Begin Again Season Two
Episode 5: She's Got the Look
Rufus woke up with Lily in his arms, the sunlight coming through the window and hitting her hair like an angel's halo.
He gently stroked her hair, careful not to wake her. She was a pretty heavy sleeper, so he knew it was safe to stroke her hair without her waking.
He could not believe how beautiful she was, or how he got to be so lucky that they always ended up back together no matter what obstacles were thrown in their way. Now, she was going to be his wife again, and to him, that made him the luckiest man in the world.
He took her left hand in his, and examined her ring. It really did look beautiful on her finger. It was as if it was meant to be there. He also admired his work. He had cleaned it so well. One would never know where the ring had been prior to being on her finger now that he had cleaned it.
Lily started to stir. He let go of her hand, and kissed her cheek.
Slowly, her eyes fluttered open. She smiled when she saw him. "Good morning, Fiancé," she said, her voice still light with sleep.
Rufus grinned. "Good morning, my beautiful wife to be!" He leaned down and softly kissed her on the lips, his left hand entwined with her right hand.
Lily kissed his neck, then snuggled closer to him. "Mm, 'wife.' I like the sound of that," she said, still sounding tired.
"Would you like to sleep in a little longer?" Rufus then asked her. "I was thinking we could go out to breakfast and invite Chuck and Blair and Dan and Serena to tell them to the good news. We can also call up Scott, Eric, and Jenny and tell them. It's only eight o'clock though, so if you would like to sleep in more, you can."
Lily smiled at him. "That sounds like a wonderful idea!" She then placed her hands over the back of his head and kissed his lips. "But first, let's stay in bed for just a little bit longer. I want to enjoy my fiancé a little more." She began kissing down his neck, gently nipping at the skin, and leaving no question in Rufus' mind as to what she wanted from him.
Rufus smirked, and raised an eyebrow. "You didn't get enough of me last night?"
Lily took his face between her hands so that he was forced to look at her. "You should know by now, Rufus, I can never get enough of you."
Rufus' eyes lowered with love for her. "Lil..." was all he could manage to say. He kissed her, and soon, they were making love again. The truth was, he could never get enough of Lily either.
~Begin Again~
Two hours later, they were at the restaurant. Chuck and Blair had agreed to come to breakfast, as had Dan and Serena. Lily wanted to tell all her children about hers and Rufus' engagement together, so she decided that at the restaurant, they would call up Eric, Jenny, and Scott in a four-way call, and put it on speaker phone. Then, they would tell everyone at the same time.
"It's a good thing the host agreed to sit us in a private room," Rufus said as he held out Lily's chair for her.
Lily kissed his cheek, then sat down in her chair, letting him push it in for her. "Sometimes being Lily Rhodes pays off," she said.
"I guess so!" Rufus agreed. He took a seat next to her.
"I just texted both Serena and Charles to tell them where we'll be seated," Lily said as she set her cell phone down on the table.
"Good," Rufus replied. He then placed his right hand overtop of her left hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze. "So, I say we get married sooner rather than later. What do you think?"
"Well, it takes time to plan a wedding. I kind of want a big wedding this time. Last time, everything seemed to go wrong, and we had to get married in the loft. Not that it wasn't special anyway, but..." Lily trailed off.
"But you wanted it to be somewhere more romantic," Rufus finished for her.
Lily nodded. "And maybe with a pastor this time. Would it be too weird to get married in a church since this will be my seventh marriage?" Lily bit her bottom lip. "Oh gosh that makes me sound like such a... Oh I don't know the word. Like someone who doesn't take marriage seriously!"
Rufus laughed. "Well, in all fairness, one of those marriages was annulled, and that was only because your previous husband wasn't dead after all. And another one of those marriages was a repeat. This one will be too, only with a better outcome." He smiled and winked at her.
Lily smiled back. "Still..."
Rufus took her hand and kissed it. "Lil, you may have whatever kind of wedding you would like. If you want a church wedding, then you're going to have a church wedding! Who cares what people think?"
