{"id":700,"date":"2011-11-22T06:00:58","date_gmt":"2011-11-21T19:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/?p=700"},"modified":"2013-10-01T12:07:27","modified_gmt":"2013-10-01T19:07:27","slug":"shopping-and-champagne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/?p=700","title":{"rendered":"Season 4: Episode 12"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Willow\u2019s phone rang at about five pm. She looked at the caller ID and smiled. \u201cHey, you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, you back.\u201d Robert sounded tired. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry, I\u2019m stuck at work sorting out the final details of this merger. I\u2019m not going to be able to come and get you at six.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fine,\u201d Willow said, meaning it. \u201cI\u2019ll just see you when you get here.\u201d<\/p>\n

She knew that Robert had some big surprise planned for the evening, but she didn\u2019t care if all they did was curl up on the couch and watch a movie after he\u2019d finished work. Spending any type of time with him always proved to be, well, perfect.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m going to have a car get you and then I\u2019ll meet you as soon as I\u2019m done here. It shouldn\u2019t be too much longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWon\u2019t you tell me where we are going?\u201d she asked, for the hundredth time.<\/p>\n

She heard the smile in his voice as he gave the exact same answer as he always did. \u201cIt\u2019s a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least tell me what I should wear,\u201d Willow pleaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d he conceded. \u201cWear the first thing that you see in your cupboard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRobert,\u201d Willow laughed. \u201cWhat if it\u2019s pyjamas?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen wear pyjamas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Willow heard muffled voices in the background.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to go,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ll see you later.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was about to hang up the phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWillow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a pause. \u201cI\u2019ll see you soon,\u201d he finally said. What he meant, of course, was I love you.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

At exactly six pm there was a knock on the door and Willow grabbed her jacket and handbag. \u201cBye!\u201d she shouted to her housemates, who were having a very low key Friday night staying in and watching videos. When she opened the door she was surprised to see a rather dapper looking gentleman dressed in a black suit and wearing a jaunty cap. He looked a lot like a limousine driver that you see in the movies.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Willow?\u201d<\/p>\n

Willow nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019ll come this way please. I apologise for not being able to park directly out the front; there wasn\u2019t room.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she walked around the corner she realised why the guy looked like a limo driver: He drove a big, shiny, black stretch limousine. He held the door open and Willow got in awkwardly. She had never been in a stretch limousine before. She looked around the interior marvelling at the plush red velvet carpet and tan leather seats. A bottle of Krug sat nestled in an ice bucket. An exquisite bunch of dark purple roses lay across the seat with a handwritten note from Robert.<\/p>\n

Sorry I can\u2019t be there myself. Enjoy, and I\u2019ll see you at the next stop. Xx<\/em><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Robert snuck a glance at his watch. They should have arrived at the Chanel store by now. Willow had Chanel lipstick and perfume and had once quipped to him that it was the only Chanel she could afford, more\u2019s the pity. Well, not anymore. He suppressed a grin and wished he could see her face. He refocussed himself on the meeting. The sooner it was over the sooner he could go and join in the fun.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Willow\u2019s mouth formed a silent \u2018O\u2019 as she was invited into the store and introduced to her personal assistant for the evening, Claudette, who handed her a Champagne cocktail.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve spoken with Mr Fortescue,\u201d she said kindly, \u201cand he apologises that he isn\u2019t here yet. He suggested we get started and he\u2019ll be here as soon as he can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet started?\u201d Willow said, her mind giddy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith your outfit for this evening, of course,\u201d Claudette said, smiling. She leant in and spoke in a low voice. \u201cMr Fortescue wants to make it very clear he loves the way you dress and isn\u2019t trying to change you, but thinks that, and I quote, \u2018you deserve to be spoilt rotten.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Willow blushed and ran her hand over a rack of silk dresses. They felt as smooth and cool as ice cream. She tried to glance at a price tag, but Claudette stepped in.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh yes,\u201d she said. \u201cHe was also adamant that you don\u2019t look at the prices.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Robert shifted in his seat. He was frustrated with himself for not scheduling this meeting for next week, but he honestly didn\u2019t think that it would take this long. He checked his watch again. Damn! He\u2019d missed the shopping part. He\u2019d been so looking forward to seeing Willow trying on all the different outfits. She would have been flustered and embarrassed initially, telling him that she didn\u2019t need expensive new clothes. He knew that she didn\u2019t need them, but he also knew that she would like them, and therefore buying them for her made him happy. He\u2019d just have to get her to do a fashion parade later for him. Then he could take them off her himself. He smiled. He wouldn\u2019t have been able to do that in the shop.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Willow sighed as she settled into the back of the limo. She kept telling herself not to get used to this, but my goodness, it was a lot of fun. She\u2019d been embarrassed initially, flustering around not wanting to try anything on.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not allowed to let you leave until you have at least one thing,\u201d Claudette said, grinning, \u201cso you may as well try something<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

