Cliché || H.S.

Chapter 29

A/N: I've been waiting for this one.... turn it up

Celeste decided to extend her stay in Arizona and Safia was called to New York last minute, leaving me to get ready for Nina's fifty sixth birthday party alone. I try to fill the silence of the house by blasting my favorite playlist to get ready to. It's filled with the kind of songs that make you feel sexy no matter what. I want to feel sexy tonight, I want to feel confident. It's been awhile since I've been able to get dressed up for a reason other than work.

I apply my makeup with a heavier hand than I usually do, trying to replicate what my makeup artist would do. It's not nearly as good as when he does it, but I'm proud of the job I did. It has a bit of a fox eye effect, making my eyes look sultry, my cheekbones more prominent than usual.

I decided that sleek is the way to go tonight, so I straighten my hair until it extends down to my natural waist. I part it down the middle, tucking both sides taut behind my ears. Even without the outfit, I feel hot. I shamelessly check myself out in the mirror, taking selfies at my vanity. I'm not sure why, but I just feel like tonight will be a good night. Maybe it's just due to the fact that we got off work early for once, but I don't care. Nothing could kill my good mood.

I wish I had Celeste and Safia here to choose a dress for me, but now I'm on my own as I sort through my closet. I think about going for my most trusted little black dress when I spot a dress hanging with the tags still on it.

I step into it, fearing that it won't fit anymore, but to my relief it zips easily. In fact, the dress fits better than it did when I bought it. The burgundy silk hugs my curves in all the right places, accentuating my waist. The cowl neck holds up my boobs without a bra, and although it's simple, the whole thing is also a statement.

I only have a minute until Harry will be here to pick me up, so I quickly spray my perfume and shove everything into my black Chanel clutch that matches my shoes. I'm touching up my lipgloss when the doorbell rings downstairs. Harry always just walks in, but a peek out the window shows his car in my driveway. I feel odd having to run downstairs to let him in like I did when we first started dating.

"Hey, why did you-" my sentence cuts off when I see Harry in front of me, a perfectly tailored black suit on his body. It's more understated than what he usually wears, but he makes it look expensive. He looks intoxicating. He has a bouquet of flowers in his hand, a shy smile on his face.

"What are these for?" I ask, taking the flowers from his outstretched hand. They're absolutely flawless, their smell permeating the air mixed with Harry's cologne.

"I'm picking up a beautiful girl to take to a party. I think she deserves flowers for that," he tells me before pressing a soft kiss to my lips. I feel myself blush like a teenager in love, not a grown woman.

"Come in," I wave him into the foyer, "I'll put these in a vase and then we'll get going." I head past the stairwell and into the kitchen, digging around for a vase. As I move through the motions of cutting the stems, filling the vase with water, I'm hyper aware of Harry's presence. I can feel his eyes on me, following my every movement. The energy around us feels charged.