Roses for Rachel

Chapter 25.

I let the girls do their thing, curling my hair just right and applying just enough makeup to make my eyes pop, but not so much that I stopped looking like me. I was practically bouncing in my seat the entire time with excitement. My mind was still turning flips from my time with Calvin earlier today, so thinking of what kind of date he might have planned for us was really driving me mad.

"Are you ready for your dress?" Pedro asked from behind me, and I turned around on the bench to see him holding up an adorable blue floral print dress. I clapped my hands in front of me when I saw it. It was knee length, fit snuggly with just enough room to move around comfortably, and the back was scooped, showing my shoulder blades.

"I love it so much." I told Pedro.

He smiled. "It's much more you than the other things I usually have made for you, so I had a feeling you would like it." He said. "Plus, I think you'll want to feel like yourself tonight." He told me then winked.

His weird behavior made nerves stir deep in my belly. "What are you all up to?" I asked and the girls just looked away, while Pedro shrugged his shoulders and handed me a pair a simple tan flats.

I looked at myself and Pedro was right, I do look more like me now. This is something I would have picked on my own.

There was a quick knock on the door and my heart went a flutter.

I walked over, pulling it open to reveal Calvin standing there, looking completely adorable in the tie I'd made him and his light blue button down, untucked, over his dark wash blue jeans. "Good evening, beautiful." He said sweetly, picking up my hand and kissing it gently. "Are you ready to go?"

I had the jitters but I nodded my head anyway. "I am." I smiled.

"You look gorgeous, as always." He complimented as he wrapped my arm around his and led me away from the room.

I shot one last nervous glance back at Pedro and the girls and they all waived, Pedro blowing me a kiss and looking slightly emotional for him.

Calvin led me to the elevators and up to level 5, squeezing my hand as we approached the ornate golden doors of the green house. He pulled a key from his pocket, unlocking the door and pushed it open wide for me.

"Oh my god, Calvin." I whispered, immediately hit with the familiar smell of flowers. "It's even more beautiful in person than it was on TV." I told him as I rushed over to the first row of gorgeous daisies, lightly running my hands over their soft petals.

The room was humid, but the smell was mesmerizing. Everywhere I turned were row after row of perfect flowers, then I felt Calvin right behind me and I turned around, smiling like a doofus when he passed me a single red rose he'd pulled from one of the bushes by the door. "Like I said before, roses are the flower you give to a beautiful woman." He said as he watched me hold it up to my nose and take in its aroma. "I'm glad you like this," He said motioning his hands around the room. "But we aren't staying here." He grinned mischievously.

"Oh?" I asked, clinging to my flower.

He took my free hand and we weaved through the rows until we reached the back of the room where there was a metal door with a padlock on it. Calvin dropped my hand just long enough to get the lock off, then his hand was back in mine. The door creaked loudly, and cobwebs fell from the top as he shoved it open, revealing a metal spiral staircase leading up. "Are you ready?" He asked me as he pulled me to the stairs.

I couldn't feel my heart beating anymore, and I didn't know if I was still breathing or not, but as I stared up the stairs to the hatch in the ceiling, I knew I'd never been more ready for anything. I chewed my lips nodding my head up and down frantically. Calvin chuckled at my reaction and moved up past me to push the hatch open, then he came back down so that I could be the first one to go.