Cooking for the Rich.

Chapter 22

The door let out a little chime as Mrs Lachlan pushed it open before confidently striding though followed by Mia.
"Grace sweetie," Mrs Lachlan exclaimed kissing the younger girl on the cheek. "So nice to see you." The girl was then hugged by Mia before turning her attention to me.
"This is Poppy that I was telling you about," Mia said as I stood there awkwardly shuffling my feet. I muttered a greeting watching as she looked me over before grimacing and heading back to the Lachlan's. I finally took in the shop, looking round in awe at the dresses that surrounded us. Two older women had now joined us and were happily fussing over the ladies, taking their jackets and purses and handing over glasses of champagne. The only time I'd ever known a shop to give alcohol was when my aunt got married and I was a bridesmaid but I wasn't legal to have any. As Mrs Lachlan was swept off to one end of the room and Grace became fascinated with a row of dresses near the back I stood with Mia as she ran her hands along a rack of beautiful fabrics. It had been a few days since her birthday and all the dramas that had come from it and I had barely spoken to her to find out what was happening. After breakfast this morning she had come in to the kitchen demanding that we go out to get dresses for this ball.
"So are you going with anyone?" I asked her as she pulled out a golden dress. I was too scared to touch any of the dresses never mind pull them out and even try them on.
"Graces fiancé is out of town so we're going together hence why she's here today," she said putting the dress back on the rack. I nodded following her round shop like a lost puppy.
"I'm glad my brothers taking you," she said pulling out another dress before passing it to the member of staff that had been following us around. I smiled to myself, me too.
"Mia, you have to come see," Graces voice echoed across the room. She smiled at me encouragingly before heading over to where Grace was waving around one of the covered bags. I left them too it gently running my hands over all the soft fabrics. I'd only ever dressed up like this twice, once for my aunts wedding and once for prom and both of them were over six years ago. A deep red colour caught my eye and I carefully separated it from the others. It had a large skirt a v neck bodice with thin straps that was covered in small little sparkles. It really was beautiful. Looking around me I checked on the price and felt my breath catch in my throat. Over £4,000 for a dress. That's like three months wages. I hurriedly put it back hoping I could find a sale rail or something.

After looking around and only finding dresses of the same price I went to sit down hoping that they would just forget about me. Mrs Lachlan had found her almost straight away the shop already knowing exactly what she wanted. Mia and Grace had tried on plenty of dresses managing to find something wrong with each one of them and it not being the price tag.
"Poppy you not trying anything?" Mia asked as she twirled around admiring the way grey straight dress clung to her.
"Come on they'll grab you some dresses that they know will suit," she said trying to get me to stand. I didn't want to make a big deal of this. I didn't want to make them feel bad or sorry for me. I considered the whole return it the next day plan or faking the flu.
"It's okay really," I said.
"Come on Cody didn't give me his plastic for nothing," she said sighing dramatically. Grace rolled her eyes before heading back in to the dressing room.
"What," I muttered.
"Your date, my brother gave me his credit card to get you a dress so get your butt in the dressing room," She said pulling at my arm again. I felt my cheeks warm and an ache grow in my stomach.
"I just need some air," I said panicking as I rushed out the door. My breath became ragged as I felt the panic over come me. Pulling my phone out my back pocket I pressed on Cody's contact info.
"Hey, perfect timing I just got out the meeting. You found a dress then?"
"I can buy my own dresses," I viciously spat out.
"I know you can but I invited you. It's a formal event Poppy and these dresses cost a lot or so I'm told. I didn't want you to have to worry about how much it was costing you. I just wanted you to enjoy yourself." I sighed as I tried to calm myself down.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to flip out."
"It's okay, is everything okay? Are you alright?"
I felt my stomach churning again as I started feeling awful for how I'd behaved.
"I just, I'm not some sort of charity case Cody, I've always gone out and worked for what I wanted. I've gone without if I can't afford it and you've already done too much for me. I'm already employed and housed by your family I don't want to owe them anymore."
"It wasn't going to be my family Poppy. It was going to be me but if that's what you want then whatever you get to wear I know you'll look beautiful. The offers there if you need it, I'm being called back in to another meeting so I'll see you tonight,"
"Bye Cody," I said before hanging up the phone. I rested my forehead against it taking deep breaths to try and clear my head. I know he was only trying to be so sweet but it made me feel so guilty. I didn't want to come across as using him for money or some sort of gold digger. I looked around the street hoping to find somewhere I could escape to for a little bit but the row was just full of fancy designer boutiques making me feel even more out of place. Taking a few more deep breaths I pushed open the door to the shop again heading the familiar ding as the woman's attention turned to me.
"Poppy thank god your back. I've narrowed it down to two," Mia said rushing towards me the best she could in a floor length dress. She dragged me out the back to the dressing rooms which were bigger than the kitchen back at the Lachlan's.
"Cody text me. He didn't mean to make you feel bad about it. I've told them that you found a dress you liked somewhere else," She said as she gracefully slipped out of the current dress.
"Thank you," I said happily feeling a weight lift off my shoulders as I sat down on the sofa in the middle of the room.
"Now what do you think of this?" Mia asked twirling around.

"Yeah Leopard print isn't quite the look people normally go for at these events," Cody chuckled scrolling down the screen. Punching him lightly in the arm I took the laptop back off him and carried on my searching. After dinner Cody had insisted that he help me find a cheaper dress that I could afford so we now sat flicking through the ASOS website together adding a few different styles and colours and whatever I didn't like I could return. Next day delivery also meant that I could still get it sorted in time. Thank god for the internet. Our legs were intertwined with each other's and his arm had tucked itself back around my waist now I had control of the laptop. After adding a few surprises for Cody when he was in the bathroom I placed the order waiting for him to come back before I went off to bed.
"You sure you can't stay," he said as he came out of the bathroom just in his boxers showing every curve of him. I bit my lip and steadied my breathing knowing I would have to deny no matter how much I wanted.
"You don't wanna be woken up by my half five alarm," I told him wanting to ignore that excuse and stay right where I was.
"And you know there won't be much sleeping if you stay," he said with a wink as he sat down on the bed next to me. He was completely right and that meant I needed to leave before I gave in to him.
"Goodnight Cody," I said going in to kiss his cheek to which he managed to turn in to lips on lips and a full on Goodnight kiss.
"Goodnight Poppy," he said giving me a sweet kiss on my cheek as I got myself up off the bed. My pulse rocketing as I watched him crawl under the covers. I shut the door behind me taking a deep breath before heading back to my room. I know we'd probably end up texting for a little while longer before we slept but this way we wouldn't end up having Goodnight sex which I was regretting already.