Out of The Box Awakening (30 page)

I tell Ash that I’ve ordered custom designed guitar straps for the guys from a company called Ovation Leather in El Paso.

“Custom designed? Olivia, that’s awesome. They’re going to love that! How in the world did you come up with that idea?”

“Knowing music is pretty much their life made it pretty much a no brainer. And I’ve seen their guitar straps, which don’t appear to be anything special. I wanted to give them something that was designed especially for them and reflected a little bit of who each one is. I did a little research and this company does incredible work. Their designer came up with a design for each of them with their initials and something unique on each one. I told him a little bit about each guy and he sent me drawings of what he came up with for each one, which totally exceeded my expectations. I can’t wait until they get here!”

“And what, my dear did you come up with for Brian?”

“Oh, that’s even better.”

“Do tell!”

“Well, I don’t know too much about famous drummers, but I wanted to get him something from a drumming rock legend. I just remember that Iron Butterfly did a fabo drum solo back in the ‘70s and it was the best! Remember?”

“Ummmmm, of course I remember.”

“Well, I got Brian a pair of autographed Ron Bushy drumsticks.”

“Seriously? No kidding? Where the hell did you find them?”

“Oh, my dear, you can do anything on the Internet. I also had them authenticated, so they’re the real deal.”

“Liv, he’s gonna love them!”

“I sure hope so.”

Ash cocks his head to the side and brushes my face with his hand. “Once again, this solidifies why you are ‘Mine.’”

Ash is right on time to pick me up after work and we head to the mall to shop. He picks me up in his Mercedes. As we’re driving, I feel much better knowing that I am getting shopping done, since I feel like I’m really behind. We arrive at the mall and begin our shopping quest like we’re on a mission because Ash knows exactly where we’re headed apparently. “Where are we starting out?”

“Just follow me!” He takes my hand as we walk into the Louis Vuitton store and I look at him confused. “What are we doing here?”

“Well, you said you wanted a brief case and laptop cases…”

“Well, yeah, I did, but I can’t afford anything in here, Ash, you know that.” I sort of sense where this is going.

“Let’s just look…come on.” He takes my hand and leads me into the store.

Of course, I would love to have absolutely every piece in this store! I can honestly say that I don’t have an LV bag, but would kill to have one for myself! We browse all the exquisite items and a sales lady comes over to us.

“Mr. Harper! How good to see you!”

“Gabrielle, my friend! Good to see you as well!”

“So, what can I help you find tonight?”

“We’re looking for a lady’s briefcase and three laptop cases for men. Can you help us?”

“Of course I can! Let me just pull some things for you to look at. Please…”

She directs us over to the counter and we sit. I’m not surprised that he knows the sales lady…of course he does! He knows everyone! I wonder what he’s bought here before and for whom. Suddenly, I feel a pang of jealousy, for which I have no basis of feeling. Gabrielle is a very pretty young lady. Maybe it’s the way she looks at Ash. Maybe I should just damn stop over-thinking things. Geez! Sometimes I make myself so mad!

She pulls several choices and he looks at them all, inspecting them with precision. I look at them all, and they are beautiful. She looks to him for his assessment.

“Well, I would say the Cupertino for Lainey and the Steeve for the boys.” Ash says, “What do you think, hon?”

I am speechless. There is no way in hell I can afford these, and he’s put me on the spot.

“They’re beautiful. Just beautiful. Wow!”

He smiles at Gabrielle. “Well, you heard what the lady said I think she likes them!”

“Very good choices, Mr. Harper! So, yes?”

“Yes to all Gabrielle. We’ll take all four!” She takes them to the register to get boxed up. He slips her his credit card, trying to be discreet, but I see him. My face is hot and I am really agitated as I discreetly pull Ash over in the corner.

“Ash, dammit! You know I can’t afford these. No way in hell I can do this! This little transaction is probably no less than nine grand and it definitely isn’t in my budget! I was thinking of spending about eight hundred to a thousand total on their gifts! Can’t we just go to some other places and look around some more, please?”