Lily rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand. "I might like to have it on the beach. I don't know. I just really want a pastor to marry us instead of someone who got the license to marry us via the internet!"
"Well, then we'll find a pastor to marry us! What season do you want to get married in?" Rufus asked next.
"I don't think I'd like a winter wedding. I was thinking maybe a June wedding. That would give us almost a year to plan." Lily looked up at him. "Is that too far away for you? We can do it in the spring if you'd rather."
Rufus shook his head. "If my baby wants a June wedding, then she's going to get a June wedding!"
Lily grinned. She then picked up her cell phone, and brought the calendar up. She scrolled until she got to June of next year. "Let's see... "How about June twenty-second? It is a Saturday, and will be right when summer starts."
"June twenty-second it is!" Rufus agreed.
Lily put down her phone. "Really? Are you sure that's okay with you?" she asked. "Because this is your wedding too. I don't want to be the one calling all the shots."
Rufus smiled at her, and gently stroked her hair. "Lil, I'm marrying you. That's all I want. That and you being happy. As long as this is the wedding of your dreams, it's the wedding of my dreams."
"Every day I find myself more and more amazed at how I managed to snag a wonderful, caring and loving man like you," Lily said to him.
"And I wonder every day how I managed to snag the most beautiful woman in the world not only on the outside, but the inside as well," Rufus responded.
"Oh, Rufus..." Lily murmured, her eyes lowered as she pulled him closer.
Rufus' eyes lowered as well, and they kissed. In fact, they were still kissing when the kids arrived.
"Ugh! Please hold off on the public displays of affection when we're trying to eat," Dan said as he held a chair out for Serena.
Serena smiled as she sat down in front of her mother. "I think it's sweet!"
"Well, I find it nauseating. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you two found your way back to each other, but I really don't care to see my father making out with anyone, let alone my mother-in-law no matter how much I love her," Dan stated as he sat next to Serena and across from Rufus.
"I agree with Dan, but that is the only time I will ever agree with him," Chuck said dryly as he sat next to Lily at the head of the table.
Blair rolled her eyes as she sat to Chuck's right, next to Serena. "Please! They're just kissing! It's not like they're having sex."
"Okay, can you please never refer to sex and my parents in the same sentence?" Dan asked.
"I'd like to be able to keep my breakfast down," Chuck added.
Dan nodded. "Exactly! Thank you."
Lily sighed. "Fine." She then grinned. "We have something exciting to tell you all after we order our meals."
Serena grinned. "I hope it's what I think it is!"
Dan smiled knowingly at Rufus, and winked at him.
Lily figured Rufus had told him he was going to propose. She wondered if Dan had told Serena, or if she was just guessing.
"I must say, it is such a relief to have you too back together. No offense, Serena, but your father is a real ass. Your mother deserves so much better," Blair stated. "Rufus isn't exactly the greatest catch, but at least he's worlds better than William."
"I don't know whether to thank you or ask you to apologize," Rufus stated.
Blair rolled her eyes, but grinned nonetheless. "I'm just kidding. Of course you're a good catch. Everyone knows you're Lily's soulmate!"
Rufus grinned, and gently squeezed Lily's hand. "That I am," he said, smiling lovingly at Lily.
Lily kissed his hand. "And I am his."
Rufus nodded his agreement, and kissed her hand again.
Lily sighed with happiness. Rufus made her world better.
The waiter came then, and they ordered their drink orders. Then, they looked over their menus, making small talk as they did.
Once the waiter came back, they ordered their breakfast. Then, once the waiter left, it was time to tell about their engagement.
"We want to call your siblings and tell them the news at the same time. We texted ahead and warned them all, so they are expecting our call," Lily explained.
"Whatever, just get on with it!" Serena said, sounding eager and excited.
So, Lily called up Eric and Jenny, and Eric called up Scott. Then, Lily pressed the conference button, and once they were all there, and it was on speaker, it was time to tell the news. She was so excited!
