Not even a brief conflict with Duff Killigan that week could shake Kim's focus. The only thing she could think about was Monday, and it couldn't come soon enough.
She ran upstairs, dropped her backpack at her bedroom door, and took a deep breath. This was it.
Maybe the person would be waiting for her? While somewhat creepy, it could also be romantic.
Or maybe there would be a dozen roses, and another note?
Whatever it was, after a rose, perfume, and earrings, it was going to be good.
Taking another breath, the redhead swung open the door, revealing the interior of her bedroom.
It was empty.
Nothing on her bed. Nothing on her bedside table. Nothing on her desk.
Kim's heart sank. What was going on? Had it all been a joke? A prank? By her brothers, perhaps?
She walked in slowly, closing the door behind her and collapsing facedown on the empty bed. After mumbling to herself about getting her hopes up, and muffled curses at whoever was responsible for stringing her along so cruelly, Kim sighed and rolled over to glare at her ceiling.
That was when she saw it, out of the corner of her eye.
Something on her closet door.
Hanging from her closet door.
Sitting up quick enough to make the room spin for a brief second, Kim smiled broadly.
There, hanging from her closet door, was a gorgeous deep purple dress. It was floor length, but as she got up to examine it, Kim realized there was a slit up the side to where she guessed the middle of her thigh would be. While not strapless, thin pieces of fabric were meant to hold the weight of the dress while most of the straps were designed to hang off the shoulder, for aesthetic purposes more than anything. The back zippered, with a metal clasp at the top.
Attached to the hanger was a green rose, and another note.
Kim read it eagerly.
8:00. Le Chez.
The waiter will direct you to the table.
She swallowed a nervous laugh as she slipped the fourth rose into the vase. Eight o'clock. In only a few hours, she would meet her secret admirer.
Although she already had the dress, jewelry, and perfume she would wear for the evening, Kim felt as though she didn't have nearly enough time to get ready.
Her dad hadn't been exactly pleased when he'd asked her who she was going to meet in such a fancy dress and she told him she didn't know. Her mom simply made sure she had her cell phone in the small black clutch and told her to be safe but have a good time. She'd ignored her brothers as they'd punched each other and whispered comments, taking bets as to who their sister's date was going to turn out to be.
The valet at Le Chez took her car as she pulled up, offering her his hand to help her out of the vehicle. She thanked him and tried to offer him a tip, but he waved her off, saying that it was already taken care of and that she should head inside to speak with the maitre d'.
Surprised, Kim walked slowly into the restaurant, getting used to the heels she didn't wear often. She could walk comfortably enough, but it was still an unusual movement.
The maitre d' noticed her as soon as she walked in.
"Miss Possible, I'm so glad you could join us this evening," he said, offering his arm with a flourish. She blushed, charmed, and rested her hand at his elbow. "My waitstaff and I will take good care of you. Please, do not hesitate to let any of us know if there is something we can do to make this evening more enjoyable."
As he talked, he weaved his way down a few aisles and around two tables until delivering her to a specific table as he'd been requested. Patting her hand once, he pulled out her chair, but when she made no move to sit, he simply placed her hand on the back of the chair and bowed, taking his leave of the pair.
Across the table sat Shego.
Kim's mind fumbled over this, mainly because, well, not only was it Shego, but the woman was not wearing her signature catsuit.
Instead, she was wearing a forest green button-up dress shirt, the top two buttons undone. She had on black slacks and a matching jacket was over the back of her chair, the woman having gotten too warm to leave it on as she'd originally planned. A similarly colored fedora was resting on one shoulder of the jacket across the back of the chair. Her long black hair was in a single braid, which she had brought to rest over the front of her right shoulder.
"Hi," said Kim, hoping her voice didn't sound as strangled to Shego as it did to her own ears.
"Hi, princess. Still want to accept the invitation, now that you know who your admirer is? It's all right if you want to leave."
Kim tilted her head, thinking for only a moment. It had startled her at first, yes, to see the woman she'd come to think of as her nemesis sitting across the dinner table, the dinner table to which she'd been so romantically invited. But that was just it. She was intrigued by the invitation, by all of the gifts, by all the trouble that Shego had gone through. How could she leave now?
"No, I'm not going anywhere. I've been going crazy this past month trying to figure it out." Folding her dress beneath her, Kim moved her chair closer to the table and sat down. "Now I want to see what happens."
Shego smiled. "Me, too."