Bittersweet Sixteen (A Dodie Jenks Novel) (9 page)

Chapter Fifteen

Dinner in Dover was awesome. We ate at a posh bistro that Leopold recommended. He knew the chef so we got special treatment. And after dinner, while we had dessert, Grandma left us alone so she could run an errand. I sipped my hot chocolate while we waited for our crepe and berry dessert to arrive and admired Leopold. When I came downstairs from changing clothes I found he’d done so as well. Gone were the jeans and pullover, exchanged for a navy suit and a red striped tie that matched the dress I wore.

“How’d you know what I was wearing?” I finally asked.

“I know what you’re thinking, Dodie. Have you forgotten that?”

I had and my face flushed with heat. “Can you always tell what I’m thinking?”

“Not always, but for the most part yes.”

“Oh. Is there a way for me to prevent it?”

He reached for his cappuccino.  “Yes, it’s called shielding. You do it sometimes without knowing it. But for the most part you’re like an open book to me.”

“Then—”

“Yes, I know you want to kiss me.”

My face flamed and I found it hard to swallow.

“It’s okay. I want to kiss you too, but I’m conflicted. As your mentor and possible savior, I’m not sure it is wise that we go down that road. At least not yet. I need to focus on the task at hand. So much is riding on my breaking the curse. More than you know.”

I found it hard to speak, so I lamely nodded.

“Just know that I do like you, Dodie. I like you far more than I probably should.”

“Voila!” The waiter set the large platter of crepes filled with berries, drizzled with chocolate and topped with whipped crème down on the table. “Enjoy.”

I eyed Leopold for a moment before taking a spoon and carefully lifting one of the crepes onto my plate without losing the filling. “I bet I can eat two of these.”

“I bet you can too.” He grinned. “But I can eat four.”

“Oh. Really?”

“Sure.”

“Let’s see.”

He scooped up two onto his plate and dug in, finishing them off within a matter of minutes. I, on the other hand, took it slower, savoring every morsel, finishing my second one without feeling like I had overindulged, even though I had.

When the check came, he paid and we left, going down the street toward the theater to see what was playing. Grandma came out of the greeting card store and walked toward us.

“Finished already?”

“Yes.”

She smiled. “Well, it’s still early, and we don’t have to rush back home. If you want to catch a movie or go skating at the ice rink set up in the center of the mall, then I’ll do a little shopping.”

I turned to Leopold to see if he was going to object, but he didn’t. He even left it up to me as to what we’d do. So we agreed to meet back in two and a half hours in front of the bistro.

“What is it going to be?” he asked as we continued toward the theater.

“I don’t know yet. Do you know what is playing?”

“No.”

“Do you like action adventure or horror best?”

“Action.”

“What about drama or romantic comedy?”

“Comedy.”

I grinned at him. “I wouldn’t have guessed that.”

“Why? Cause I’m a guy? I’d much rather laugh than come out of the show depressed by a heart-wrenching drama.”

“Fair enough.” We scanned the marquee for the selection of films and show times and it turned out we missed the start of the movie we agreed on by twenty minutes. “Drats. Oh well. Do you skate?”

“Sure, but do you want to do that for two and a half hours?”

“Not really.” I thought for a moment. “Let’s go shopping.”

He made a face.

“Come on, Leopold. It’ll be fun. We can check out the record store and the novelty store. I’m sure there has to be one around here.”

“Okay as long as we stay away from clothing stores. I am not waiting outside a dressing room while you try on clothes.”

I laughed, grabbing his hand and pulling him along behind me. “Great idea. I need to find a dress for my birthday party.”

“Dodie.”

I ignored him and kept on walking down the sidewalk, weaving our way in and out of the throng of pedestrians toward the large department store.

“Dodie, I’m serious.”

“I’m sure you are, but I have no idea what I should wear for the party. And I know you will be straightforward about what looks right and what doesn’t. And just because we are going shopping doesn’t mean we have to look for only me things, we could also look for you something spectacular to wear. I think Grandma said she wanted this to be a formal affair. So do you think you should wear a tux or a dark suit?”

“If that is the case then you needn’t worry. I have a tux.”

