
The blanket felt soft as I knelt down on the ground, settling my skirt modestly. Owen sat down smoothly next to me, our hands close enough to touch if we wanted them to.
Owen pulled four large mugs from the basket, followed by a big red thermos and then handed me a plate wrapped in tinfoil to open. He unscrewed the thermos and poured a steaming delicious red tomato soup into two of the cups, while I unwrapped the tinfoil. Inside were perfect grilled cheese triangles. As I looked at them, I realized that they weren't just plain grilled cheese, but stuffed with bacon, avocado, and at least two different kinds of cheese.
"Emma told you grilled cheese and tomato soup is my favorite, didn't she?" I asked with a grin. He stole a sheepish grin in my direction, as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"I really wanted you to like it. What do you think?"