~Begin Again~
"Well, as you're all aware, we called you here to tell you some important news," Rufus began. He looked at Lily, and took her hand in his.
They smiled at each other and squeezed hands.
"Do you want to tell them, or should I?" he asked.
"We'll tell them together," Lily stated.
"On the count of three," Rufus instructed. "One... Two... Three!"
"We're getting married!" they said in unison.
"Yay! That is what I was hoping you'd say!" Serena said, smiling huge, and clapping her hands together with excitement.
Chuck smiled and nodded at them. "Congratulations! I know you both will be incredibly happy."
"It's about time you popped the question!" Blair said to Rufus with a smile.
Dan nodded at his father and soon-to-be stepmom. "Congratulations!" He looked at his father directly. "I'm glad she said yes."
"Me too, Son, me too!" Rufus said with a smile, and a nod back at his son.
"I hope this time it's for good. I don't want you getting my hopes up for nothing like you did last time," Scott stated.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to let him go this time! He's basically going to be my prisoner. He's sentenced to life!" Lily teased.
Scott laughed.
"Seriously though, I love your father very much, Scott. This time, I'm not going to make the same mistake of letting him go. We're going to make it work this time. I promise you," Lily assured him.
Rufus wrapped an arm around her and nodded, though Scott obviously couldn't see the gesture of affection or the nod. "She's what keeps me sane and happy. I need her as much as I need oxygen. I'm not letting her let me go this time."
"Good! It better stay that way," Scott stated.
"Don't worry, it will," Rufus assured him.
"I'm really happy for you guys. I'll admit, at one time, like any kid, I wanted my parents back together. But, Rufus, you've always been like a father to me—a better father to me than my real one. So I say go for it. I'm so excited to have you as my father again," Eric said.
Rufus felt his eyes welling up. He rarely ever got emotional, but Eric's words had touched him. "And you've always been like a son to me, Eric. I'm glad to make it official again." He meant every word.
"Jennifer, how about you, Darling? You haven't said anything," Lily then asked.
"I'm just skeptical is all. I mean, let's face it, you've been down this road before, and it didn't work out. Heck, it never works out when you two are together," Jenny stated matter-of-factly.
"I understand your concerns, Jennifer, but I promise you things are different this time. I love your father very much, and I am not going to break his heart again," Lily assured her.
"You better not, or there will be hell to pay," Jenny warned her.
"Jenny..." Rufus warned his daughter. He appreciated that his daughter was looking out for him, but at the same time, he would not tolerate her being rude to Lily.
"Look, all I'm saying is that I don't want my father getting his heart broken again." Jenny said with a sigh.
"I can assure you, that's not going to happen," Lily promised.
"Yes, the only way my heart would have been broken is if Lily hadn't agreed to marry me. Trust me, Jenny. Lily and I have had our problems in the past, but I can assure you, it's not like that any longer. I love Lily, and she loves me. We love each other enough that we overcame our problems," Rufus assured his daughter.
"Well, all right then. I really hope this time works out for you guys. However, if it doesn't, don't come crying to me. I will not support you two being together again if you break up this time," Jenny warned.
"Duly noted!" Rufus replied.
"Ditto!" Lily agreed.
"So, have you set a date yet?" Eric asked, trying to change the subject.
"Yes! June twenty-second," Rufus responded.
"I'll mark my calendar," Eric said.
"Now that we're all on the phone, I might as well tell you I have a new girlfriend. Well, we've been dating for a few months, but I really, really like her," Scott said.
"Really? That's great!" Rufus said, happy for his son. Now that he himself had found the one great love of his life, he wanted the same for all of his children. "What's her name?"
"Veronica. She's got dark, shoulder length, curly hair and tanned skin. She's half Italian, half Brazilian. She's so beautiful," Scott said proudly.
"She sounds like she is!" Rufus said cheerily.
"How old is she?" Lily asked.
"She's twenty-five, so just a year younger than me," Scott replied. "She's so sweet! She's funny, and makes me laugh like all the time. She's such a kindhearted person. She's just amazing!" Scott cooed.
