BreeTico – I love fluffy! Lol (: And I love guys with meaningful tattoos. Completely hot. Haha!

Where are you, other readers? The author in me is crying! :P

The Significance Series belongs to Shelly Crane.

20: Date Night

"That looks great on you. Seriously, you look fantastic. If you wear that, Derek's jaw is going to hit the floor." Madison assured, leaning in the open doorway of my dressing room. I stood in bare feet, picking at the vibrant orangey-yellow cloth that clung to my skin. I wasn't sure what the dress was made of, but it was completely different than anything else I owned. It was nearly skin-tight, the color of a sunset, and had a halter top – thick slices of fabric that tied around the back of my neck. The hem hit mid-thigh, and with the cinched waist and flowing skirt, it only accentuated my newer, curvier figure.

I bit down on my bottom lip and peered at myself in the mirror. I hardly had any time to get ready in the morning, so my coal black hair was piled in a messy bun and tied at the nape of my neck. I'd barely put on any makeup, either, but I looked like I did thanks to the ascension changes. In the mirror, I surveyed my legs and the chipping polish on my toenails. I could tell by the sincerity in Madison's eyes that she wasn't lying, but for the first time since ascending and regaining my hearing, I felt almost mediocre to my significant. He was so charming, so handsome, so outwardly sweet and thoughtful. I didn't know how I was going to match up to that – our first real outing together in public, where people would see us and decide on whether or not we were a couple. And even though I knew there was a slim chance of it, I was worried that Bailey or her family would catch us with our guard down, or that Xavier or my mother would see us, or that any of Derek's friends would come up to talk to him and immediately write me off as a temporary fling.

"You don't look like a girl that thinks she's drop dead gorgeous." Madison accused when I remained silent. She threw a glance over her shoulder and, without a worry over the fact that the store was filled with shoppers, called out, "Mom! Emily needs encouragement!"

I could feel my cheeks blushing; it didn't exactly look great with the sunny color of the dress. "Thanks, Madison," I hissed, my eyes shifting over the other women – and the occasional men – in the shop. Most of them had just glanced over at us, at me standing inside the dressing room, while the rest of them were completely unbothered. It still made my stomach clench with embarrassment, though. It also made me wish that I had the same self-confidence she did.

Victoria, laden down with her shopping bags, scurried across the floor of the shop and leaned against the other side of the door. "Oh, honey," she said, a smile growing bright over her face. I didn't even have the moment to be affected by the endearment, which was both warming and a little disconcerting, since it was what my mother always called me. "You look beautiful. I think that dress was made with you in mind."

"That's exactly what I told her!" Madison exclaimed. "You absolutely have to get it. You'll never forgive yourself if you don't." The words were meant to be encouraging, but the look in her eye said that she was absolutely serious. It was actually a little scary.

Twisting around, I reached for the tag that hung underneath my arm, stabbing into me. Just as my fingers took a hold of it, Madison reached out and slapped my arm away. "It doesn't matter what it costs. Can't you feel it? That dress is meant for you."

I dropped the tag, trying to figure out how to tell them that I only had so much money, and I would never truly be comfortable with the idea that Derek wanted to pay for everything. I certainly couldn't get used to the fact that his parents – or, at least, his mother and sister – wanted to buy me anything that I couldn't afford.

I also couldn't get used to the fact that these two were so into their clothes. I had always been interested in finding what fit me right and what colors looked good on me, but I wasn't much of a shopper. I only went in search for clothes when I needed them. I could tell, though, that this was a hobby of theirs, something that they wanted to share with me. The majority of me was honored that they wanted to induct me into the family so quickly, if only because Derek chose me out of a million plus girls in the world. But there was still a part of me that was a little freaked out by the intensity in which they shopped.

I turned to face the mirror, squaring my bare shoulders and narrowing my eyes at the reflection. I almost didn't recognize the girl staring back at me. I'd had a little while to get used to the ascension changes, but I was still awed by the fact that it was still me underneath it all. It almost didn't feel right. Unrealistic, somehow. But there was something eerily pretty about the girl reflected in the mirror. As I stared, I couldn't help but quirk my lips up into a tiny smile. "Okay," I agreed. "Okay, I'll buy the dress."

Madison gave a little cheer as if I'd just made the right decision for a big cornerstone of my life. Victoria grinned broadly, reaching up to push her sunglasses, which sat on top of her head, a little farther back into her hair. "Madison," she said, "go up to the check-out with Emily. I've got to go sit down on one of those benches outside. My feet are killing me."

