Chapter 11 – Wanted
And its hard to breathe, and every other time is just a memory, cus I only wanna be wanted by you – Jessie James
"Thanks so much for doing this Rose," Carson squealed excitedly as she walked down the street with Rosalie…well it was almost like skipping with all the energy that girl had.
Rosalie agreed to take the teenager shopping to find the best dress in the city for her winter formal.
"Of course," Rosalie said as she tugged open the glass door of Barneys. She loved shopping, especially for other people.
When the ladies walked through the double doors, Carson's eyes instantly wondered over to the new line of Alice + Olivia clutches.
NO! Bad! Distraction!
"Carson, common," Rosalie said practically dragging her up the stairs. "Emmett will kill me if I keep you out too late on a school night. We have so much shopping to do….distractions are bad with a capital B."
"Pul-ease! He would so nawt kill you," she said disagreeing. When they got to the formal women's section Rosalie thought she heard Carson mumble under her breath "He's in love with you…"
What ifs ran through her head faster than middle age moms with coupons during Black Friday.
Shaking the thought from her already stuffed brain, Rosalie scanned over the racks of designer clothes.
"Looking for me Rosie," said a very high voice from behind the girls. Turning quickly on her rounded nude pumps, Rosalie came face to face with her favorite Hermes scarf wearing assistant. "Oh honey Dior was made for you!"
"Thanks Riche," she said smiling as she ran her moisturized hand over the burgundy rap dress that was underneath her dark tan peacoat.
"Riche this is the beautiful young lady I was telling you about," Rosalie said gesturing to her left where Carson stood.
"Carson, I'd like to introduce you to one of the best personal shoppers in the city…Riche Warner."
Carson was smiling politely and was about to put her hand out for him to shake when he leaned in to give her a quick double kiss.
"Oh I'm going to find you a dress so gorgeous that boy will not know what hit him. You are going to look smokin'" he said as jumped in between the girls and put his elbows out so they could all link arms.
"Not too smoking Riche, she's got an older brother," Rosalie said with a giggle as they strutted down the hallway.
"Wait he didn't take my sizes," Carson said, her waxed brow scrunched in confusion as Riche disappeared into the various collections.
"Oh he knows just by glancing at you…that's why he's the best," Rosalie said smiling. "He'll be back with a rack full of chooses for you in less than five minutes."
"You know, this was something my mom and I always talked about…my winter formal," the little girl said looking up a Rosalie after a period of silence.
Looking up with those ice blue eyes…Emmett's eyes.
Gosh she missed him more than her BCBG espadrilles that were stashed away in the 'Summer Only' box. Jeez what was it one day since she had seen him?
But you know what was really sad? Like more sad than Lindsay Lohan thinking she had a modeling career. Well it was that on her quarterly self review sheet, she had actually written…drum roll please…Rosalie McCarthy.
"I'm sorry Carson," Rosalie said softly. Her heart went out to the little girl; Rosalie would never be able to handle loosing her mother.
"It's okay," she said, her eyes filling with sorrow. "It was hard but – but I had Emmett so…"
"…Hey tell me about this lucky x 10 guy," she said quickly trying to distract her. She couldn't stand Carson being sad, that was just something that was not going to happen.
"Ehmygosh Rose he's so hawt," she squealed bouncing on her Lauren Moffatt kitten heels as they walked across the light colored carpet into the posh cream colored dressing rooms.
Mission accomplished.
"His name is Anthony Moretii. He has this wavy dark brown hair and these hazel eyes that are like a mix of green and brown. His parents are from Italy so he has that dark olively complexion. He plays lacrosse on the varsity team…and the varsity team is really good, like really. And he doesn't do drugs like all the other lacrosse players; he thinks that stuff is stupid. Oh and he's in my grade, so Emmett won't freak out. And you know what he told me yesterday? He said that he thought I was really pretty! Can you believe that?! And he carried my pre-cal book for me the other day…"
"Oh and you know how I do ballet? Well he came to my recital and told me that I was really good. And my best friend Jordan, her boyfriend Gabe is best friends with Anthony, see they both play on the team together and after one of the games, you know in the locker room…well she said, that he said, that one of the juniors said he thought I was hot or something and that Anthony got really mad at him,"
"Do you think he likes me or I'm I being as dumb as Vanessa on Gossip Girl? Oh Rose you have to tell me, tell me, tell me!"