Lily smiled. "Sounds like you're in love!"
"I just might be," Scott replied.
Rufus grinned. "I'm really happy for you, Son." He took Lily's hand in his again, and gently squeezed it. "Hopefully one day you guys can end up being as happy as Lily and I are."
Lily smiled at Rufus, and Rufus felt his heart race. That was one of the biggest things he wished for his son besides his maintained good health—the kind of love he had with Lily Rhodes, soon-to-be Lily Humphrey.
~BA~
We all talked on the phone a bit longer, then our food came, and we said goodbye to Scott, Eric, and Jenny, and hung up so that we could eat our breakfast.
"Well, that turned out quite well!" I said with a happy smile before I dug into my waffles. I closed my eyes upon tasting them. "Mm, these are so good!"
Lily sighed. "I just wish Jenny was a little more excited."
"Oh, please! Don't let her get you down," Blair said, hitting the air with her hand. "Jenny's always been very dramatic. She over thinks things and has paranoid tendencies. She's skeptical of a lot of things; not just your relationship."
Serena nodded. "I hate to say this about my sister-in-law, but it's true."
Dan nodded as well. "There was a reason she was sent to live with Mom all those years ago. She can get a bit out of control."
"Still, one would think she'd have grown out of it by now," Chuck said before taking a sip of his orange juice.
I had forgiven Chuck for taking my daughter's virginity. After all, it took two for that to happen, and even though Jenny had been vulnerable, she knew darn well what she had been doing. Not to mention all of this was years ago anyway. Even so, it still bothered me a little that Chuck was criticizing her now. I knew Dan, Blair, and Serena were too, but still. Due to Chuck's and my daughter's past history, when Chuck criticized Jenny, it stung a little more than it did when the others criticized her.
I decided to just hold my tongue. "I know once she sees firsthand how happy we make each other, she'll change her mind," I said, pulling Lily close, and kissing her temple.
Lily smiled. "I hope so."
I did too. For all of our sake. The truth was, as her father, I knew how Jenny could be. I only hoped she had grown up by now. If not, well, she was just going to have to deal with it.
~Begin Again~
Breakfast had gone nicely, and then it was time to say our goodbyes.
Rufus hugged his son goodbye. "Thanks for not telling Serena," he murmured in Dan's ear. It was nice seeing her excitement.
Dan grinned. "Anytime. I'm glad you got the ring back safely." He winked at Rufus, pointed at him, and made a clicking noise with his tongue.
Rufus blushed. He was still grossed out and embarrassed by the memory of picking the ring out of the cat's turd.
"I'm totally throwing you guys an engagement party," Serena said as she hugged Lily and kissed her on the cheek.
Lily kissed her on the cheek as well, and returned the hug. "That's not necessary. I don't want to put you out."
"You wouldn't be putting me out, Mom! I am so happy for you and Rufus, and I want to do this for you. I think we should all celebrate your engagement," Serena insisted. "I won't take no for an answer."
Lily smirked. "Well, if you won't take no for an answer, then all right. That would be very nice. Thank you."
Serena pulled out her phone, and looked at her schedule. "How about we hold it the third week in August? That way, it will give me a few weeks to plan it."
"Sounds good," Lily agreed. "Let's hold it at my place. That way it can be more private than in would at a restaurant or wherever, and we'll have a lot of space. That is, if you plan on inviting a lot of people."
"Would you like a lot of people?" Serena asked.
"The more people, the more engagement gifts!" Rufus joked, coming up behind Lily, a hand placed over her back.
Lily smirked. "A medium-sized group of friend will do just fine, but don't worry if you only get a small group."
Rufus, loving to see Lily smile (even if it was just a smirk), cracked another joke. "Wouldn't that require actually having friends? I mean, we have Eleanor and Cyrus, and you have Jimmy. Big crowd!" He grinned.
