Minutes passed before I finally turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, letting my feet rest on the cool tile floor. With my hand, I wiped the condensation from the mirror and stared at my own reflection for a few seconds. I removed the shower cap, setting it down on the counter top, and brushed my teeth again. After towel drying my skin, I slipped into my bathrobe to do my make-up before putting on my dress.
Finished. I carefully looked over the details of my face making sure that everything was exactly the way I wanted it. When I was satisfied, I removed my scarf and let my hair fall. I’d decided to go with a semi up-do. The top was gathered in a bundle of curls while the back cascaded down just past my shoulder blades. Just to be extra cautious, I put on my perfume before sliding into my dress. Next, I put on my shoes and jewelry and then walked over to my full length mirror on the back of my closet door to evaluate the finished product. I was pleased and imagined that Antonio would be too. The blue satin dress I’d fallen in love with the moment I laid eyes on it, was a strapless number that hugged my figure to about halfway down my thighs before fanning out down to my ankles, reminiscent of a mermaid. My chest was a little more exposed than I remembered it being when I first tried the dress on in the store, but it wasn’t budging as I frantically struggled to pull it up. I could only hope that my father wouldn’t flip out. He hadn’t seen it yet and my plan was to wait until the day of the dance, so he’d have no choice but to let me wear it. Mom agreed that this was the best way.
Glancing at the mirror one last time, I grabbed my purse from the bed and headed down the stairs. The doorbell rang before I could reach the bottom step. Daddy got to the door before I could because it was difficult to maneuver in my dress. It almost seemed like he was racing me there, which I wouldn’t doubt for one second. He was probably hoping it would be Antonio so he could pull him aside to threaten him or something before entrusting me to him for the remainder of the evening.
He got his wish; it was Antonio. When daddy stepped aside to let him in, I braced myself against the stair rail as I suddenly felt my knees giving way in response to my nervousness. Antonio looked every bit as handsome as I’d imagined he would. Reminding myself to breathe, I took in every detail of him as he began to walk toward me.
“You look beautiful,” he said in his low baritone, trying not to let his eyes drift down from my face with my father watching him so closely.
“You look good too”, I replied. He was cautious as he greeted me with only a hug, fully aware of Daddy’s presence behind him. Over Antonio’s shoulder, my father motioned for me to pull my dress up with an angry scowl fixed on his face. When Antonio released me from his embrace, I tugged at the dress again, trying to comply with my father’s request. Antonio was staring at me when I looked up and I could only stand it for a few seconds before I had to turn away. My head dropped, my eyes focused on my shoes, and I tried to hold my composure. Being near him made the butterflies even more intense than they were when we spoke over the phone.
The doorbell rang again, startling me just a little. Leslie and Terrence walked through the door hand-in-hand. Before I could even say ‘Hi’, she was snapping pictures with the camera her parents got her for her birthday. One by one my friends arrived until finally everyone was there. By the time we finished taking pictures and showing off our fancy attire, the limo was already waiting and we were on our way.