“You own one?” I look at him surprised, but I really shouldn’t be. He’d studied with a chef so why wouldn’t he have a tux?

“Okay. If you want my help to find you the perfect dress for your party then let’s do it.”

“Really?”

“I said it didn’t I?”

I hugged him. “Yes you did.”

The hug was one-sided at first, but he soon relaxed into it and hugged me back. For the first time since this whole thing started, I felt safe and protected like he would not let anything harm me. And as soon as that feeling came it was gone because he stepped away from me, took my hand in his and led me into the department store.

We took the escalator up to the second floor and found the teen department. We were in luck because they had formal wear out already for the upcoming holiday season. In fact they had so much taffeta, organza, tulle, beaded and sparkling material that I felt a little overwhelmed. And if I felt that way I was sure Leopold did too. I glanced at him and watched as he took his coat off and draped it over his arm.

“What color?” he asked.

“Maybe blue?”

“Dark? Pale? Medium?”

I shrugged, taking off my coat and dropping it in the chair at the end of the long rack of dresses along the wall. There were floor-length gowns, tea length and cocktail dresses of every shape and size. I was halfway through the rack when a sales lady came over to see if she could help.

I told her about the party and what I thought I needed and she began pulling out several dresses for me to try. She even asked my shoe size and called down to the shoe department and they sent up a few pairs for me to try with the dresses. Leopold picked up my coat to hold and sat down in the chair while I went to try on the selection.

Picking the lowest of the high heels, I walked carefully out and let him see each dress. I even had him take a photo with my phone so I could remember what I looked like to help choose. By the time I was through I was torn between a black organza strapless sweetheart floor-length gown with purple floral appliques and sequins and a tulle strapless gown in a champagne brown color with an off-white embroidered bodice and two flowers down the front.

“What about the blue one with the rhinestones?” Leopold asked. “That one was cute.”

“The pink one was cute too, but I don’t know. Maybe I should get Grandma’s opinion before I make a final decision. What do you think?”

“Out of those four I have to admit you looked natural in them. They were you. I didn’t feel you were trying to be someone you weren’t and I believe that is what you should strive for when buying a dress like that.”

I thanked the sales lady for her help and told her we’d be back. Then we headed out to the ice rink. The temperature had dropped several degrees and it felt more like ice skating weather than it had earlier.

We rented skates and joined the other skaters on the ice making loops around the perimeter. At one point I felt brave enough to try my hand at a twirl or two. Leopold applauded my effort and I made a curtsy, laughing. When it was couples skate, Leopold took my hands in his and we made the loop a few times while colored lights flashed on the ice and the DJ played what he considered a romantic song. But I’ve heard better ones. When the song ended we skated over to the side and sat down on the bench, removing the skates and exchanging them for our own shoes.

“Let’s get some hot chocolate before we go to meet up with Cherie.”

“Okay.” I rubbed my hands together and blew on them, wishing I’d thought to bring my gloves with me.

Leopold took my hands between his and rubbed them before blowing on them. His breath was so warm tingles ran up and down my spine and my own breath caught in my throat. He sheepishly looked up at me through thick lashes and his dark eyes bore into mine as he slowly kissed the tips of my fingers, caressing each one with his lips. If only he’d really kiss me like that, but I know he can’t or won’t. Not yet.

As if he knew where my thoughts had gone, he dropped my hands and went to get the hot chocolate. I let out the sigh I had been holding and watched him leave. I buttoned my coat and stuffed my hands into my pockets while I waited for him to return.

The chilling wind began to blow along the center of the mall and I shivered.

Dodie.

I blinked. Had someone just called my name? I listened closely and scanned the area.

Dodie. Dodie, come to me.

There it was again. Was I imagining things? I continued to look around the ice rink to see if I saw anyone I recognized, but the only person was Leopold and he had his back to me as he stood in line for the hot chocolate.

I pulled the collar of my coat closer together at the neck and walked toward the refreshment stand, deciding I didn’t want to wait alone for him to return. Maybe I didn’t even want to wait long enough to get the hot chocolate. I glanced at my watch and saw it was almost time to meet Grandma.

“Hey, I changed my mind about the hot chocolate. Can we just go?”

