Page 45 of The Finder

“What’s wrong with Kevin?” Emma asked, curious.

Madison shrugged. “He’s just not for you,” she said.

“Well, I’m not sure what that means but I’m not going out with him tonight. I’m going out with Garrett,” Emma said.

Madison squealed. “Really?”

Emma’s eyebrows rose. “So, you’re okay that I go out with Garrett, just not Kevin.”

“Exactly,” Madison said. “We have so much to do.” She grabbed her phone and made a phone call. A few minutes later she hung up. “Okay. First, we need to fit in your training for the day; then we are hitting the road.”

“Where are we going?” Emma asked warily.

“We’re getting you date-ready,” Madison threw out over her shoulder as she went up the stairs.

“I don’t think I’m going to like this,” Emma called out to her retreating back.

“Too bad,” Madison said before disappearing into her room.

Emma sighed and went to her room to get dressed for working out. Two hours later, Emma trudged upstairs and took a shower. “We’re leaving in five,” Madison yelled from the hall. Emma got dressed quickly and grabbed her purse and coat. She had no idea what Madison had in store, but she was not looking forward to it.

The day ended up being just as crazy as Emma thought it would be. First, Madison took her to her hair salon where her favorite stylist had been able to squeeze Emma in because Madison had told her it was an emergency. Then they were off for manis and pedis. Madison dragged her to her favorite boutique for a dress, since Emma didn’t have anything that would work, according to Madison.

When they got home, Emma thought she would be able to rest. She was wrong. Madison got started on her. She made her shower and shave, while keeping her blowout dry. Then she did Emma’s makeup and touched up her hair. Finally, she made Emma get dressed. Now, it was just before seven, and Emma was exhausted.

“All right, are you ready to see the final product?” Madison asked.

Emma nodded. Madison took Emma’s hand and pulled her into her room where there was a large mirror hanging on the wall. “Close your eyes,” Madison said. Emma obliged. “All right, you can look.”

Emma opened her eyes and stared at the person in the mirror. She didn’t recognize herself. The hairdresser had taken several inches off her long hair to get it healthy again. She had layered it and put light blonde highlights in it. Then she had given her a blowout. The hairdresser said it would last anywhere from three to five days. Emma couldn’t believe how soft and shiny it was. She loved it. She wasn’t used to seeing it straight. Next, she took in her dress. Emma hadn’t been convinced a dress was the best option for tonight, but Madison had proved her wrong. She was wearing a thin navy-blue dress that sported the cold shoulder look. She hadn’t known it was called that until Madison told her. The dress came almost to her knees, and Madison had paired it with a pair of nude heels, and a pretty long necklace and earrings. Emma actually really liked the outfit. Lastly, she looked at her makeup.

“You should really become a makeup artist,” Emma said.

Madison laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment.

Emma just stared at herself. She loved the blush and lipstick Madison had used, but what really caught her attention were her eyes. Madison had gone for a smokey eye look that Emma could never reproduce in a hundred years. Her eyes popped, but it wasn’t overly dramatic. She really liked it. Madison gave her a clutch to borrow for the night. Emma turned away from the mirror. “I don’t know. I look really dressy. What if we go somewhere casual?”

“First of all, you will be fine in that outfit no matter where you go. Second of all, it’s Garrett. He's going to take you somewhere fancy.” She sounded so sure. Emma really hoped she was right. Madison and Emma both stopped what they were doing when they heard the front door open. They heard the guys talking, and then she heard Garrett’s deep voice. Panic hit her then.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Emma said, turning to Madison.

“Breathe. You’re going to be fine. I promise. Now go,” she said, waving Emma towards the door.

Emma took a deep breath and walked out into the hallway. When she got to the top of the stairs, she froze. Garrett stood by the kitchen looking up at her. He was wearing a suit and looked amazing, as always. He moved towards the stairs as she came down. She stopped on the first step, and he came and stood in front of her. With her heels and the added height of the step, she was eye-level with him. “You look beautiful,” Garrett said in a low voice. He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair. “You got your hair done.” Emma nodded. “It looks really good,” he said softly. “Are you ready?”

Emma took a deep breath and nodded. He gently wrapped his hand around her elbow. He turned so he was no longer blocking him from the room. Whistles and catcalls sounded a moment later. Emma’s face blushed, and Garrett scowled at the guys. Liam called out, “If he doesn’t treat you well, give me a chance.” Emma chuckled and Garrett growled. Then they were out the door.

Garrett led her down the steps towards a car, a really nice car. Emma stopped and stared at it. She wasn’t a car person, but she knew just by looking at it that this was top of the line. “What kind of car is that?” she asked.

“A Bugatti,” Garrett said with a shrug, as if it were no big deal.

Emma would have to look it up later on her phone to see what the thing was worth. Garrett opened the door for her and Emma awkwardly climbed into the car. It was low to the ground. The interior was immaculate, just what you thought the inside of an incredibly expensive car would be. Garrett came around and slid in smoothly, making her envious. She had no idea how he did that with his large frame.

“No Max tonight?” Emma asked.

Garrett shook his head. “Nope. Just you and me.” He looked over at her. “You ready?”

Emma took a deep breath. “Yes.”

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