“Liv, look, the kids deserve this. Please let me do this and don’t fight me.”

“Ash, Hellllloooo? I can’t pay for this! You’ve totally put me on the spot and this is embarrassing! You know how much my independence means to me. I don’t want to be dependent on you to purchase my children’s Christmas gifts. Damn you!” I feel like I’m going to start crying and I’m so mad at myself.

Realizing he’s hit a nerve with me, he laughs and says, “Liv, look, you can pay me back if you want to. Just pay me back as you can. It’s not a big deal, and I seriously don’t know why you’re making this into a big dilemma. Please, let’s just Christmas shop and enjoy the evening, please? Come on. I’m having fun; I enjoy spending money on you and the kids. Look, just wait here and I’ll be right back”

The fact that he’s laughed really makes me mad. I feel as if he is dismissing the fact that he’s put me on the spot. I feel like he is trying to control and take charge of the situation. He leaves me fuming and goes over to the counter and is talking to Gabrielle. They are smiling and laughing. He gets the boxes, which have been put into beautiful shopping bags and comes over to me.

“Ready? I thought our next stop would be at Neiman’s. Let’s get you a knock-out outfit for New Year’s Eve!”

I am totally angry now. I really don’t feel like shopping anymore and have lost the Christmas spirit.

“Ash, you are not buying me anything and you haven’t heard the last of this yet…I swear! You’re not on my list of favorite people right now. I mean it!”

“Ohhhhh! I’m really scared!”

I know he is kidding but this really doesn’t sit well with me. All the independence I’ve attempted to gain has just been shot to hell. He puts his arm around me and tries to tickle me.

“Come on! Let’s go shopping for you!”

Gabrielle comes to walk us out of the store. “Great seeing you again, Mr. Harper. Don’t be a stranger…I’m sure this beautiful lady would love a nice handbag for herself! Come back and I’ll help you pick out the perfect one!”

He kisses her on the cheek and we head out to shop for me. Arrrrrggggh! This man is incorrigible! I have no idea how I’m going to pay for these! This is totally out of my budget, dammit! I’m mad at myself for letting him do this. Yes, the kids are going to love their gifts, but I didn’t pay for them, he did! This takes away from what I had planned and I feel like he has taken control. I am tired of being controlled. I want to do things on my own. I know he wants to do things for me, but right now I just wanted to buy gifts I could afford. How do I handle this? Why did I even let him purchase these? Arghhhhh! Men!

He tells me we are off to look, just look for New Year’s Eve dresses. Just look, huh? Somehow, I think I’ll end up with an entire outfit, from outside down to the lingerie as we head to Neiman Marcus to look for cocktail dresses. We are in the upscale designer department. God! I’ve never in my life shopped these kinds of dresses. Of course, there is a sales lady who knows him. Why does this not surprise me?

“Angie! How are you?”

She comes over to him and kisses his cheek.

He sparkles for her. “How’s my favorite sales lady? Great to see you! How are the kids?”

“Very well, Mr. Harper. All graduated from college, with respectable jobs. They’re all functioning members of society. Thanks so much for asking! And just who do we have here?”

“A very special lady, Angie! She’s actually the love of my life. Beautiful, isn’t she?”

He is beaming and proud. He just melts my damn heart! Angie nods, and extends her hand to me.

Embarrassed, I say, “Ummmm…Pardon him, please. I’m Olivia. So nice to meet you Angie.”

Ash tells her, “We’re looking for an over-the-top cocktail dress for New Year’s Eve. Can you fix her up?”

“Oh, my! Of course we can! Just let me go pull a few things and you just sit here. What are you dear, about a size six?”

“Yes, that’s me!”

“Okay, then, I’ll be right back!”

She pulls several dresses…dresses by designers I have read about, but never actually tried on! After trying on and modeling several for Ash, in blacks, greens, reds and silver, the final one is a fabulous Carmen Marc Valvo navy blue strappy, ruched, to-die-for-beautiful dress. It’s a bit bare for me, but Angie insists I try it.