"Okay first sit down or you'll break a heel," she said pushing the bouncing girl down on the long chocolate brown rectangular ottoman.
"Second, how many cups of coffee did you drink before you came here? And third, you could never be dumber than V. Of course he likes you! Why would he ask you to the formal if he didn't?"
"Yeah but I just – ughhh are guys always this confusing?" she said dramatically throwing her head back.
"Yes…always," Rosalie said thinking about her intensely increasing feelings for Emmett.
Thankfully before Carson could ask any questions Riche ran into the dressing room with a long metal rack filled with various colors and lengths.
"Okay little C, I'm going to call you little C okay?" not waiting for a conformation, Riche continued, "So Rosie here told me your favorite color was purple, and I know you aaaa-dore Mr. Posen's work, so I pulled some of that as well..."
After numerous dress changes, the three were mentally spent. The dresses had to pass about half a dozen requirements…
1) has to be a 10 in Carson's eyes
2) has to have blue in it (Anthony was wearing a light blue tie)
3) can't have obnoxious Cruella De Vil – esk spots anywhere
4) can't have tulle
5) can't go above a certain point on her leg (Headmaster Carlton's requirement, nawt Carson's)
6) has to pass the older brother length test
"Wait Little C," Riche said throwing his arms out like he was trying to stop a car and then running out the room yelling over his shoulder. "How could I forget…I have the most perfect Elle Moss!"
Riche was correct, no surprise there.
The dress was strapless and hugged Carson's double zero sized body...
no tulle √
The topaz colored dress accentuated her piercing eyes while small amounts of cream lace weaved through the bodice...
blue / no spots √
The hem tapered in just above her knees, pencil skirt – like...
headmaster / brother length √
Barneys would not sell the dress to anyone else that attended Dalton Prep and she found a pair of four inch strapy silver Blanics that matched perfectly...
needless to say - 10 √√√
Thanksgiving Day: a harvest festival, a time to give thanks, a time to express gratitude.
Rosalie had not been raised spoiled, none of the girls had. They understood how well off their families were, but never took advantage of the wealth that was attached to the name.
Of course they had all been debutants at their catilions. Their ancestors came over on the Mayflower. They had family property in the Hamptons, in Europe. Their families members attended the prepatory schools which lead to the Ivies; Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Yale, Harverd, Princton, Brown, Penn.
They had their favorite designers. Their Chanel, D&G, Dior, Fendi…
During this holiday especially Rosalie always gave her thanks. Not just for her education, or for a closet anyone would kill for.
As much as she adored the material things, there were more important things to be thankful for, at least for this year there was.
Like the fabulous Whitney Port once said, "Clothes are just clothes, shoes just shoes."
So instead, Rosalie prayed for her family, for her success and for a special little girl and her older brother.
Nine to five…yeah right. Try five thirty to seven.
You ask why Rosalie would submit herself to such harsh work hours.
Well she had two meetings and three reports due…gotta love Fridays right?
After slipping on her black Burberry knee length pea coat, Rosalie hung her bowler bag in the creveas of her elbow and stepped out of her building.
While trying to pick up her exhausted black rounded five inch Mui Mui pumped feet, Rosalie braced herself for the almost snow and hailed a taxi down.
Her black LBD tights protected her legs from the oncoming blizzard that was suppose to hit the city in the next two days. The streets were already starting to get icy.
As she leaned down to settle into the taxi, she felt a small vibration from her IPhone.
Cars is freaking out. I need you
Please, please come
-Emmett
Not thinking twice, Rosalie called out the intersection of the McCarthy penthouse and held onto her seatbelt for dear life as the cab zoomed through the slippery streets.
