The Aristocrat

They call it two new additions

Saturday 14th

I stood above my bed, in only my underwear, staring down with judgemental eyes at the two outfits I'd plucked out of my wardrobe. Going back and forth between the two, I found the struggle too decide hard.

On my dressing table, my phone pinged as a message came through and distracted me from the task at hand. I strolled away from the bed and picked the phone up.

Ash's name blared onto the screen, a message written beneath it.

Are you sure?

It was the eighth time he'd asked me today and the eighth time I'd had to assure him I was. Instead of finding it irritating like I might with any other person, I actually found it quite amusing. It meant that he was nervous and that was one side I'd yet to see off Ash.  Angry, bored, smug but never nervous.

I reassured him one last time, texting him back.

Yes. You've left right?

I waited for his response, hovering over my dressing table as my fingers tapped against my phone. Impatiently, I huffed, shifting from one bare foot to other.

It took him over a minute to send his reply, the sound of the receiving text exciting me. I swiped across the screen and opened his message.

Half way there. See you in a bit. 

A faint smile pressed against my lips.  As the nauseating sensation erupted in my stomach I tried to focus on getting instead of the sudden nerves. I dropped the phone back onto the table beside my perfume bottles and fell into the stall.

I spent the next twenty minutes getting myself ready, applying my makeup and wrapping my hair up into a tight neat bun on top my head. When I'd finished at the dressing table I wandered back over to my bed.

Deciding on my short silk blazer dress, I picked it up and shuffled into it. The fabric was a dreamy white that matched my nude heels and gold teardrop earrings perfectly. I slipped into the heels, stalking in my new-found height over to my full-length mirror.

I wanted to say I hadn't put in the extra effort because I'd be seeing him and that it was all down to the fancy restaurant Oliver had chosen. But then I'd be lying.

Another text rung my phone and broke me away from my thoughts. Walking away from the mirror I picked my phone up and checked the message Oliver had sent to tell me that he and Grace were on their way. Ready myself, I dug a small bag out my wardrobe, shut my phone inside and left my room.

As I made my way down the stairs, hand skimming the railing to protect myself from an accident in these heels, I called out into the apartment, "Mum?"

We hadn't spoken since I'd got home from school but I knew she was still in. Her designer bag by the living room entrance told me as much. She'd never be seen without it.

It was the living room from which she called back to me, "In here."

"Mum, I'm going out now," I told her, walking up to the open archway that was attached to the living room. As soon as I looked inside, my feet came to a stop and my mouth dropped open, "Oh."

Sat on the largest couch in the room were both my mum and Robert, Mr. Young. There was a reasonable distance between them but I was sure that would be closed the second I left. My mum was dressed in a reasonably casual in a loose beige dress but Robert looked as though he'd just come from work. Suited up, he'd thrown his grey jacket over the back of the couch and had loosened his tie.

All I could think when I looked at them was that it should've been my dad in that spot.

"Alessandra," Mr. Young chimed politely, "How nice to see you."