I was sweating with panic as 7:00p.m drew near. I stood in a nice red dress with matching shoes that had a slight heel. I checked my appearance in the mirror again just to be sure I looked clean and presentable but not over the top.
"Beautiful," I heard behind me.
"Thank you," I said swallowing my heart back down my throat at the sound of Edwards voice.
"I have the perfect accessory for that outfit," he said.
I turned to see what he was referring to as I didn't own any jewellery.
"Happy birthday," he said passing me a red velvet box. "My wrapping is worse than my cooking so I gave it a miss."
"Thank you," I said taking the box and opening it whilst trying to remember to breath. I nearly fainted when I saw the necklace inside. I was speechless. I just kept looking from the necklace to him and back again. "Is this... are they... real?" I asked finally.
"Yes it's real. It is a ruby heart, surrounded by diamonds and set in platinum gold," he said. "I hope you like it."
"Like it! I love it!" I said making him smile with relief. "I'm just concerned that it is really expensive and..."
"It's not too extravagant I promise. Let me you help you put it on," he said reaching to take it out of the box as I turned around to face the mirror.
I moved my tousled hair to one side as he reached around and placed it against my collarbone smiling at me as I beamed with excitement. He fastened it shut as I touched it in awe.
"Wow!" I said and could not stop looking. "I am so glad I wore red. I love it. Thank you, it is beautiful."
As I turned my head to look at him he kissed my cheek making my eyes close and pulse race. I felt his arms tighten around my waist as he looked over my shoulder at our reflection in the mirror. I couldn't help but look too. My grandmother would have said we made 'a handsome couple' if she were alive today. He turned me around to face him, fixing my hair as he gazed at me and my knees became all too aware of the affected he had on them.
"You are beautiful," he whispered.
"Thank you," I replied breathless.
"I'm sorry about before when I left you," he said. "I handled it poorly and I'm incredibly bad tempered when I'm ill. I have been kicking myself ever since. I've missed you."
I blushed redder than my dress.
"Do you forgive me?" he asked.
I nodded as he was far too gorgeous to be angry with and if the truth be know I had forgotten my upset the moment I had set eyes on him.
"Come on we will be late for dinner," he said pulling my arm to lead me out of the bedroom.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Not far," he replied smiling mischievously.
I almost screamed when we descended the stairs and I saw he had turned the shop into a candle lit table for two. I turned and smiled at him letting out a girlie squeal as my hands flew to my mouth in shock.
"I love it!" I said getting all teary eyed at the beauty and ambience. I hardly recognised it. Everything had been moved and there was a single table for two with a white tablecloth and set out beautifully with water glasses, wine glasses, cutlery and plates.
I nearly jumped when a waiter moved from out of the shadows. For a moment I thought it would be Piers playing a joke but it wasn't. It was very posh waiter.
"Did you hire another restaurant to come here for the night?" I whispered.
"When you are being romanced it is best not to ask too many questions. Just allow yourself to be swept up in the evening," he replied making me blush and inwardly scream at the use of 'romanced'.
The waiter held my seat out and I sat down placing my now unnecessary handbag on the side of the table. I looked across the candlelit table to see Edward and got totally lost in his eyes.
Edward nodded to the waiter snapping me out of it.
The waiter poured the wine and I tried not to shuffle in my seat as I pulled it closer to the table and in turn closer to Edward.
"Happy birthday beautiful," he said raising his glass.
"Thank you handsome," I replied giggling as we clinked glasses, giving each other a loving look over the top of our wine glasses as we took a sip. "This wine is fantastic. Is it the one from the restaurant you took me to before?" I asked snapping out of being drunk on 'Edwards presence' to ask about it.
"Yes," he replied smiling. Ahh haa! Arthur had found him at the pub. I made a mental note to thank Arthur!
We continued to talk back and forth, as dinner was served. It was so easy to talk to him that I was rattling away and laughing about random things so loudly I was sure I'd wake the neighbours. When the meal was complete Edward surprised me by putting some music on and dancing around with me like I do in the morning when I open up. It was fair to say I was pretty drunk, but two bottles of wine between two when I was already tired was bound to have an effect.
"Why did you come back?" I asked him brave with a wine fuelled brain.
"Several reasons," he replied. "I owed you an apology, an explanation which I will save for another day when we are both sober and I couldn't stay away," he said shrugging as though he was apologising for coming back.
"I'm glad you are back," I said reaching out to touch his hand across the table.
He raised my hand as though examining my fingers. "You have such beautiful and delicate hands," he said pressing his lips to the back of it.
I didn't know what to say as I was too busy trying not to dive across the table and ravage him. My mind telling me over and over 'do not jump the prince, do not jump the prince'. I turned my hand and placed it against his cheek, his eyes closed as he press a kiss into the palm. My mind changed to 'jump the prince, jump him!' but I remained seated, mainly because I had lost control of my legs but also because it was not ladylike to launch across the table... and neither was the fantasy of him naked in my bed that popped into my head making me blush.
Heseemed to regain control of himself as he politely excused himself to use thebathroom and I sat there like a love sick teenager as I pressed the place hehad kissed against my own lips as though to steal the kiss from it.