Chapter 21: Sunday Evening, Planning

Sunday, February 12, 2023, 9:15 p.m.

With her daughter settled into her bed, the adults were stretched out in the master bedroom.

“I’m glad to be finally out of that wheelchair and ready for bed, it’s really hard on my butt. I’m going to buy a better one, and then we can return this one to the hospital and get your deposit back.

“Melanie, did I convince you to quit your job tomorrow?”

“You did, and I’m leaving Amy here with you while I get finished with them.”

“That’s great! So, after you do that, I have a request. Tuesday is Valentine’s Day. I want to have a special evening with you Tuesday night, including a fancy romantic dinner at this exclusive restaurant I know. Do you think you could arrange a sleepover for Amy, with one of her friends?”

“Well, yeah, Jordan’s Uncle Dan would be pleased to host her overnight. But you don’t need to spoil me at some restaurant.”

“I absolutely do. Remember, I was thinking of you and Valentine’s Day back in mid-January, when I left you that first small card and the chocolates. I would be awfully disappointed if you turned me down.”

“OK, so long as you understand it’s not required, as far as I’m concerned.”

“So, part of my request is that tomorrow, after you’re done with your ex-employer, you take the debit card and go to Nordstrom. Tell them you need a special formal gown to impress your boyfriend Tuesday night, and you can spend up to $2,000 on it. And after that, get some shoes to go with the dress. Nordstrom is very well known for their shoe selection, and you should be able to get something that fits comfortably but looks elegant. And finally, let them find you a purse or bag of some kind that also works with the dress and shoes.”

“You’re not serious, are you?”

“I am completely serious. Your boyfriend would be impressed if you wore a potato sack, but Nordstrom doesn’t need to know that. Let them earn their commissions, on my dime. Now, do you have jewelry for your ears and neck?”

“Nothing that would go with a $2000 gown, or even a $200 gown. My ears are pierced, though, as you know.”

“OK, before Nordstrom, first go into whatever jewelry store is nearby, it doesn’t matter which one of them you pick. (I understand they all share the same suppliers.) Tell them your budget is $1500, and you need to decorate your neck and your ears for the big day on Tuesday. Have them show you options, and pick what you prefer.

“Then, when you go to Nordstrom afterwards, they can coordinate your gown with the jewelry. Also, when you walk in bejeweled, it will show them that you are a serious customer and they need to respect you properly.”

“Jacob! This is all too much! You can’t spend this kind of money on me.”

“As I have said many times already, I have a whole lot of money. What I need, is a whole lot of Melanie. You have to believe me when I say, these amounts are absolutely trivial when you have as much socked away as I do. I could spend ten, twenty, forty times as much as this, if I believed you would accept it.

“I’m trying to navigate that balance, so that you and I can enjoy a special night together in an elegant setting. I want you to be relaxed, and not self-conscious about how you are presenting yourself. So please, for the next two days, let me make everything special. Please. Get yourself some sparkles a nice gown, and shoes. Let me do that, so that this Valentine’s Day is special in every way.”

“Jacob, all these days are already special, just being with YOU. I could be wearing a t-shirt and shorts and if you’re there with me on that day, the drive-through lane at Burger King would be my Tunnel of Love.

Alright, that was pretty cheesy. But look at him, he believes it. He loves me. And I love him. And he would take me to Burger King, if that’s what I asked him for. After all, with him in my bed, it is the home of the Whopper.

“I guess, because it’s important to you, I need to be flexible. Also, I will want to have something positive to do with myself after quitting my horrible job tomorrow. I’m getting a pen and paper because I need to write these instructions down. So, jewelry is first. Head and neck. How much money did you say?”