And So It Begins

“Aunt Anna hurry up and pick something out, it’s almost four.” Cassie came up behind me with a hand full of hangers with various dresses dangling from them. “I can’t believe you waited until the day that you were having dinner with Jordan’s family to decide to buy a dress.”

“I didn’t wait,” I mumbled turning from side to side to see the hideous creation that I managed to squeeze into. “He only told me last night about the dinner and then -” I threw my hands up in frustration as another dress was crossed of the list. “I don’t know why he requested that I wear a freaking dress! He knows me; he knows I don’t have dresses just laying around in my closet waiting to be wore.”

Cassie rolled her eyes as she shoved me towards the changing room. “He asked you to wear one because he wants you to look nice tonight - you know his mom and Amy are probably going to be wearing dresses.”

“Yeah,” I waited for her to unzip me. “They are freaks! There are perfectly good pants and shirts that work for a casual dinner, why does it have to be dresses?”

“Stop complaining and try these on,” she shoved the hangers she was holding at me. “And hurry up! Jordan is going to be at the house at 5 to pick you up and we haven’t even started getting you ready yet!”

“That’s another thing,” I complained as I closed the door. “Why did he insist on picking me up at home? I could’ve easily met him at his house and gone from there, it would’ve been so much smarter.”

“I don’t know,” Cassie replied. “Maybe he’s excited about finally being able to take you somewhere as his girlfriend!”

“Maybe,” I mumbled as I sorted through the dresses she gave me and picked out the first one to try on. “I know he’s excited - and nervous - about tonight; you should’ve seen the smile on his face when I told him I would go with him.”

“I bet it was something.”

I smiled at the awe sound in her tone. “Yeah, you would think that he had just been told he won the lottery.” Slipping the straps to my shoulders, I glanced in the mirror and then opened the door so Cassie could see. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jordan so happy in my life - well, maybe when he found out about Jenna but other than that -”

“That’s the dress,” Cassie cut me off as she came towards me. “That’s the perfect dress; you don’t have to try anything else on.”

I eyed her suspiciously. “This is the dress?” I stared in the mirror at the light pink and white floral print sundress that I was wearing. “Are you sure? Or do you just want me to hurry up?”

“It’s perfect,” Cassie repeated as she hurried off. “I know the perfect shoes to wear with that!” She called as she went.

“Perfect?” I turned in the mirror, sizing it up from every angle. “I guess it is,” I smiled when I couldn’t find anything wrong with the way it hugged my torso but flared from my hips. Swinging from side to side, I watched the material swish around my legs. “Perfect.”

“And these are the perfect sandal,” Cassie informed me as she pulled a pair from the box that were similar in color to the dress. “And I have a crocheted cardigan at home that would be perfect with it as well.”

I tried on the sandal, agreed and then she sent me back into the change room to put my regular clothes back on. “Now,” I said as I walked out of the changing room and we headed for the tills. “I just have to figure out what to do with my hair.”

“Already got it,” Cassie told me. “We are going to pull it back in a sexy, messy ponytail with some curls framing your face.”

“Oh, ok,” I shrugged. “That was easy.”

“Yeah,” she laughed and started to walk faster. “This way if Jordan gets hungry before dinner, your neck is wide open for him!”

****

It was nothing short of a miracle that I didn’t get caught speeding on my way home from the clothing store. “It’s twenty after four,” Cassie reminded me as she followed me down the stairs to my room. “No,” she stopped me and grabbed my bags. “Shower, now and make it fast. I’ll be coming to pull you out if you aren’t in your room in ten minutes.”

“But I need -”

“Go!” She said firmly as she pointed to the bathroom.

I didn’t see the point in standing around arguing with her, so I quickly headed into the bathroom and stripped for my shower.

“I think this would be the best bra and panty to wear for tonight,” Cassie informed me when I walked into my room ten minutes later. I gave a nod as she tossed the pink lace and satin set towards me. “Put them on and sit down, so I can do your hair as you do your make up.”

“I need to pack a bag for tonight,” I reminded her.