“You don’t think I’m a bit old to wear something like this?”

“Oh, honey, absolutely not! I think it’s perfect for you.”

I’d just about given up before this one. Each time I put one on and go out to show Ash, he doesn’t seem to feel they are right, and I have to agree, I don’t either. When I put this one on, my body relaxes and I know this is the one I like. I hope he does, too. It is beyond beautiful! Angie comes in to see if I’ve got it on yet.

“Dear God! This was absolutely made for you, honey!”

Angie turns me around to face the mirror.

“Go on…show him! I have a gut feeling this is going to be the one he likes”

I turn look at myself in the mirror. The dress fits me like a glove. This is absolutely the most beautiful dress I have ever tried on. It is perfect! I walk out to where Ash is sitting. When he sees me, his eyes light up. He stands up and opens his arms. 

“Wow! You are absolutely beautiful. Mine?”

“Yes, Yours?”

“This is definitely it! What do you think?” I guess he can tell by my smile what my answer is.

“Angie, we’ll take it!”

“Excellent choice, Mr. Harper She looks fabulous! Let me put it on a hanger for you.”

“I think we need to go to lingerie, next, and then find her some shoes. Can you fix us up?”

“Of course I can! Let me call Val in lingerie I’ll have her pull some things to compliment this dress and this fabulously beautiful woman, Mr. Harper!”

“Thanks, Angie!”

He squeezes my hand and kisses me. Although I remind myself that I am angry with him, I’m beaming! I can’t believe he is paying for this beautiful dress…a dress I could never, ever afford! I look down at the price tag and I am floored.

“Ash, this dress is so expensive! It’s way too much.”

Damn! I’ve let him do it again! Where is my backbone? I just succumb to him and let him have his big-spending way. Arghhhhh!

“Liv, please, just let me spoil you! I haven’t done this in forever. I love you, and I want to buy this for you. Please! Stop with the bargain thinking. Geez! You take all the fun out of shopping. Shopping’s supposed to be fun, right?”

“Right, but how do I rate this?”

“Well, you just do! The sooner you let go and let me spoil you; the better things will be. Stop being a killjoy! Come on…let’s go get you some sexy lingerie, so you’ll look as great underneath as you do on the outside! That way, every time I look at you, I’ll be thinking about what I know is underneath that hot dress! God! This is so much fun!”

He really is having fun. He is totally into this shopping thing.

We head to the lingerie department and Val is there to greet us.

“Mr. Harper, so nice to see you! And, this must be Olivia. Angie called and told me your dress selection, which I might add is fabulous. Soooo…I’ve got some wonderful suggestions to go under your beautiful dress, so if you’ll come with me…”

I follow her and she tells me that she has in mind a La Perla bra and panties set in navy blue lace, of course to match my dress. I’m sure these are over-the-top expensive as well. She measures me.

“Voila! Exactly the size I thought! Here, love, try this on. I have several others pulled, but seeing you, I do feel this one is perfect for your body. Such a cute figure you have! Oh, and I’ve pulled you the panties to match, too.”

Once I get them on, she comes into the dressing room and gives me thumbs up.

“So, are we going to model them for Mr. Harper?”

I say no, but Ash hears and quickly says, “Yes, Val, she does want to model for me! I’m coming in!”

Ash comes into the dressing room. When Val sees him, she quickly exits the room, giving me a wink and smile.

Ash puts his hands on my hips. “Oh. My. God! Olivia! You look out-of-this-world desirable! What do you think, hon?”

“They’re beautiful of course! Way, way too expensive though. What do you think Mr. Ash?”

He laughs and replies, “Mr. Ash thinks this was made for you, honey! Just like the dress. Wow! I can’t wait for New Year’s! So we’ll take them both! You see anything else here you want? We can go look for a nighty if you want.”

“Absolutely not, Ash! This is more than enough. Remember, I’m still pretty not-happy with you right now!”

” Mine?” he jokes with me.