I couldn't help but glance down at Victoria's footwear. The woman was incredibly kind and smart, with enough humor and sassiness to fit in with the Stanton family, but she also harbored a strong sense of fashion that would better fit on the streets of Paris or New York. I blinked a few times at Victoria's black stiletto boots and then looked back up at Madison. The boots were a little over the top, but she didn't look like a mom that was trying too hard. She actually looked younger, more like she could be an older sister or close friend instead of a mother.

Madison shrugged. "I told her not to wear them. But does she listen to me? No. For the sake of fashion, she said. I think she's insane." She kicked off from the dressing room doorway and said, "Go ahead and change. I'll be out here waiting. Come find me."

I heard her footsteps walking away from me as I shimmied out of the dress and back into my regular clothes. Tying the neck of the halter top around the plastic hanger, I placed it on the hook on the back of the door and picked up the price tag. I stared at it for a moment. The dress was fifty dollars. It wasn't absolutely terrible, but it lacked anything that I would think made it worth that much. As a money hoarder, I pondered on whether or not I would even spend twenty dollars on it, much less double that.

But Madison and Victoria had insisted that it was the one, and I had the feeling that they would bite my head off if I said it was too expensive. I'd already been told that price didn't matter. With a heavy sigh, I reached out for my purse and slung it over my shoulder, mentally calculating the cash I had in my wallet. I had a debit card that I hardly used – it had a good lot of money in the account, too, since I struggled to make simple price decisions and usually voted to wait until something went on sale. I could use the card if I didn't have cash.

Grabbing the dress, I laid it over my arm and unlocked the dressing room door. I could see Victoria sitting on a bench out in the middle of the mall, one stiletto boot crossed over a knee, her phone in hand, completely surrounded by shopping bags. My eyes scanned over the shop, searching for a dark, curly head of hair. Eventually I managed to catch sight of Madison over in the back corner of the shop. As if she knew I'd seen her, she looked up and met my gaze. I could see her broad smile all the way across the shop as she dropped whatever she was looking at and hurried over to meet me.

"Come on, future sister-in-law," she commanded, looping an arm through my elbow. "Mom says that we need to go get manis and pedis." As she said it, I looked down at my toes in my flip-flops, with their chipped paint. My fingernails echoed the same sentiment. Maybe a manicure/pedicure was a good idea, even though I never went to go get them because I thought they were ridiculously expensive. My mother went and got her nails done every three weeks. I still hadn't managed to figure out how she went without a bit of guilt.

"How is she going to get her toes done with those boots?" I asked.

Madison shrugged. "They give you cheap little foam flip-flops, and she can sit underneath the UV table. Anyway, it's her fault. I told her not to wear them," she reminded me. Giving me a nudge, she pushed me towards the end of the line. "Anyway, I say you need one, because you've got to wear sandals with that dress. What size are you? I might have something you can borrow."

"Um, seven," I answered as I laid the dress across the counter.

"I'm an eight," Madison replied with a slight groan. "But there are probably some sevens in the back of my closet. I think I might even have those nude wedges still," she told me. She gave me a smile and said, "They hurt my toes, so I quit wearing them. I mean, I knew they were too small for me but I figured that I would handle it because they were so darn cute."

The scanner beeped as the red line read the price tag. The girl behind the counter gave us the price. Before I could even react, Madison leaned forward and swiped her card. "I got this," she told the girl, picking up the keypad pen. She quickly hit a few buttons and then signed her name with flourish across the line.

"No she doesn't!" I exclaimed, but it was already too late.

"Don't listen to her," Madison said, directing her attention to the girl behind the counter. She didn't look like she cared who paid for it. Actually, she didn't even look like she cared if the dress was paid for. She probably only cared that she got paid for her time spent here. "She can't handle anyone doing anything for her. I've told my brother that she needs psychological help, but…."

The girl gave a lazy nod and stuffed the receipt into the bag. Madison snatched it up and turned her back on the counter. "Madison," I called after her, running to catch up. "I have money," I said. "Here, let me get you at least a fifty."

"Stop it," she said. "You may not have the official certificate yet, but you're a Stanton now, and we all take care of each other. That's how we're different from the rest of corporate America – our funds are for everyone." She waved a hand in my general direction and added, "I thought you already knew that, considering the necklace you're wearing."

I glanced down at my neck, where the necklace Derek had given me laid against my collarbone. I couldn't help but smile at it. In a way, Madison was right. Derek had said that I was a Stanton now, even though I didn't share his last name… yet. But, I realized, I fully intended to. If Derek asked me if I would marry him tonight, I'd say yes in a heartbeat.

"Yeah, okay," I conceded. I would let her win this time. But in the future, she'd have to learn that even though I was a part of the family, I didn't need them to take care of me financially. It would crush my pride if I couldn't prove that I would care for myself. "Thanks," I added.

