Page 6 of Tilly's Tutus
“Uh-huh. And that’s why he’s watching over you like a Daddy watching his babygirl taking her first steps,” Lottie said before walking away.
Tilly wanted to argue with her, but she couldn’t because Lottie was right. Carter was watching her much more closely than he was any other vendor in the room.
She also did not point out that the man from the booth across the aisle from Lottie must have an incredible sweet tooth. He’d made three separate purchases so far, each time lingering to talk to her sister for longer than was necessary for such a small transaction.
For the moment, she would keep her opinions to herself and focus on Carri and her new man. And the convention of Littles and their caregivers.
She smiled as people walked by, but did not speak. This was not her first such sales opportunity, and she’d quickly learned that she could say good morning or afternoon, but any other conversation would drive potential customers away. Especially if they were Littles and at their first convention.
Finding Carter in the crowd became her between-customer activity. As people bought tutus, skirts and t-shirts, she added new ones to the display, but her thoughts remained with Carter and what he might want from her.
Would a dinner with the man be just a dinner, or would it lead to more?
Was he a real Daddy? Or was he just a poser looking for a woman to play with for the weekend?
She stopped herself because she did not like the way her thoughts were growing dark and decided to turn things around in her brain. The easiest way she knew to do that was to give into her Little for a minute while hoping she didn’t look like a fool.
Moving to the center of her booth where there was a little more space, she extended her arms to the sides, closed her eyes, and began to turn around and around. She felt her tutu lift and fly around her as she continued until she made herself dizzy.
Only then did she stop turning circles and opened her eyes. She wobbled and had to take a step to keep on her feet.
“Tilly! Are you all right?” Carter asked as he rushed up and grabbed her shoulders.
She looked up at him and smiled, her emotions back in the lighter end of the spectrum. “I’m fine, thanks.”
“And why were you spinning around so much you made yourself dizzy?”
“I was resetting my emotions,” she said simply.
She hoped he wouldn’t ask for a further explanation because she wasn’t sure she could make one that someone who wasn’t a Little would understand.
Carter stared at her for a moment before nodding. “Resetting your emotions, huh?”
“Yep,” she said, with a pop at the end of the word. “Twirling around and around helps me get rid of the yucky dark emotions and find the pretty light ones again.”
Carter nodded as he seemed to think about it. “I may have to try it the next time I find myself in the dark yucky emotions.”
Tilly nodded. “You should. It really works fast.”
“All right, but next time, maybe don’t twirl quite so long that you’re stumbling dizzy. Okay?”
“Okie dokie, smokie,” she said with a giggle.
“I’ll see you at closing,” he said as he booped her nose. “Be a good girl.”
“Yes, Sir,” she said with a soft giggle.
She watched as Carter walked away again.
“Who is that man?” Carri asked from her booth. Tilly walked over to her younger sister, not wanting to talk too loudly about the policeman-turned- security-guard.
“A man I could see being my very own Daddy,” Tilly said softly.
“Really? You do look good together. And he doesn’t seem to care that you’re wearing a tutu and a t-shirt with a unicorn on it.”
“Yeah, isn’t that cool?” she said with a giggle.
By the end of the day, Tilly had decided that if Carter asked, she would be very interested in seeing more of him. And if hewanted to be her Daddy at some point in the future, she would like that very, very much.
