CHAPTER 4
Prom Night
"Where is it?"
"I saw it on your dresser."
"Whitney, I can't find it."
Whitney walked to the dresser and picked up the lipstick.
"See, there it is."
Teresa took it from her hands and stood in front of the mirror.
"I'm really nervous about tonight Whit. I don't get it, I've known Fox all my life. It's not like I'm going out with a complete stranger or something."
"No, you're not. And you shouldn't take it as seriously as you are."
"But, Whitney..."
"Don't think about it Teresa."
She nodded and looked at the time.
"This isn't right, Fox is supposed to be here in less than half hour and I haven't put my dress on. My hair isn't cooperating today."
"Teresa, relax."
"I can't."
"I'm ready, let me do your hair. I still have a few minutes before my date arrives."
Teresa sat on the chair and let Whitney fix her hair.
*******************************
"Fox, where are you going so spiffed up?" Fox was wearing a new Armani black suit with a white shirt and a black tie. He stopped and faced him.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm taking Teresa to her prom."
"Really? I thought she didn't want to go."
"She changed her mind. I told her that I would take her."
"Oh, I see."
Fox looked at his brother puzzled.
"What's the sudden interest in Teresa anyway?"
"It's not interest, you know..I've known her since she was this high. I guess I care."
"I know that you offered to take her."
"What, did she tell you?"
"Well, Teresa and I were always very close. She tells me everything."
"Did she also tell you about the guy she was dating?"
Fox looked at him surprised. Of course Teresa had to have dated a few guys. Nonetheless, he felt a slight twitch in his heart.
"No, she didn't tell me anything. What about him?"
"He died of leukemia a year ago. She still isn't over him yet, so be nice to her."
Ethan read anger on Fox's face.
"What is that supposed to mean be nice to her. I happen to care about Teresa a lot, I would never hurt her."
"Well my brother, everyone in Harmony including Teresa knows about that nice reputation you built in Europe. Fox, you may be only 19, but you've put this family through more scandals than I care to remember. Don't try anything stupid with Teresa."
"Was she in love with him?"
"Who? The guy she was with?"
"Yes, him."
"He was her first love."
Fox looked at this watch.
"Well, look at the time...would love to stay and chat Ethan but Teresa is waiting for me."
Ethan watched him leave.
"Well, well, was this doubt I saw in your eyes, little brother?"
*****************************
She heard the knocking on the door.
"Mama, could you get that?"
A few moments later, she heard voices inside. She recognized Fox's.
"Teresa, Fox is here."
"Yes, mama, I'll be out in 2 seconds."
She glanced at her reflection in the mirror one last time and left her bedroom. She walked in the living room and stared at Fox. He stood up slowly, mesmerized by the vision he had before him. She was wearing a long lavender dress with a one shoulder strap and open on one side. For the first time, he really noticed her as a woman rather than the girl he grew up with.
"Teresa, you look absolutely wonderful. I, I...you look beautiful."
They smiled at each other.
"You look very nice too."
He approached her and put a bracelet of lilies around her wrist. He noticed her other hand and saw that she was wearing the charm bracelet he gave her.
"Shall we? The car is waiting for us."
"Yes, we shall."
He offered her his arm and she took it. The car door was opened for them and Fox helped her in before he got inside himself. The drive was silent. She was looking at him, studying him. The Fox who came back to harmony was no longer the boy or teenager she knew. He was a man.
They finally arrived at the Seascape Restaurant ballroom where the party was going to take place. She walked in holding his arm. The music was blearing. He looked at her and saw the smile she had on her face. "Are you up for a dance Nicholas?"
"It's your prom, we'll do whatever you want."
"Then let's dance the night away."
And they did. Even the slow dances when he took her against him and held her as close as he could. She would put her head on his chest or look him in the eyes.
"I like it when your hair is down. It looks nice."
"Thank you. It's not by choice, believe me. It wouldn't stay anyway I tried."
He started laughing, trying to imagine her having a fight with her hair brush.
"What are you laughing about?"
"Nothing, just a visual I had of you just now."
She pulled away from him and put her hands on her waist.
"It's not funny Nicholas. Do you know how long it took me to get ready?"
"I think it's safe to guess that it was the entire day."
He started laughing again.
"You are still the same annoying Nicholas I've always known."
"And you're still the overreacting Teresa I've always known."
This time she started laughing.
"Come here!"
He pulled her to him and they started dancing again.
***************************
They decided to walk back to the estate instead of taking the car.
"So, tell me about him Teresa."
"About who?"
"I heard that the guy you were dating died of leukemia."
"Yes, he did. It's been a year now."
"I'm sorry you had to go through this. I'm more sorry that I wasn't there for you."
"It's not like I dated him for a long time. We were together for only a couple of months."
Fox looked at her surprised. Ethan made it sound as though they were together for a very long time.
"Did you love him?"
"I cared about him a lot, but I wasn't in love with him."
"I see."
"There was always just one person in my heart."
"Who?"
"Nicholas, you should know by now that I don't kiss and tell."
"I forgot that."
"I heard about your little troubles and escapades in Europe. Any truth to that?"
"It's all true."
"I see."
They had arrived at the cottage. She opened the door, then turned to him.
"Thank you for taking me tonight. I had an amazing time. This is something I will remember for the rest of my life."
"It was my pleasure Teresa. I'm happy you had a good time."
She stood on her toes and gave him a kiss on his cheek and closed the door behind her. He stood there for a while and felt his cheek where her lips had touched it. He smiled and walked to the mansion.