He looked at me with his brows furrowed together clearly studying me. “Sure. If that’s what you want.”

“It is. I think I just want to go home.”

“Okay.” He stepped out of line and wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close as we head back toward the bistro and where we’d parked. We didn’t talk, which was fine with me and I tried not to think about what happened so he wouldn’t read my thoughts.

Grandma was waiting for us with the car running when we got to the parking lot. She sat in the back seat alone, holding her head with one hand. She tried to act like everything was fine as we got into the front of the car, but I could tell something was wrong.

“I’m going to let you drive, Leopold. If you don’t mind,” she said.

“No I don’t mind. Is everything okay, Cherie?”

“It’s been a long day and I think this afternoon’s excitement has caught up to me. Did you two have fun?”

“Yes.” I handed her my phone and showed her how to work the photo gallery while Leopold maneuvered the car from the parking area to the street, leading to the interstate.

“These are all lovely dresses, Dodie. Which do you like the best?”

“That’s the problem. I like them all, but I know I have to choose one. If this is the type of dress I should wear.”

“Yes. It’s definitely the right style of dress for the evening. Let’s plan on coming back on Saturday and making a final decision.”

“Okay.”

I took my phone back and turned around, putting my seat belt on as Leopold merged the car onto the interstate. I adjusted the heater when the temp got a little too warm and the windows began to fog up. While I played with the controls Leopold reached over and took hold of my hand, giving it a little squeeze. I looked at him and he winked before returning his hand back to the steering wheel.

Chapter Sixteen

The rest of the week seemed to fly and before I knew it, Saturday had arrived and Grandma and I were headed back into Dover to the mall to look at dresses. All thoughts of the strange voice calling my name had been put out of my mind because I had too many other things to worry with. Schoolwork for one. Chemistry class with Leopold was turning into a challenge. I paid far more attention to him physically than the lessons he was teaching. 
He’d ended class early twice because of it. He’d given me a stern lecture the first time and the second he’d assigned a ten page critical essay that I had to prepare for Monday.

No one was to blame but me. I knew he could read my mind and yet I’d found it hard to concentrate so shielding my thoughts was out of the question. I’d watched his lips move as he spoke and the next thing I knew I was recalling how they’d felt when they’d kissed the tips of my fingers at the ice rink. And the thought of kissing had led me to imagining he’d kissed more than my fingertips, he’d been unable to stop there, and he’d pulled me into his arms and pressed his lips to mine.

My first real kiss.

I sighed, remembering how warm I’d gotten and that is when Leopold had slammed the textbook closed and stormed out of the kitchen only to return a few minutes later with an essay question. I didn’t care how many essay questions he assigned me. I couldn’t stop thinking about kissing him. In fact, I was almost afraid I’d die without knowing what it felt like to kiss a boy. And I feared that is why I’d become so obsessed with imagining Leopold kissing me.

I sighed again and released my seat belt.

“What’s wrong, Dodie?” Grandma asked, parking outside the mall.

“Boys.”

“Boys as in plural? Or just one boy in particular?”

I faced her and saw the knowing smile on her lips.

“A particular boy.”

“But he isn’t really a boy, now is he? He’s more like a man trapped in a young body.”

“I think that is our problem. He’s so much older and wiser than I am. I’m too young, but I think I’m falling for him.”

“First crush?” she asked.

I nodded.

She pulled the keys out of the ignition and dropped them in her purse. “Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will work itself out. Just give it time. If it is meant to be it will.”

“But what if it’s not?”

She winked at me. “Then they’ll be another boy and another until you find the right one. That’s why dating is so much fun.”

We got out of the car and walked to the department store. The same sales clerk was working that had been here the other night and she remembered me.

“Come back for a dress?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Excellent. We got a shipment of a few more dresses this morning. You may want to take a look at them before you make a decision. As I recall you looked exceptionally pretty in the blue with the sequins bodice.” She came from behind the counter and walked toward the racks of dresses and pulled out an azure blue tulle dress with sparkles in the netting of the skirt.

“Oh Dodie.” Grandma walked forward and fingered the material. “I know you looked lovely in the dresses you tried on the other night, but I think this is it. Of course you should try it on and see if you like it first, but the color is lovely. Don’t you think?”