Lily laughed, and playfully swatted his arm. "Oh, stop! We have more friends than that. Or at lease people to pose as friends. Not to sound vain, but I know many people would jump at the chance to attend the engagement party of Lily Rhodes."
Rufus would have gotten offended that she hadn't mentioned that it was his engagement party too. However, hew knew as well as she did that he didn't hold the same social status as she did. He was only popular by association. Even then, he didn't know if he'd call himself popular.
"It's settled then! I just put it in my calendar. We'll have the engagement party at your place on August seventeenth! It's on a Friday," Serena announced.
"Perfect!" Lily said.
Serena hugged me goodbye then. "Congratulations on the engagement, Rufus. I may have wanted my mother with my father at one time, but now I realize you're the best thing that's ever happened to her aside from her children." She grinned. "One of those children she wouldn't even have without you." She winked, still grinning.
Rufus hugged her back tightly. "Thanks, Serena. I appreciate that."
Finally, after all the goodbyes were said, Rufus headed out with Lily. "So, where to now? he asked her.
She pulled him close, and kissed him. "Shopping?" she asked hopefully.
Rufus laughed. He wrapped an arm around her. "Sure. Why not?" He figured there was no time like the present to start making his future bride happy. And, as he always said, when Lily was happy, he was happy. "Let's go."
~Begin Again~
A few days later, Lily was having lunch with Serena. Chuck had told Lily she could go home early, for there was nothing more she was needed for that day. He had kissed her cheek and told her to go call Serena and enjoy a nice lunch with her.
Lily had thought that was a wonderful idea, so had she called Serena up, who just happened to be free, and here they were!
"I want to give Rufus an amazing engagement present. I just don't know what. I suppose I could use the bracelet I got him, but I wanted to save that as a wedding gift. Though, I suppose an engagement party git would kind of fit," Lily said to her.
Serena raised an eyebrow. "What bracelet?"
Lily sighed. "Don't say anything. Nobody but the jeweler knows this, but..."
"What?" Serena asked before taking a sip of her coffee.
"Well, I had gotten tired of waiting for Rufus to propose, so I had decided to propose to him. I decided to get him an ID bracelet instead of a ring for a change. I figured it would be more manly. I had also asked him in a round about way what he would personally be more likely to where when it came to men's jewelry, and he said an ID bracelet. So, I went to the jeweler and picked out this." Lily took out the bracelet box from her purse, and handed it to Serena.
Serena cracked open the lid, and looked at it. She gasped as she picked it up and read the inscription. She looked at Lily. "Aw! Mom, this is beautiful and so romantic!"
Lily smiled. "Thanks. I was going to propose to him on the roof the night he proposed to me." At breakfast the other day, she and Rufus had told the kids all about how the engagement gone down.
"So, you had no idea he was going to propose to you, and he ended up proposing before you got the chance to," Serena said with an amused smile, figuring it out. She put the bracelet back in the box, shut the lid, then handed it back to Lily.
Lily nodded as she took it from her, and put it back in her purse. "I was just about to get it from my purse, then he called me over and proposed to me. I figured I'd save it as a wedding gift instead now. It will be romantic. We'll be married, then I'll give it to him with the promise of forever on it. Or do you think I should give it to him as an engagement gift since I was originally going to propose to him with it?"
"So, he doesn't know you were going to propose?" Serena asked.
Lily shook her head. "I didn't think there was any use in telling him. I didn't want him to feel bad. I'm glad he proposed to me instead. Truth be told, I'd rather be the one proposed to than the one to propose. I just wanted us to be engaged so badly, I was willing to sacrifice and be the proposer."
"Well, save it as a wedding gift then," Serena said. She took a bite of her panini, then grinned. "I have the perfect gift idea for you to give him as an engagement gift!"
Lily smirked, and raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?" She took a bite of her own panini. She closed her eyes and savored the taste. "Mm!"
"Well, I was thinking, since Rufus loves art and all, why don't you get a nude portrait done for him?"
Lily nearly choked on her panini. "Excuse me?"