"Where is it?"
"I saw it on your dresser."
"Whitney, I can't find it."
Whitney walked to the dresser and picked up the lipstick.
"See, there it is."
Teresa took it from her hands and stood in front of the mirror.
"I'm really nervous about tonight Whit. I don't get it, I've known Fox all my life. It's not like I'm going out with a complete stranger or something."
"No, you're not. And you shouldn't take it as seriously as you are."
"But, Whitney..."
"Don't think about it Teresa."
She nodded and looked at the time.
"This isn't right, Fox is supposed to be here in less than half hour and I haven't put my dress on. My hair isn't cooperating today."
"Teresa, relax."
"I can't."
"I'm ready, let me do your hair. I still have a few minutes before my date arrives."
Teresa sat on the chair and let Whitney fix her hair.
*******************************
"Fox, where are you going so spiffed up?" Fox was wearing a new Armani black suit with a white shirt and a black tie. He stopped and faced him.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm taking Teresa to her prom."
"Really? I thought she didn't want to go."
"She changed her mind. I told her that I would take her."
"Oh, I see."
Fox looked at his brother puzzled.
"What's the sudden interest in Teresa anyway?"
"It's not interest, you know..I've known her since she was this high. I guess I care."
"I know that you offered to take her."
"What, did she tell you?"
"Well, Teresa and I were always very close. She tells me everything."
"Did she also tell you about the guy she was dating?"
Fox looked at him surprised. Of course Teresa had to have dated a few guys. Nonetheless, he felt a slight twitch in his heart.
"No, she didn't tell me anything. What about him?"
"He died of leukemia a year ago. She still isn't over him yet, so be nice to her."
Ethan read anger on Fox's face.
"What is that supposed to mean be nice to her. I happen to care about Teresa a lot, I would never hurt her."
"Well my brother, everyone in Harmony including Teresa knows about that nice reputation you built in Europe. Fox, you may be only 19, but you've put this family through more scandals than I care to remember. Don't try anything stupid with Teresa."
"Was she in love with him?"
"Who? The guy she was with?"
"Yes, him."
"He was her first love."
Fox looked at this watch.
"Well, look at the time...would love to stay and chat Ethan but Teresa is waiting for me."
Ethan watched him leave.
"Well, well, was this doubt I saw in your eyes, little brother?"
*****************************
She heard the knocking on the door.
"Mama, could you get that?"
A few moments later, she heard voices inside. She recognized Fox's.
"Teresa, Fox is here."
"Yes, mama, I'll be out in 2 seconds."
She glanced at her reflection in the mirror one last time and left her bedroom. She walked in the living room and stared at Fox. He stood up slowly, mesmerized by the vision he had before him. She was wearing a long lavender dress with a one shoulder strap and open on one side. For the first time, he really noticed her as a woman rather than the girl he grew up with.
"Teresa, you look absolutely wonderful. I, I...you look beautiful."
They smiled at each other.
"You look very nice too."
He approached her and put a bracelet of lilies around her wrist. He noticed her other hand and saw that she was wearing the charm bracelet he gave her.
"Shall we? The car is waiting for us."
"Yes, we shall."
He offered her his arm and she took it. The car door was opened for them and Fox helped her in before he got inside himself. The drive was silent. She was looking at him, studying him. The Fox who came back to harmony was no longer the boy or teenager she knew. He was a man.
They finally arrived at the Seascape Restaurant ballroom where the party was going to take place. She walked in holding his arm. The music was blearing. He looked at her and saw the smile she had on her face. "Are you up for a dance Nicholas?"
"It's your prom, we'll do whatever you want."
"Then let's dance the night away."
And they did. Even the slow dances when he took her against him and held her as close as he could. She would put her head on his chest or look him in the eyes.
"I like it when your hair is down. It looks nice."
"Thank you. It's not by choice, believe me. It wouldn't stay anyway I tried."
He started laughing, trying to imagine her having a fight with her hair brush.
"What are you laughing about?"
"Nothing, just a visual I had of you just now."
She pulled away from him and put her hands on her waist.
"It's not funny Nicholas. Do you know how long it took me to get ready?"
"I think it's safe to guess that it was the entire day."
He started laughing again.
"You are still the same annoying Nicholas I've always known."
"And you're still the overreacting Teresa I've always known."
This time she started laughing.
"Come here!"
He pulled her to him and they started dancing again.
***************************
They decided to walk back to the estate instead of taking the car.
"So, tell me about him Teresa."
"About who?"
"I heard that the guy you were dating died of leukemia."
"Yes, he did. It's been a year now."
"I'm sorry you had to go through this. I'm more sorry that I wasn't there for you."
"It's not like I dated him for a long time. We were together for only a couple of months."
Fox looked at her surprised. Ethan made it sound as though they were together for a very long time.
"Did you love him?"
"I cared about him a lot, but I wasn't in love with him."
"I see."
"There was always just one person in my heart."
"Who?"
"Nicholas, you should know by now that I don't kiss and tell."
"I forgot that."
"I heard about your little troubles and escapades in Europe. Any truth to that?"
"It's all true."
"I see."
They had arrived at the cottage. She opened the door, then turned to him.
"Thank you for taking me tonight. I had an amazing time. This is something I will remember for the rest of my life."
"It was my pleasure Teresa. I'm happy you had a good time."
She stood on her toes and gave him a kiss on his cheek and closed the door behind her. He stood there for a while and felt his cheek where her lips had touched it. He smiled and walked to the mansion.