Chapter 59
Samantha’s POV
“You’re going, and that’s final,” Annie said, cutting through my thoughts as I stared at the red dress laid out on my bed. “You have spent the entire day pacing back and forth like a caged animal. The least you can do is see where this date leads,” she added and I sighed.
I shook my head, biting my lip. “I don’t know, Annie. What if this is a mistake? What if he is just... doing this for the kids? Or to make himself feel better? I don’t want to end up—”
“Stop.” Annie’s hands landed on my shoulders, forcing me to turn and meet her gaze. “You deserve this, Samantha. You have been punishing yourself for so long that you have forgotten what it feels like to just live a little. And Dominic...” She sighed, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I see the way he looks at you. Whatever his reasons were before, they are different now.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but her expression left no room for debate. Instead, I glanced back at the dress with its vibrant red fabric shimmering softly in the evening light. “I feel like this is too much,” I muttered.
“It’s perfect.” Annie walked over to the dresser, picked up a pair of heels, and set them next to the dress. “Trust me, he won’t know what hit him.”
Despite feeling nervous a small smile crept onto my face.
“Now, get ready. He’ll be here soon.”
By the time I had slipped into the dress and finished my makeup, I heard Dominic’s car pulling up outside, making me feel jittery inside, and I was not sure if it was because I felt nervous, or excited about this. This was the first time I was going out on a date, and I was not sure what to do and how this would work out. I smoothed my hands over the dress one last time, stealing a glance in the mirror, realizing that Annie was right, the dress was perfect. But the woman staring back at me looked more nervous than confident.
“Stop overthinking,” Annie whispered as she nudged me toward the door. “You’ve got this.”
When I opened the door, Dominic was standing there. He looked stunning as always, his tailored suit fitting him perfectly, but it was the way his eyes softened when they landed on me that made my breath catch.
“You look...” He paused, a smile tugging at his lips. “Beautiful.”