She hadn\u2019t gone overboard – just an outfit for the evening and a pair of shoes. And some new underwear. What girl could resist lace Chanel underwear? She suspected Robert might quite like that part of the outfit too. She grinned and pulled out her phone, sending Robert a quick text message.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Is it the opera next?<\/em><\/p>\n

Thankfully it wasn\u2019t. Even though Julia Roberts had gained an appreciation for opera in Pretty Woman, Willow didn\u2019t know if she would be able to do it justice. She\u2019d tried in the past, but it was one of those things she just didn\u2019t get. As it turned out he\u2019d hired out the private dining room at Vue du Monde for the two of them. Now food; that was something Willow understood. She perused the degustation menu, her mouth watering at the descriptions of the tempting morsels.<\/p>\n

\u201cChampagne?\u201d said the waiter appearing mysteriously behind her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019ll wait,\u201d Willow said. The champagne cocktails had been free flowing at the Chanel store and she wanted to be vaguely sober when Robert arrived.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Robert shook his head, frustrated. The legal stuff for this merger was taking way too long. They would be at this for another few hours. It wasn\u2019t like he even needed to be there anymore really and he doubted that anyone would notice if he snuck out. Willow would have arrived at Vue Du Monde by now and would be waiting. Shopping alone was one thing, but sitting in a restaurant by yourself was something else entirely. He slid out of his seat and went silently out the door of the meeting room. The office was quiet and most of the other people had gone home. His assistant was still there somewhere – he could tell by the half-finished take-away dinner container on her desk. He felt bad that she had to stay so late and made a mental note to give her a day off next week. He had a quick look around to tell her he was heading off, but she must have been in the bathroom. Didn\u2019t matter, he could text her from the road.<\/p>\n

He pushed open the office doors and stepped out onto the street. It was humming with people heading out for the night or going home from after work drinks, a bit wobbly. There were cars everywhere, but he couldn\u2019t see a free cab. He put his hand in his pocket and wrapped it around the small turquoise box, making sure it was still there. Robert smiled to himself. He pulled out his phone and dialled Willow\u2019s number for what he hoped with be the last time that day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m on my way,\u201d he said when she answered. \u201cDon\u2019t go anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The waiter magically appeared beside her as soon as she hung up the phone. She wondered if they had to take a special class to learn how to do that. Impeccable Timing 101.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019ll take that bottle of champagne now,\u201d she said smiling and wriggling her toes in excitement. She sat, anticipation bubbling inside her, and waited for Robert Fortescue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Willow\u2019s phone rang at about five pm. She looked at the caller ID and smiled. \u201cHey, you.\u201d \u201cHey, you back.\u201d Robert sounded tired. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry, I\u2019m stuck at work sorting out the final details of this merger. I\u2019m not going to be able to come and get you at six.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s fine,\u201d Willow said, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[200],"tags":[36,175],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=700"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1273,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700\/revisions\/1273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}