Serena nodded. "Yes! He'll find it so hot! Just imagine, you are alone with him in the bedroom, and you give him his engagement gift. He opens it up and sees you draped on a chaise lounge chair, naked, and posed seductively. It will drive him insane!"
Lily blushed. "Oh, I don't know. Where would he put it?"
"In the bedroom of course!" Serena stated. "He's going to want you all the time when he sees that!"
"What if we get company?" Lily asked.
"If you have company and you give them your room to stay in, or if anyone has to go into your room at any time, just take the picture down, and shove it somewhere it won't be found like the closet or something," Serena said simply.
"I don't know. I'd have to think about that one," Lily said.
"You don't have to do that. It was just a suggestion. I'll help you figure something else out if you decide not to go that rout," Serena said with a smile.
Lily smiled back, the wheels turning in her head.
~BA~
All through lunch and dessert, I thought about the nude portrait. The younger me would have been all for it, but the older me had reservations. Would Rufus still want a portrait of me and my naked body when I was going on fifty years old? Gosh, fifty sounded so old! I didn't feel old though, and actually, if I did say so myself, I didn't think I looked half bad for almost fifty. I didn't have a wrinkle on my body other than a few under eye creases.
I thought of how Rufus would react upon seeing a naked portrait of me. Serena was right, he did love art! And maybe he would get a little more turned on if he saw that picture hanging in the bedroom.
I licked my lips at the thought of him being extremely in the mood as we made love. The sex might definitely increase in quality and quantity. It was already amazing as it was. Imagine if it were to get even better than that! Maybe a naked portrait wasn't such a bad idea after all...
"Where would I even get one of those done?" I asked, not really meaning to ask out loud.
Serena grinned at me, and eyebrow raised. "What? The naked portrait?"
I nodded.
Serena grinned even brighter. "Well, there's a studio I pass by every day in Brooklyn. It looks like a pretty decent place actually, for being in Brooklyn. You could go there. Why? Are you thinking about doing it?"
I sighed. "Oh, I don't know, Serena. Don't you think I'm too old?"
Serena shook her head. "You're not old, Mom. Anyway, you're only as old as you feel, or allow yourself to look. I for one think you're looking smoking for almost fifty. I hope I inherited your youthful genes!"
"I can't!" I said, shaking my head. "I can't do nude. It's just not me."
"Well, then, how about just in sexy lingerie?" Serena suggested. "That might even be better, leaving something to the imagination."
I thought about that one. Then, I smiled. "I suppose I could do that at least!"
Serena squealed, and clapped her hands together. "Perfect! Let's stop by the studio today and see when we can get you fit in."
I smirked. "You know, this is slightly disturbing that my daughter wants me to pose in lingerie if not nude for a portrait to give my husband."
Serena smirked too. "Trust me, I'm not thinking about the actual details. I'm just thinking about what you can do to make Rufus happy. I love you two together, and I really want it to work out between you two this time. You're the cutest couple ever aside form Dan and I of course." She winked.
I laughed. "Well, I appreciate your support!" I really did too. I knew there was a point in Serena's life where she had wanted me with William so badly, she had worked with him to get me away from Rufus and with William. It was so nice to see she'd grown up a little more, and was now back on Rufus' side. "All right. Let's head over to the studio and see when they can get me in."
Serena clapped her hands together and squealed once again. "Yay!"
I smiled, a little nervous. I guessed a little lingerie shopping would soon be in order. I'd have to find something ultra sexy that I thought Rufus would like on me. I made a mental note to see about getting a woman photographer, for having a strange man photograph me in my lingerie while I posed sexy would just be far too awkward.
~Begin Again~
"I don't know about this," Lily said as she and Serena walked into the studio. Now that she was actually in the studio, she was having second thoughts. "What if Rufus doesn't like it?"
Serena smirked. "He's a man, Mom. Trust me, he'll love it!"