"No problem." She replied, pushing open the store's glass door. She handed me my bag as Victoria stood up, tucking her phone into her purse.

"There's this great salon downtown," Victoria said, "where I know the nail lady, Susan. She's really sweet. And great at what she does, too."

Together, we slipped out of the mall and clambered into Victoria's fancy car. Madison had called shotgun, which had earned her a short glare from her mother, but I didn't mind. Harboring all of our bags with me, I buckled my seatbelt and leaned forward, my chin nearly resting on the shoulder of Madison's seat as I listened in to the conversation.

Sometimes, I couldn't believe how human the Aces were. I was one of them, now, but I didn't feel any different. For the most part. There was the fact that my boyfriend made my skin tingle… literally, and that I could hear his voice in my mind, but aside from that, they were perfectly normal. Victoria talked about work, and Madison talked about school. They talked about distant family members – some that I had met, some that I hadn't. They talked about Zach and his college schoolwork. Victoria voiced the worry that Carissa was pulling away from the family more than she usually did, and Madison promised to play the spy for her. They talked about Jack and his college – he was a freshman, like I would be – and they talked about Derek when he was a kid, telling me all sorts of stories that he hadn't bothered to grace me with.

In return, I told them pieces of my life. I told them about my love for music, about the accident that took my hearing, and about the shop when my mom had first opened it. Madison and I were still discussing the pros and cons of homeschooling versus public school when we walked into the nail salon. They weren't very busy in the middle of the day on a Friday, so it was easy for us to get seats in the big, overstuffed chairs over footbaths. We continued to talk about the facets of our lives, even going so far as to discuss what Derek had in plan for me. Victoria became tight-lipped when our conversation turned to my impending date, so I assumed that she had some sort of idea as to where her son was taking me but didn't want to ruin the surprise. Madison, however, seemed intent to wring the answer out of her mother one way or another. It was nice to bond with them like that. I realized, as a small woman with dark hair that had a habit of speaking to her co-worker in another language painted my toenails, that I was worried that I wouldn't get along with Victoria and Madison, that after a little while of knowing me, learning who I really was, they would dub me inadequate for Derek.

But that wasn't the case in the least. I probably should have listened to Derek when he said that his family would love me without having to think about it. But my insecurities had gotten the best of me. Still, Madison proved to be a good person to have on my side, and Victoria wasn't anything like the crazy mother-in-law that was so often portrayed in books and movies. She was almost like another friend instead of a mother. It made me like her all the more.

When we were done, Victoria swiped her credit card. And like her daughter, she refused to let me pay for myself. She was a little less intimidating with her stilettos in her arms and thin foam flip-flops on her feet so that she didn't mess up her bright red paint job. A bright white flower was on her toe, a large silver bead acting as the center. But she still was able to put the fear in me, so I eventually gave in. It was clear that I wasn't going to win against the Stantons anytime soon.

We returned to the house. I could feel the moment I stepped in, carrying a few bags and Victoria's boots, that my significant wasn't there. A part of me was a little crestfallen. I'd been depending on him being there to greet me. It had been just a few hours, and it wasn't the longest time we'd been apart, but it felt like it had been the longest. Maybe it was because there was so much anticipation riding on this moment.

"This is good," Madison assured me, breezing in past me. "If Carissa is home, we can force her to help us get you ready."

"It's only just past two," I said.

Madison turned to look at me, one eyebrow raised. "I know you're this gorgeous girl and all, but these things still take time. Think about wedding days – the brides spend all day getting ready! You need to go take a bath and wash your hair and make sure that your legs aren't prickly, and then we've got to get your hair and makeup done and we've got to get you dressed. Not to mention, I've got to go dig through my closet and try to find those wedges I was telling you about."

I blinked a few times, just staring at her. I would have never spent that much time trying to get ready. At the most, I would take a shower and blow dry my hair, but Madison was making it sound like much more than that. Victoria stepped in right as I went to open my mouth and ask a (probably stupid) question concerning this ritual for getting me ready.

"Thanks for grabbing my boots," she said, swiping them from me. "You would not believe how hard it is to drive with those flip-flop things. Thank God the paint is dry." She kicked one of the salon-issued shoes out of her way and continued, grabbing some of her shopping bags and taking them back to her bedroom.

Madison and I watched her gingerly walk down the hall, as if her toenails still weren't dry, before she shoved me in the back. "Now hurry up. We've got to get you ready. And I think we're going to have to talk Jack into playing the guard. We don't want Derek to see you before you're ready."