My mouth had gone dry when I saw the dress and I could see myself wearing it, running through the woods. I don’t know where I was going or why I was there in the dress, but there was a fog swirling around me. I swallowed, feeling a chill creep up my spine and I tried to smile. “It is lovely.”

“I’ll hang it in the dressing room for you. There’s a bra built into the bodice so no additional foundation garment is needed.” The sales clerk walked toward the dressing rooms as she talked. “And I’ll call down and have a pair of heels sent up. There’s a pair this same shade of blue that isn’t too high of a heel that I think will go perfect with it. I remember how you preferred the shorter heel.”

“Okay.”

“What about jewelry? Do you have anything selected for the special occasion?” she asked. “If not, I can have something brought over from our jewelry department.”

“That won’t be necessary. She’ll be wearing a family heirloom,” Grandma said, smiling at me.

I went into the room and changed out of my clothes, putting on the blue gown, letting it fall around my slender hips. I’m amazed at how a simple change in clothing could make me go from a dodgy girl into a striking young woman. When I stepped out of the room, Grandma zipped up the back of the bodice and the sales clerk set the shoes down for me to slip my feet into, fastening the straps around my ankles. I walked toward the three-paned mirror and stepped up on the small rise to get a better look at myself.

“It’s a perfect fit.” The sales clerk stated the obvious.

I lifted the hem of the dress so I could examine the shoes that felt like my feet belonged in them. Though the heel was less than two inches, I did not feel like I would fall when I walked. I turned and looked at my Grandmother, smiling.

“We’ll take the dress and the shoes,” she announced.

“Excellent. Will you need a wrap or a purse to go with the dress?”

“No.” I stepped down from the rise and turned for Grandma to let her unzip me before I went into the dressing room to change back into my clothes. Hanging the dress back on the hanger, I couldn’t wait to see Leopold’s reaction when he sees me in this dress. I like the fact that he hasn’t seen me in it yet.

While we wait for the sales clerk to place the dress in a garment bag and ring it and the shoes up, Grandma and I browse the clearance rack of wraps and small clutch purses. “I have a dress this would go excellent with,” she said.

“What are you going to wear?”

“I don’t know yet, but I have plenty of cocktail dresses and ball gowns I can choose from. Believe it or not, I was quite the social butterfly at one time. I’ve been blessed that I have not gained an ounce in years so I can still wear everything in my closet. I just have to wait for some styles to become trendy again.”

Soon enough we were outside again, walking across the open mall toward the parking lot. The wind began to blow and I kept a close watch on our surroundings, recalling how I’d heard the mysterious voice the other night. Leaves blew along the concrete plaza. The ice rink was a busy place with families and groups of teens taking advantage of the opportunity to skate.

“You know, Dodie, it’s a shame that Franklin doesn’t have a skating rink. It really doesn’t have much to offer our young people anymore. Just the soda fountain that they revived a few years ago and the movie theater that can offer only two films at a time.”

“What do they do if they want to skate?”

“Most of the folks go down to Thompson’s pond once it freezes over in the winter, but that doesn’t happen until late January or early February.”

“I guess they have to travel out of town if they want to skate before Christmas?”

She nodded. “Come on, let’s head to the car. I have a surprise for you.”

Another surprise? First she tells the clerk I’ll be wearing a family heirloom with the dress to my party and now this. I wondered what it could be as a chill in the air whipped around me and the wind blew harder, making it difficult to walk.

“Goodness, this wind is biting clear through my coat,” Grandma said, pulling the collar of her coat close to protect her face.

Dodie.

Dodie, I see you. Soon you will be mine.

I gasped and stopped walking when I heard the strange voice again. It was one thing to hear my name being called, but it’s another to hear that I would soon belong to whoever was calling it. A shiver ran up my spine and I couldn’t help but imagine someone had just walked over my grave.

“What is it?” Grandma asked, turning to look at me where I stood motionless,
finding it difficult to breath

I shook myself and began walking again, not wanting to worry her.
It was definitely time to tell Leopold about the voice. I just hope he isn’t too upset with me for not telling him when it first happened, but I had really hoped it had been my imagination.