“Already done,” she pointed to my overnight bag on the bed. “I just put in clothes that I know you normally wear. Once we are done your hair and make up, you can put in whatever you need of that.”

I raised a brow. “Oh.” I had no idea what she put in but I was hoping I wouldn’t regret it later.

While I was slipping into my panties, Lindsay and Natalie came knocking at my door.

“Go away,” Cassie yelled when she found out it was her sisters. “We are busy and you will just get in the way.”

“Cassie,” I shook my head before calling out to them to come in.

“We wanted to watch you get ready,” Natalie stated as she crossed my room and jumped onto my bed.

“More like wanted to make us late because it’s not the guy you want Aunt Anna to be dating,” Cassie sent a pointed look at Lindsay.

“That’s not fair,” Lindsay exclaimed. “She’s my Aunt too and I should be able to help her get ready for a date too!”

“You just want to ruin this for Aunt Anna.”

“I don’t!”

“You do!”

“Girls!” I snapped and they both turned in surprise to stare at me. “Me almost naked, hair and make up not done. Jordan, on his way here as we speak. A little help, please?”

“I’ll get your shoes,” Natalie exclaimed as she grabbed the sandal box from beside her and jump off my bed.

****

“Wow!” Jordan stared in wonder at me as I appeared in the doorway from the basement. It was five minutes after five and I just barely had time to finish up before I heard the doorbell announcing his arrival. “You look…” he trailed off as I spun around to give him a complete view.

“Is this what you were hoping for?” I bit my lip nervously as he came towards me.

He nodded as his eyes travelled over my face and then down to my exposed neck. Licking his lips, he grinned, “its prefect. You are so beautiful Anna.”

“Thank you,” I blushed. “You -” I shook my head. “Why do you do that?” I stepped towards him and started to mess with his hair. “I don’t know why you comb your hair flat when you know you are extremely sexy when it’s spiky.”

“Maybe I just love it when you run your fingers through my hair.”

I stopped what I was doing to look at him. “Is that so?” I chuckled, “Then it worked because I fall for it every single time.” I finished spiking his hair and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “There you go, sexy man.”

With a chuckle, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. “Are you ready Babe?” He asked between light kisses on my lips.

“Mmmhmm,” I smiled, hugging him tight. “I’m very ready.”

“Then let’s go,” he murmured against my lips.

I turned to take Cassie’s cardigan from her when Mary came down the stairs with Zack on her heel. “Wait,” she demanded as she waved her digital camera at me. “I want a picture of this.”

“So do I,” Jordan stated before asking Mary where she wanted us.

“Right there is good,” she told him as Zack told us to keep it PG.

Jordan stood beside me with his arm wrapped around my waist. We were smiling and waiting for Mary to take our picture but just before she did, I glanced up at Jordan and felt my heart soar at the look of pure happiness on his face.

I turned to him, slipped my hand over his chest. He looked down at me, his hand slipping over mine.

And Mary snapped the photo. “Damnit,” she cursed. “You two moved!”

“What can I say?” Jordan’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he looked at Mary. “She moves me.”

“Come on,” I tugged on his hand. “We are going to be late if we don’t leave now.”

****

“I’m nervous,” I admitted to him as we walked up the front steps to his parents’ house. “What if your family doesn’t like that we are together?”

He shrugged. “It won’t be like that, they all love you.”

“I know they love me as your friend Jordy, but your girlfriend?” I sighed. “This is a big step for us.”

“Yes it is,” he agreed as he pulled me into his arms. “It’s a big step but it’s one that everyone has been waiting for since we were old enough to date.”

“That’s true,” I smiled as Jenna squirmed between us. Looking down at her, I told him it didn’t matter what anyone else thought. “Jenna looks like she’s happy that we are together.”

“Of course she is,” Jordan kissed Jenna’s forehead and then kissed me. “She knows you make me happy.”

Any reply I had was chased away by nerves when I heard someone turn the doorknob. Stepping back from Jordan, I turned to see the door open and Harriet appear. Hey eyes focused on Jordan and then Jenna. When she got to me her smile disappeared and she looked really disappointed. “Oh, Anna.” She gave me a fake smile. “I didn’t expect to see you.”