The place looked a little old fashioned on the inside. There was an old brown couch in the lobby area. The floor was covered with brown carpet that didn't look like it had been washed in a while. Neither did the couch for that matter. The walls had orange and brown wall paper with a floral print.
"Well, this place is stuck in the seventies," Lily said under her breath.
Serena gently elbowed her and shushed her, then walked up to the reception desk with a smile.
"Hello, may I help you?" the pretty receptionist asked.
At least the receptionist looks modern, Lily thought. She was wearing a pretty red and white floral blouse with white dress pants.
"Yes, my mother here would like to make an appointment for as soon as possible to get her portrait painted. She wants to pose in her lingerie. She doesn't do nude." Serena turned around to smile and wink at Lily.
Lily blushed.
The receptionist smiled as she quickly typed on her computer. After a moment, she looked up at Serena and Lily and smiled. "You're in luck! It just so happens we have an opening today at three! We had a cancelation. Would you like to schedule it?"
Lily looked at her watch. That was in two hours. "Um, sure, I guess. I might as well do it right away before I lose my nerve."
Serena grinned. "That's the spirit!"
The receptionist smiled again. "What's your name?"
"Lily Rhodes," Lily replied.
"Soon to be Lily Humphrey! She's engaged, and wants this portrait for an engagement gift to give to her fiancé!" Serena said proudly.
"Congratulations!" the receptionist said sweetly. "I'm sure he'll just love it. I made one for my husband, and let's just say, he really enjoyed it. I was nude in it, but I'm sure lingerie will have just as good of an effect." She typed Lily's name into the computer. "After all, it leaves something to the imagination." She smiled and winked ay Lily.
"That's what I told her!" Serena said.
The receptionist grinned. "You're all set!" she then said to Lily. "I'll see you at three o'clock!"
"Will the photographer be a woman? I don't feel comfortable with a man," Lily said with a blush.
The receptionist looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, we only have a man. But, he's gay, if that helps to know."
Lily smiled slightly. "Well, it's better than a straight man!" Her smile turned into a grin. She supposed she could handle that.
"Great! We'll see you then," the receptionist, who Lily now after reading her name tag knew was named Cathy.
Lily nodded at her. "See you then."
"Bye!" Serena said with a wave and a smile to Cathy, who said goodbye in return and waved and smiled back to her.
Lily and Serena then left the studio.
"So, lingerie shopping we go?" Serena asked.
Lily nodded. "Lingerie shopping we go." She swallowed the nervous lump in her throat. She just hoped this didn't turn out to be a disaster.
"So, should we go Fredrick's of Hollywood or Victoria's Secret?" Serena asked as they hailed a cab.
Lily sighed. "Oh, I don't know. You pick."
"We'll have time to look at both. Victoria's Secret please," Serena told the cab driver once they were in the cab, and the door were shut.
"I wonder how they'll make you pose. Oo, this is going to be so much fun!" Serena said, smiling brightly, and clapping her hands together.
Lily smiled weakly back at her daughter. She wished she shared her daughter's enthusiasm. She would do this to make her daughter happy, and ultimately to make Rufus happy, but she didn't plan on having fun doing it! She guessed she'd just have to channel her inner twenty-year old. After all, she still had to be in there somewhere, right? She just hoped she found her come time for the shoot.
"Don't be nervous, Mom," Serena said as if reading her thoughts. She put hand on her mother's shoulder. "Look at it this way. At least he's just going to be taking photographs of you. He'll then paint your portrait from the photo. It's not like you're going to have to stay in that pose forever and a day while he paints you."
Lily sighed. "I know, but it's still embarrassing."
Serena laughed. "Why? You're better looking than half of New York City."
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Only half?"
Serena laughed again. "All right, you're better looking than all of New York City!"
Lily laughed. "That's better!"
She and Serena grinned at each other.
Lily was suddenly relieved. Maybe she was being uptight. Rufus thought she was hot, and her own daughter had complimented her. She could do this. She grinned. And hey, if it got the reaction from Rufus that she was hoping for, it would be well worth the uncomfortable embarrassment.