"I thought that was just for weddings." I said.

"Does it look like I care? No. And it goes the same for dates, because usually you don't live with each other. You don't get those kids of boring luxuries until after you've been married for like, five years." She gave me another push and said, "Now go."

# # #

Night was starting to fall as I sat down in the desk chair in the bedroom I shared with Derek. I had heard him come in the house with my mind, but I was forbidden from going to see him. Both of us had thought that it was stupid, but Jack and Madison worked as a tag-team; Jack wouldn't let him get to the bedroom door to see me and Madison leaned against our side so I couldn't go see him.

If only they knew what it felt like to know that your significant was right there. But they seemed to think that it was a game, and I eventually caved about the same time that Derek was debating pummeling his brother into a pancake. Instead, we kept up a steady stream of conversation in our minds. He and Jack had eventually slipped off to play videogames. Carissa had stopped in and, playing along with the rest of us, had gotten a change of clothes for Derek so he could look a little more pristine on our date.

"You know, I think this really is good," I said as Madison and Victoria worked together to weave my hair into a now-curly up-do. It had taken Madison a good thirty minutes to an hour to curl all of my hair to what she deemed acceptable, and then it was even longer for her to put it up. I was starting to understand why girls skipped out on school the day of prom. It was just so much work to look pretty.

"We're almost done," Madison replied. She'd been repeating the same line like a mantra for the last forty-five minutes, and I was starting to get really antsy. I tried to meet Victoria's gaze. She was the only other person in the room that had been imprinted and knew what it was like to be separated from her significant, but she just gave me a slightly apologetic smile. Clearly she, like everyone else, believed that the distance would be, in theory, good for us. Especially at this moment, where they were acting like I was going to some grand ball.

"Close your eyes." I barely had time to squeeze them shut before Madison doused me with half a can of hairspray. I was pretty sure that I should avoid all open flames, just in case my hair was now a flammable mess. "There. You're gorgeous. What did I say, mom? That color is just perfect on her."

"I'll go make sure Derek is ready," Victoria said, glancing at the clock. "Getting you ready took longer than I thought. I hope you two aren't late." She didn't elaborate and instead slipped out of the bedroom before I had the chance to question her further.

It wasn't long before she came back and beckoned me to follow. I stood up a little shakily on Madison's shoes. They were different from the nude wedges that she'd wanted me to wear because she couldn't find those anywhere. But she'd eventually found me a pair of sandals with an open toe and a slight heel that tied up my ankle. She said that they weren't what she had specifically imagined in her head, but that they would do. I was just grateful that they weren't as high as the wedges. I was clumsy enough without adding heels to the mix.

The skirt breezed behind me as I made my way down the hall. Madison stayed behind me as I reached the end of the hallway. I could feel Derek right there, which made me pick up my speed as I rushed to the mouth of the hallway. He was sitting on the couch next to Jack, a videogame controller in his hand. His eyes darted up to me and then back to the screen. But that only lasted a second before he did a double-take and completely ignored his game, even after Jack nudged him hard and shouted, "I just killed you, bro!" He, too, then turned to look at me. He and Derek just stared, a little slack-jawed, and it was enough to make me blush.

Derek stood up fluidly and tossed the controller back. I couldn't tell if he had purposely thrown it at Jack, but it hit his brother hard enough to knock him out of whatever daze he'd been in. Jack sputtered and sent daggers at his brother's back, but Derek didn't seem to care as he came forward and caught me, his hands cupping my face as he brought his forehead to mine. "Hey, gorgeous," he murmured in a voice so low I was positive that no one else had heard him.

"Hey yourself," I replied in the same low tone. His calm and comfort washed through me. I knew that my touch was doing the same for him. It made gooseflesh rise on my arms, all the way up to my shoulders. It still blew my mind that we were perfect for each other, that there was a piece of me that made me his distinct other half.

"I've got something for you," he said. I was still aware of the fact that Jack, Madison, and Victoria were all watching us as Derek headed towards the hall closet. He had pulled on his black leather jacket since it was getting chilly out – not something that I had actually planned for. My shoulders and legs were bare, all the way down to my professionally painted toenails. After a few moments of rummaging, Derek laid something over his arm. As he turned back to me, I realized that he had a brown leather jacket in his grasp. He held it out to me for inspection and I couldn't help but grin. "I figured it would be cold out." He held it out so I could slip my arms into the sleeves. The fit was perfect. I rose up onto my tiptoes for a moment to press my lips to his chastely.

"So, what do we have planned?" I asked.

"It's a surprise," he replied, draping an arm over my shoulder. "Come on."

More fluff. But I think you'll like what's coming up next… (:

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