Miles shrugged sheepishly. “Open it.”
Quickly, Letty lifted the lid of the box and parted the red tissue paper inside to reveal an elegant ebony-hued satin gown. It was a simple and classic design with spaghetti straps and delicate ruching across the bodice.
“I think that’s your size right? I picked it up this morning and had Dustin drop it off at the hotel.”
“Umm,” Letty said, clearly shocked at the thought and the beauty of Miles’s gift. “Yeah, this is exactly my size.”
“And you packed a pair of black heels that would look good with it. Try it on.”
In a hurry, Letty slid out of her clothes and pulled the dress over her head. Walking over to the full-length mirror on the bathroom door, Letty admired the dress. It fit her like a glove.
“Oh, Miles! It’s gorgeous!”
“You’re gorgeous. Get done. We’re going out.”
“Okay, where are we going?” Letty asked with a surprised smile.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out… Oh, one more thing,” Miles said as he reached into his pant pocket.
Miles pulled out a red velvet satchel. Untying the drawstring, Miles pulled out a gold chain with a Claddagh pendant attached.
“This belonged to my mother,” Miles explained to Letty as he placed the pendant in her hands. “The hands stand for friendship. You were my friend first. The heart stands for love. You know you’ve always had mine, and that won’t change. The crown stands for loyalty. I think it’s clear where our loyalties lie. With each other. My mother loved you. She loved the man I was becoming with you at my side. I think she’d be honored to know that it’s you who I chose to give one of her most prized possessions.”
Tears filled up Letty’s eyes as she stared down at the pendant. Looking up at Miles, she smiled sheepishly. “Put it on me,” Letty said breathlessly.
“What an honor, Miles. It’s gorgeous. I loved Andie, too. She was an amazing woman. I see a lot of her in you.”
“I sure hope so,” Miles said as he regarded Letty’s appearance in the mirror.
“I’m going to change, then I’m going to take you out.”
Letty nodded as she gave herself one last glance in the mirror. Finally, she let out a breath and turned to finish getting ready with a satisfied smile.
Juan’s head fell limply to the side as his eyes rolled open slightly. Everything was blurry. His stomach wrenched with pain and his skull felt like it was fractured. He could sense that he was riding in a vehicle, and he still couldn’t move his limbs. Rolling his head down, Juan realized that it wasn’t from paralysis. Juan couldn’t move his limbs because of the rope that bound his wrists and ankles. G sat quietly beside him, tied tightly around the waist to his grandfather’s arm.
“Hey, look who’s decided to join us!” a man in the passenger seat of the car yelled out.
The voice was so familiar to Juan. But before he could make the connection, his eyes rolled in the back of his head and everything went black once more.
“How many?” the hostess at the Valentino asked Miles as he approached with Letty to the service desk.
“Two, please,” Miles replied in a cool voice as he looked at Letty and gave her a wink.
“Right this way, sir,” the hostess said, leading the way through the dimly lit restaurant. Miles was dressed in black from head to toe, with a handsome collared shirt, black slacks, a pair of nice patent leather shoes and, to add just a splash of color, a simple charcoal grey tie. His hair was combed back and still appeared to be wet from his shower. Letty couldn’t take her eyes off of him. She had cleaned up well herself. Her elegant black dress fit her like a glove. She pulled a few strands of her brown hair back with a hairpin and let the rest fall in graceful waves down her back and over her shoulder. Miles’s mother’s pendant made the perfect accessory to her ensemble.
Sections of the dining room were lit up with different color lights. Some sections had couches gathered together in intimate groupings while other areas had tables that were blocked off from public view. The restaurant was a favorite for celebrities and high-profile figures due to the privacy many of the dining nooks provided.
“Something more private, perhaps?” the hostess asked.
Miles snickered. “That would be ideal, thank you.”
Letty pushed her tongue in her cheek as she tried to stifle a laugh. It didn’t work. Her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment, almost matching the hue of her lipstick. The hostess led the way through a long hallway, Letty’s heels clicking softly behind her.
“Here we are,” the hostess said as she led Miles and Letty to a private nook. Sitting down on the purple plush couch, Miles and Letty scooched together as the hostess left them with a pair of menus.
“This is pretty flashy,” Letty said as she lifted her eyebrows.
Miles laughed. “This weekend is special.”