After pounding on the front door, Rosalie tightened the ultra thin black leather belt that synched in her gray long-sleeved turtleneck Dior sweater dress and waited already knowing what to expect.
It was the night of Carson's formal and no mater how much you tried to prevent and plan…something always went wrong.
"Thank you **kiss** so **kiss** much," Emmett said in between kisses as he opened the door.
"What's wrong?" Rosalie asked after gaining back her balance from Emmett's touch.
"I don't know…I think its about her hair or something," he said as she flung her coat and purse on the couch and followed Emmett up the stairs (unintentionally getting a very good view of a certain backside part of him.)
"Oh crap…okay I'm going to need a wet washcloth, a bottle of water and a cereal bar or something m'kay?" she said remembering her mom's old teachings.
"What?" Emmett said stopping in his tracks on the stairs and turning to laugh at her. His annoyingly cute dimples that were even more pronounced when he smiled made Rosalie's heart speed. He was just so cute…in a hot way.
"She is going to have mascara running down her cheeks because she will be crying. She won't have that much water in her system and I'm 100% sure she hasn't been able to get anything down her stomach all day because of nerves. Listen to me now, or get out of the way so I can be superwoman!" she yelled stomping her heel and putting her hands on her hips. Rosalie got a little crabby when she was sleep deprived.
"You know you're really hot when you get angry," he said leaning down to her level on the stair to wrap his arm around her waist.
Rosalie started to forget why she was there when he started kissing the pulse point on her neck right where the soft fabric ended, probably leaving a mark.
Oh focus Rose!
"Do you want me to save that day or not?" she asked rhetorically when she finally got enough strength to pull away from him.
"Cars why are you freaking," Rosalie asked as she opened the bedroom door.
"Ehmygosh Rose! What kind of stinking hair dresser goes into labor the night of her most expensive client's winter formal?! I – I don't know what to do with my stupid hair and – and Anthony is going to be here in an hour!" she wailed. As Rosalie suspected, Carson was still in her C&C silk purple robe with mascara boogies falling from her eyes.
"Hello? I'm here to save the day aren't I?"
True to her word, Rosalie artfully weaved three Lauren Conrad styled braids into Carson's sleek side pony. The curled ends of the pony gave her an edge of sophistication while her wavy overgrown side bangs said "I'm fifteen and look hotter than Miley and Selena combined."
"Em, just be nice okay," Rosalie said rubbing her hand up Emmett's his arm trying to south him. Carson was putting on her final touches and her date was suppose to pick her up in five minutes.
Rosalie still couldn't believe their father wasn't even home. Of course Emmett would have been there regardless, but scarring the crap out of their only daughter's first date was just something fathers were supposed to do.
Despite creating one of the most successful law firms in the city, Rosalie's father had always managed to make it to her birthday parties, to help her with her government projects. If Rosalie ever came face to face with Mr. McCarthy she would have to have some words with him.
"Try not to make the kid pee his pants. Carson really likes him," she pointed out as he knotted his hands on her lower back, pulling her so close she could feel his breath on her face. Resting her head on her on his chest, she felt her Clinique covered eyelids droop slightly, almost closing.
"I'm sorry you had to come straight from work, I just really needed your help baby," he mumbled kissing her lavender scented hair that was pulled back into a high pony.
"Don't be so-rry," she said letting out a yawn. "I'm superwoman remem-ber?"
The two heard the doorbell ring as he let out a slight chuckle from her statement.
"I'm here…Ohmygosh Rose, Em rate me fast," Carson said running down the stairs.
"Ten duh," Rosalie said smiling. She had a natural healthy beauty thing going. As apart of her 'final touches,'she had another coat of mascara to her long lashes and a slight dusting of bronzer to the apples of her cheeks.
"Cars, you look really pretty," Emmett said smiling at his one and only sister.
