burning on a table in the corner and a large mirror covering one wall. A plush rug was beneath my feet and a wide selection of clothing was waiting for me on a dainty gold rack.
I thumbed through the options, marvelling at how they felt against my hands. Everything was so soft, the fabrics all so beautiful. Several of the silk dresses had intricate prints with gold threads woven throughout them, and a few of the sweaters were embellished with shining crystals that caught the light of the candles just so.
It was all so beautiful and like nothing I might have imagined before.
Carefully, I selected one of the silk dresses and put it on. The neckline dipped perfectly to accentuate my breasts, and the hemline ended just at midthigh, creating a sexy and sophisticated silhouette.
I peeked my head out from the curtain to catch Grayson’s eye.
“Did you want to see?” I asked, feeling a little shy.
“Of course I want to see,” he said with a smile. “Come on out and show me.”
I stepped out from behind the curtain, twirling around to give him a good look at the dress from every angle. His smile widened.
“We’ll definitely be getting that one,” he remarked to the clerk.
“Really?” I asked, still a little surprised, no matter what he promised when we walked in.
“Of course; you look absolutely stunning in it. How could I not buy it for you?”
I blushed, my stomach tightening along with the butterflies in my chest. I skipped back behind the curtain then and grabbed my next item to try on.
We spent several more hours in that store in roughly the same pattern. I would try something on and head out to show it off to Grayson, then we would decide if we wanted to get it or not. Or more like he decided that he wanted to get a lot of things for me because he liked the way they looked on me.
It was fun, and by the time we left I was hungry and ready for some lunch. We picked out a little cafe and ordered some soups and sandwiches before taking our seats in a plush corner booth.
“Did you have fun?” Grayson asked with a smile.
“Yes, lots of fun,” I said, wondering if now was a good time to bring up the girlfriend comment. I didn’t get a chance though, because Grayson immediately launched into his next point.
“Serenity, this has made me realize that I want to support you. I don’t know what your current dreams are for your life or for your career, but I want to help them come true.”
I looked down at my hands resting in my lap. “Well….” How was I supposed to put it? From the way I saw things, my dreams were already over. “I used to dream of being a concert harpist,” I admitted.
“And? Why are you speaking of it as if it is no longer your dream?”
“Because I know that it can never happen.” I looked back up at him. “I got rejected from every single music school when I was applying out of high school. Juilliard was my dream, but I didn’t get in. It crushed me.”
Grayson reached across the table, grabbing my hand and squeezing. “From the way I see things, that doesn’t mean your dream can’t still happen. It’s just a setback. There’s no cut-off for going back to school or fulfilling a dream. You just have to keep trying.”
I sighed. “See, you may say that, but it’s a lot harder to keep believing in yourself when no one else really believes in you either. And I’ve tried to look into other jobs, to find other dreams, but nothing feels as right as the harp does. Did, I guess.”
“Why don’t you play for me, then?”
“What?” I looked up in surprise.
“Play for me so that I can get to know your talents. I want to support you and to show you that I believe in you, because I’ve known you for a very long time and know better than to doubt you. I know you may want to do this on your own, but I do have connections that might be able to get you private teachers or jobs, depending on your own talent, of course.”
I could feel tears coming to my eyes. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” He brought a hand up to brush away the wetness from my cheek. “I care about you, Serenity, I really do, don’t you forget that.”
But did he care about me