AN: I didn't intend for this chapter to get so long, but it is. Enjoy!
After their shower, Matt and Emily rushed around his house trying to get ready. It didn't actually take Matt that long, he mostly just combed his hair and took the tags off of his new clothes. Emily, on the other hand, was frantic.
"Matt, where's your blow dryer?"
"My what?"
"You know, the thing I use to get my hair dry in the mornings. I know you have one!"
" It broke."
"What?? I have 5 minutes, my hair is dripping wet, I haven't finished putting on my make-up or my clothes and NOW you tell me the hair-dryer is broken?"
"I don't use it, I guess I never noticed that you did."
Okay, Okay, new plan. I'm gonna towel dry my hair, get dressed, finish the make-up, and then I'll see how much time I have left.
As Emily rushed around the house with a towel wrapped around her head, she put on her nylons, then the slip that she'd bought earlier in the day. She didn't normally wear a slip, but her dress was pretty slinky, and a dinner party where both the director and members of the press were expected was not the place to be clinging. Emily pulled her make-up out of Matt's medicine cabinet and began applying it as quickly as she could.
"How much time left until the car gets here?"
"Cheryl called, said they are running a little late. You've got about 10 minutes now."
"Thank you Cheryl" Emily murmured.
"What was that, Em?"
"Nothing, just glad for a few extra minutes to figure out the hair disaster. " Emily looked at her hair. The towel had done its job, taking most of the moisture. The problem was, towel dried, her hair was still wavy, not the stick straight she preferred. What to do. She knew Matt didn't have a straightener and hers hadn't migrated to his bathroom yet. She didn't have any curl-spray, so she could get the tight waves she didn't mind.
Matt came up behind her, looking at her both from behind and from the front, in the mirror.
"You look amazing. How'd you get your hair to do that?"
"Do what, Matt? This is what it looks like naturally. I'm trying to tame the beast. And I'm not dressed yet."
"You know, I don't care if you are dressed. " Matt wrapped his arms around Emily's waist, feeling the silky slip move at his touch. "Leave your hair like that. It looks soft, sexy."
"yes, because clearly the look I should be going for at a PROFESSIONAL dinner is undressed and sexy."
"It would get attention."
"And you'd be ok with that? I show up in my slip and my bedroom hair and you'd be ok with all the looks that I'd get from the other agents. 70 percent of whom are male."
"Yeah, I mean, you're going with me, so they'd all just be jealous."
"I dunno, I mean, what if I got a better offer?" She looked questioningly at her partner.
"A better...Emily!" Matt picked her up, carrying her out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. "I'll show you a better offer"
At precisely that moment, there was a knock on the door. Cheryl, Frank, Lia, Duff, and their ride had arrived. Matt ran to answer the door while Emily grabbed her dress and shoes out of the closet.
She slipped the emerald green, deep v-neck dress over her head, strapped on the shoes, and added a shamrock necklace that Matt had give her a few weeks back. Glancing in the mirror in the way to the door, she took in the overall look. She hated to admit it, but the waves around her face did look good and the color of the dress was perfect. It matched the Irish symbol Matt had given her, and the tie she'd picked out for him earlier in the day.
Meeting Matt at the door, the two walked towards the car, his hand on the small of her back. They slid into the limo, taking their seats facing Duff and Lia.
The driver shut the door and climbed back in, ready to leave Matt's house and head towards the party.
Emily leaned close to Matt, whispering in his ear "You ready to show 'em what we've got?
"You know it. Though, next time, I'm going shopping with you to find a dress."
"You don't like it, what's wrong?" Emily looked at Matt, her heart sinking a little.
"Oh no, I like it. I'm sure everyone will like it. " She looked at Matt again, noticing the way he was sending glares at Frank and Duff, neither of whom were paying much attention.
"I only care if you like it. You know that, right?"
"I love the color, the tie makes more sense now. "
"Thanks." She snuggled in closer to him, wanting to be comfortable and wanting him to know that she'd picked the dress for him. As she did so, the shamrock necklace swung, landing against his chest. Matt looked up, surprised, and noticed it's green color against his dark suit jacket. He smiled and turned to Emily again.
"It's perfect. All of it." He whispered gently to Emily, watching her light up with the compliment.
They locked themselves together, enjoying the relative calm of the ride and the chance to be together, with the their friends.
"Hey Matt?"
"Yeah, Em"
"Tomorrow, we're getting a new hair-dryer, first thing"