I finally managed to speak. “Nothing.”

“If you’re sure?” She looked concerned as if she didn’t believe me but was willing to let it drop.

I nodded and we turned toward the parking area. Grandma opened the trunk and I carefully laid the garment bag inside with the box of shoes. When she closed the trunk she winked and smiled at me, locking the car back.

“I thought we were leaving?”

“Not yet. I told you I have a surprise for you.”

I followed her back to the street side of the mall and we walked past the bistro we’d ate at earlier in the week. A few doors down there is a café and through the large glass window I saw my mom sitting at a booth. I hurried inside and she stood up, giving me a hug as soon as I reached her.

“I’ve missed you, Dodie,” she said, squeezing me tight before letting me go.

Grandma removed her coat and hung it on the hook at the end of the booth before sliding in. “How are you, Glynis?”

“I’m good. How about you? Has Dodie been behaving herself?”

I rolled my eyes. It wasn’t like I was a child who got into mischief or would wreak havoc through the house.

“She’s been an excellent house guest. Her studies are going nicely too. Her tutor raves about her intellect and is already bemoaning the end of their time together.”

I smiled to myself. Ms. Pritz is a suck up.

“How are things working out with Leopold?” my mom asked, scooting into the booth. “I wanted to ask when we were on the phone the other night, but Robert was there. Brody came home proclaiming he didn’t care for Leopold and that was all Robert needed to hear. But when I questioned Brody, he couldn’t give me a reason why he feels that way.”

“Brody and Anson, the boy next door, don’t like Leopold because he’s different than them.”

“I see.” Mom smiled. “And what do you think of him?”

“He’s an excellent chemistry teacher and I believe he’s working hard on finding a way to break the curse.”

“But that didn’t answer my question Dodie. What do you think of him?”

I picked up the menu. “I like him.”

Grandma chuckled.

“Is there something I’m missing?” Mom asks. “Does my little girl have a crush?”

I put down the menu and glanced at her. “Is it that obvious?”

“Well, Brody said you started wearing makeup. I just figured there had to be a reason for it. And what happened to your favorite jeans, t-shirt and hoody combo?”

My cheeks heated and I knew I was blushing. I shrugged, trying to make light of the change in my dress. “I saw my closet at Grandma’s and decided I had thirty days to try to wear it all.”

“You even cut your hair, not much, but enough to tell a difference. And it’s styled different.”

I nodded. “I guess not being in the shadow of Callie and Lisa all the time made me realize I could be pretty too.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it. I wondered when you’d recognize your own identity. I’m sure they’ll be surprised when they see you at the party.” Mom smiled and reached for a six-by-nine manila envelope inside her purse. She laid it on the table and pushed it toward my Grandma. “Cherie, Robert and I want to help with the preparations. I know you said you’d do it all, but we want to contribute too. There’s money and the addresses you asked for in there.”

“Thank you.”

A waitress came by and we placed our food order then Grandma told my mom all about her plans for the party. I half listened while thinking about the voice I’d heard again and how it said I’d soon belong to it. Was this part of the curse? Had Portia heard a voice too before she became ill with the fever and died? Or was this something new, especially for me, to try to drive me mad until the appointed hour?

Our visit with mom was too short and before I knew it we were hugging goodbye and going our separate ways. I learned one thing though. Brody wasn’t coming out this weekend. He had a big date with Sasha tonight. This was excellent because that meant that Anson would more than likely stay away too. And I needed some alone time with Leopold to discuss the voice.

He was waiting outside for us when we arrived. He had his hands shoved in his jeans pockets and he was pacing up and down the walk, which was so very much unlike his normal cool demeanor.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as soon as I got out of the car.

He placed a finger over his lips indicating I should be quiet and I wondered who he thought might overhear our conversation. Grandma opened the trunk and I got out my dress and shoe box before we went into the house.

“Can we talk in here?” I asked him.

He shook his head.

I frowned and went up the stairs to put away my new things. It surprised me that he followed me, even into my room. He closed the door and leaned against it. This was the first time he’d ever been in my room and I wasn’t sure if he should be there, but I didn’t want to act like a scared rabbit either. So I pretended like it was no big deal that he was there.