"Wait…What the heck are you doing down here Carson?" Rosalie asked. "You don't want him to think you're waiting for him. Here go back up stairs with me m'kay?"
"Oh right, I forgot. My B Rose," she said running back up the stairs. Before turning to follow Carson, Rosalie shot a warning glance towards Emmett.
"Do you think he's being nice?" Carson asked after thirty seconds of pacing in her bedroom and twirling her small diamond Tiffany & Co. chandelier drop earrings nervously.
"I'll just go down and call for you in a second," Rosalie said getting off from her white Ralph at Home desk chair.
"Fine but pul-ease hurry. I don't think my stomach can take much more waiting," she pleaded.
Laughing at Carson's lack of patients, Rosalie walked down the stairs to see Emmett sitting across from a younger guy on their couch. Emmett had a smile on his face, so he probably wasn't scaring the kid that much.
They must have heard the clacking of her heels on the hardwood stairs because both of them turned to look in her direction.
"Hey, I'm Rose," she said when he reached them. Carson really had described him to a T. Rosalie automatically like him because he didn't do that weird twitch thing guys did to get their hair out of their eyes.
"Anthony, nice to meet you. Carson told me about you," he said standing up and smiling politely. He was about half a head shorter than Emmett. Rosalie didn't miss how his eyes drifted off to the stairs when he said her name. Ahh…he had a little crush.
"You too. I think Carson's ready hold on a sec," she said smiling and walking back to the bottom of the stair case. "Cars you ready?"
"Yeah…coming," she said skipping down the stairs.
Rosalie walked back to Emmett so they could have their little hello moment when she saw Anthony walk over to her.
Turning her head, Rosalie saw him tell her something and seconds later her cheeks blushed a bright pink.
"Where going to go okay Em," Carson said as she slid her arms into her Black Charlotte Ronson knee length trench.
"Okay, have fun guys," he said as they walked out the door. "Oh and Moretii, remember what I tol-."
"Buy Emmett, buy Rose," Carson said quickly cutting her brother off and closing the front door.
"So…what were you two talking about?" Rosalie asked curiously as he led them to the couch.
After flicking on the TV, they sat down so that she was resting on his shoulder with her heals on the leather and his on their mahogany coffee table.
"Reasonable stuff," he said shortly picking up one of his law textbooks.
"Like…" she said playing with his hand that rested at his knee.
"Like his GPA, where he wants to go to college, how long he's liked Carson, how many goals he scores a game and I told him that if he ever hurts her I know people, who know people…see reasonable," he said smiling down at her.
"Hey, how did your presentations go?" he asked changing the subject. It made her smile that he remembered…he was perfect.
"Oh good, the CEO's like our work so…" she said closing her eyes as she heard her stomach rumble from hunger. She hadn't realized she was that hungry.
"I'm gona go down to Chang's and get us some food. My dad doesn't keep the fridge that well stocked," he said placing his book down and sliding out from under Rosalie.
"It's okay, you don't have to. The roads are slippery anyway," she said as he slipped a small pillow under her head.
"Pssh, there fine. I'll just walk. Be back in twenty babe."
The last thing she felt were his lips kissing her softly before she fell into a comforting sleep.
The ring of their house phone woke Rosalie up. Extending her arms and opening her eyes slightly, she tried to feel around for him but all she got was an empty couch.
The penthouse was dark except for the light eluminating from the TV and kitchen. He wasn't there. Where was he?
Looking at the clock she noticed she had been asleep for about thirty minutes.
Maybe there was just a long wait in the take-out line. Yeah, that was it.
"McCarthy residence," Rosalie said into the phone as she rubbed her eyes.
"Hello this is Julie Thompson from Mount Sinai Hospital. We have an Emmett McCarthy in the Emergency Unit…"
PLEASE DON'T FREAK OUT!!! I didn't kill Emmett, I promise.
The season finale of Gossip Girl is this week. Anyone else upset that Blair and Nate broke up???
As always thank you for reading
xoxo
Lex