Page 14 of Beauty and the Nerd
“Last year’s Court Warming Queen is expecting a bundle, a variety other than of flowers, this year and can’t make the dance. So, since I’m chair of the committee and the current Homecoming Queen, I’ll get the pleasure of crowning the winner at the dance.” Emma shot him a wink over her shoulder as she turned around to face the mirror, showing off the back of the dress.
“Double wow,” Ben said seeing the skin left bare on her back. “You look like utter perfection. I just might have to come to this dance after all.”
“If you’re lucky you can even take me to it.” Emma was only teasing, no way did she want to go to the dance with anyone other than Ben. She shot him a look telling him as much as Dana checked the hem and gems to make sure they were all secure.
“Does the length feel better now?” Dana asked, taking a step back and Emma glanced at her backside in the mirror before nodding.
“Much better, and the overlay doesn’t feel like it’s about to fall off anymore, you worked a miracle on this thing.” Emma looked in the mirror meeting Ben’s gaze in it. “So, what do you honestly think of the dress? I had Dana let the hem out because it was too short, and she fashioned the new top over it to replace the old one that was falling apart despite being a new dress.”
“It’s incredible but it doesn’t begin to match you, baby,” he stated, and she saw the shock on Dana’s face at his words. “I think it’s absolutely perfect on you though, something’s finally as bright as your smile can be.”
Emma felt a blush hit her cheeks at his words. He moved over to her side and gave her a soft kiss making her heart soar and she rested her forehead against his chin for a moment. “Thank you, Ben. You have no idea how much I love you,” she said quietly, loving the embrace.
She was taller than most of her friends at five-eleven, while Ben was lanky and about six-foot-three now, but she loved the way it felt to be in his arms. Carter might only be an inch or so shorter with three times the muscles of Ben, but she’d never felt a single thing for him. Not once had her heart raced when near him or sent her belly fluttering wildly when he kissed her. Ben did all of that with just a look and she adored those feelings, aswell as the others he aroused inside her she just wasn’t ready to act upon yet.
“Oh, I’d say it about the same as how much I love you baby. Now, why don’t you change into something that’s not about to send me reeling and thinking a million inappropriate thoughts, hmm?” he said, meeting her gaze.
“Is that possible to find?” she teased, agreeing with Dana that the dress just needed the final hem pressed before she could pick it up for the dance the next weekend.
“No, not really but at least in your normal clothes I don’t feel that it’s completely hopeless to behave wisely. Besides, I really like those pants of yours.” He gave her a grin, and she gave him another wink before heading back to let Dana help her with the dress.
“Nice choices Emma, the dress is inspired, and that boy is certainly something. Not even close to the normal ones I see coming through here with the girls wanting their dresses shortened two inches so that it barely covers their butts,” Dana stated, making her grin further.
“He’s great, not a jock and yeah, not even close to the guys I used to date, but he gets me. He makes me want to be me and I couldn’t stop from seeing if something was possible between us no matter what others thought.”
“Well good for you and although he could use a few lessons in fashion dos and don’ts, he’s certainly nothing to hide. How are your friends taking your relationship with him?” Dana knew Jane, Becky, and Kelsey quite well. They were the ones that would come in to shorten their dresses.
“We haven’t actually come out with our relationship yet. Megan knows about us, but the others don’t. After the accident I knew I needed to completely change things up,” she said keeping with their agreement on their relationship timeline. “Ben’s been helping me study this year, so I can get my grades up higherin my AP classes so maybe some decent colleges will take a chance on me. We’d become friends and when he stopped by the hospital to see me, I just knew who he was. That told me something huge about what I needed. I broke up with Carter, focused on school the last two weeks and hung out more with Ben. The first time he kissed me I knew that I was in love with him and that’s why it felt so easy to talk to him, be with him.”
“Well good for you and he certainly is head over heels for you.”
Emma slipped the dress off, grabbing her workout top to put back on. “And I plan to keep it that way for a long time to come.”
“I’ll give you a call when the hem’s in. Have fun and be good to her Ben,” Dana called after them as they headed out to the walk area.
“Always.” Ben made the promise, meeting Emma’s gaze and she curled her arm around his, melting his heart entirely. He did his best to resist leaning down to kiss her in the middle of the mall like this, but he really wanted to do it, wanted everyone to know she was his. “What else do you want to do here?”
“Well, I do need a couple new sports bras and they’re having a sale on them at Satin Touch today,” she suggested, mentioning the store that sold not only workout attire, but also beachwear and lingerie, all of which she bought and enjoyed—well other than the sexier lingerie at least. She lifted her brow at him making him let out a soft groan. “What’s wrong Benny-boy?”
“You’re killing me here Em, that dress, now Satin Touch? Are you trying to see what it’ll take to break me?” He smiled more as she leaned her head against his shoulder not caring who might see them, not any longer.
“Nope, just hanging out with one of my best friends, enjoying my Saturday, and getting a few things accomplished while testing your patience when it comes to shopping.”
Her bright smile made it so he couldn’t resist at all. “Alright, lead the way gorgeous.”
Emma laughed at the looks a few of the girls in the store shot them as she moved through to the workout wear section. It was a newer line the store was now carrying but her absolute favorite because the items weren’t just functional, but gorgeous as well, unlike most sports bras. She let him see the options and wanted his opinion, and perhaps to tease him a bit further. “So, which do you think the pink and white, the aqua and purple, or the red and black?”
“The aqua one, you look gorgeous in the color.”
“Even if it’s in a cast?”
“Even then, but I don’t plan to let anyone put you in one again.” He took the aqua item as she debated about the others. “What about the purple and white one there?” he said nodding towards it, and she moved around the table to check it out. “It’s NYU’s colors.”
“Where we really met, where I knew I wanted you as part of my life,” she mused enjoying his little smile at her words. It was perfect and she quickly grabbed the right size in them and the matching shorts.
Emma moved them through the store, stopping when she saw the new swimsuits and bikinis already on display. She couldn’t resist looking through part of the newer suits and she smiled up at Ben seeing the new aqua color designs.
“I don’t even want to begin to think about you in a bikini right now Em, I likelywilllose my mind.”
