On Friday morning there was another rose on her desk and a note which Maddie tore open, not even taking the time to set down her briefcase.
M-
I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe you were onto
something with the whole time/space thing...
Don't get me wrong—I had to physically restrain myself from calling you last night—
but slowing down and thinking has made me realize some things...
Good things, important things that I'll tell you about in person tomorrow night.
I hope you're thinking good things too, but I have to say,
I'm a little nervous about what might be going through your head right now...
Anyway, here's a little sneek-peek of what's going through mine:
I've never felt this way before, Maddie...
You've turned me inside out and upside down,
and I am over the moon, out of my head, crazy about you.
Love,
D
Maddie dropped into her chair and read the note again, and then again, her heart beating a little faster each time.
She was becoming more and more clear on the fact that she thrived on the banter and the challenge and the humor that David brought to her life.
But when he was open and transparent like this it left her breathless: his vulnerability was the one thing that knocked down all of her defenses.
She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.
D-
I've realized some important things too in the last couple of days...
Like the fact that waking up and knowing I won't see you all day
makes it a little bit harder to get up and go,
That the hours seem to drag when you're not around,
That many of my thoughts begin with,
"I can't wait to tell David this..."
She took a deep breath and struggled with whether to leave it was is or tell the truth. She put the pen to the paper and wrote:
And that I've never felt this way before either...
Love,
M
On Saturday morning she came downstairs to find a rainbow of seven helium balloons on her coffee table. She smiled, puzzled. Clearly he'd broken in while she was sleeping. But balloons? She picked up the card and ripped it open.
M—
Do you have any idea how hard it was to break into your house and not come up to your bedroom?
I hope I'm getting major points here for self-restraint.
Alright, alright, I admit it, I did get all the way to the top of the stairs, but I came right back down.
Cross my heart.
Somehow I don't think that my sneaking into your bed
in the wee hours of the morning would fit your idea of standard, first date protocol.
I, on the other hand, can think of no better way to start the day...
(or end the day, as the case may be...)
You're probably wondering about the balloons...just a little clue about tonight.
And you'll be shocked to know that the dress code is not, in fact, casual.
Did I forget to mention that?
Black tie with one caveat: don't wear a dress that is longer than knee-length.
Yes, part of the reason is that you have great gams;
the rest of the explanation I cannot divulge at this time.
To say that I'm looking forward to tonight would be a huge understatement.
I never knew how much I could miss someone in just two days.
(Has it only been two days?)
Love,
D
She sighed and sunk into the couch. She was embarrassed to admit how welcome he would have been in her bed this morning...still she was grateful that he was doing this the way she'd asked—a real first date, a fresh start...
She skimmed the card again. Balloons as a clue...she could only think of the circus or a birthday party...and a black tie knee length dress?
Oh my god...
She'd been so sure the date was going to be casual that she had gone shopping for the wrong outfit! Hadn't he said casual? She was sure he had, he even made a point about not wanting to rent a tux...She wanted to wear something new, something he'd never seen before, and she'd found the perfect thing for an easy, casual date, but black tie? And knee-length for god's sake? Everything she had was old and horrible or he'd already seen it.
She stomped up the stairs to survey her closet but knew already that she wouldn't find anything good enough. He had a lot of nerve, waiting until the last minute to spring this on her. Did the man know nothing about women?
She was on her way to full blown fury when it occurred to her why she was so upset...she wanted to blow his mind when she opened the door tonight. And then she realized that it probably didn't really matter if she wore a new dress, or if her makeup and hair were perfect. David had seen all the sides of her, including her worst, and he accepted her, loved her anyway. She felt her irritation fade to be replaced by a rush of warmth.
But she was still going shopping.
She headed to the kitchen to make coffee. A bouquet of two-dozen red roses sat on the table and she gasped in surprise. A small pink box sat next to the vase. She opened it to find a croissant and another note that said:
I was up at the crack of dawn, so figured I'd stop by the bakery.
Now go look in your coat closet.
Feeling like a kid on an Easter egg hunt, she ran to her closet and flung it open to find a garment bag with another note pinned to it.
i bet you were steaming when you thought I changed
the dress code on you at the last minute...
Come on, I know you better than that, Blondie.
I saw this in a store window about a month ago and thought of you.
Couldn't figure out an excuse to buy it for you at the time
without seeming weird or presumptuous.
(is this weird or presumptuous?
Cause I''m really going for suave and romantic, but
I'm not sure, i've never done anything like this for a woman before...)
Anyway, I hope you like it.
She unzipped the bag to find a vintage black halter dress with a fitted bodice and a slightly flared knee-length skirt. She ran her hand over the silk—the fabric was beautiful and it was her size...
She sprinted up the stairs with the dress and put it on. It was very retro, very 1940s and it fit her like a glove. It didn't skimp on cleavage, but wasn't too much, either. It was tasteful, elegant, sexy—and something she would have picked out herself. She absolutely loved it.
She felt a tingle that started at the top of her head and vibrated all through her body. No, she thought, Not weird or presumptuous. Definitely romantic. David had listened to her idea of a real date, had remembered that she wanted to be wooed and courted with some planning and consideration. And so far he was exceeding her hopes and expectations by a long shot.
She twirled around once, just to see the dress flare in the three-way mirror. She felt dizzy and young, like she was on her way to her first prom—high on anticipation and lust and the future. And David.
David and the future. She unzipped the dress and hung it up carefully. Those two words seemed to be fitting together better and better.
David pulled out his checklist and went over it one more time. Car—check, clothes—check, Scotty—check, Smokey and Duke—check. He'd covered everything ten times over, but still couldn't shake a nagging feeling of insecurity...
What if she didn't like it?
She said this wasn't a test, and maybe she didn't mean for it to be, but if the past couple of days had done nothing else, they had driven home the point that he wanted—needed—Maddie to see the light, to know that they belonged together. He couldn't lose her, not now, not when they'd come so far and he'd had a glimpse of how good they could be.
He raked his hands through his hair and checked his watch. Four-thirty. There was no time to start doubting the plan now. At the very least, she would have to be impressed by the effort he'd put into it. It was the thought that counted, and all that.
He took one last look in the mirror. His stomach did a double flip and he tried to calm himself down. It's just a date Dave, take it easy...
But there was no way to fool himself—this was so much more than a date. This was his chance, maybe his only chance to prove to the woman he loved that they belonged together, that their differences could be a good thing and that they had more in common than she realized.
He grabbed his bag, walked out the door, then reentered five seconds later. He almost forgot the tunes for the car. He grabbed the mix-tape off the counter and put it in the bag, humming "Blue Moon" as he locked the door.