XOXO, Violet by Ginger Li

25Violet

Twenty minutes later, I left Ophelia in the truck parked beside the bike path where I’d bumped into Wesley weeks ago. I walked along the trail, remembering how surprised I’d been to find him jogging behind me and how we’d ended up eating breakfast together afterward.

As I passed benches and trees, I spotted Asher leaning against a railing, dressed in a button-down shirt and khaki pants. “Did I miss Wesley again?” I called out.

Asher typed something on his phone before looking up. “Unfortunately, you did. But he left you this.” He held out another box.

With a grin, I opened it and pulled out another slip of paper. “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me. Much Ado About Nothing.”

I frowned. “Why is the word dog underlined?”

Asher made a zipping motion over his lips.

Ok, so I had to work this out on my own. I tapped my finger on my chin. “Dog? I don’t know any dogs. Do I?”

Ash chuckled. “Really? No one in your life owns a dog?”

“You do! Chip! The next clue’s at your house!”

He nodded. “You got it. And could you give me a ride there? Wes kind of abandoned me.”

“Of course.” I scrambled to put the pieces together. Wesley left me clues around town and both Ophelia and Asher wore nicer clothes than usual. What could it all mean?

“Hey, Ophelia,” Asher greeted as he climbed into the truck’s back seat.

“Hi, Ash.”

The two of them looked at each other with sly smiles, and I’d swear they were having a silent conversation the entire ride to Ash’s house.

When we got there, Ophelia scrambled out of the truck and ran off toward her house. I bit my lip and gave Asher a sideways glance. “Aren’t you going to say something about the way I treated Wesley? You know, tell me how he’s a good guy who’s nothing like Jason and how I should never have doubted him in the first place?”

Asher shrugged. “Don’t see why I need to say anything when you’re already doing all the talking.”

Hmm. The man had a point.

He gave me a sympathetic smile. “You made a mistake. But Wes was an idiot. He drove Jason home even after realizing who he was to you. And Wes never should have pushed you toward Chase. The guy’s my best friend and all, but seriously. He should have told you up front before your first date how he really felt.”

Our first date? I stared at Asher in surprise. “He liked me before our date?”

“Oh yeah. The guy had it bad.” Asher got out of the truck and jogged over to Piper and Olivia, who stood outside his front door.

Like Ophelia, they both wore dresses. Olivia rocked a black leather jacket over a black lace and tulle dress—kind of Morticia Addams meets punk rock. And Piper’s outfit of a sequined white tank top and bright-pink polka-dotted skirt reminded me of some delicious confectionery creation. A white fur shrug covered her shoulders.

Now I knew something was going on. It couldn’t be a coincidence that everybody dressed up.

“I’ll leave you to do your magic.” Asher leaned over and kissed Piper on the cheek. “See you later.”

Piper’s face flushed a lovely shade of pink.

Alright, alright. I loved seeing Piper and Ash together, but I was growing antsy. These were my girls, so they had to tell me what was going on. “Where’s Wes?”

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. “All will soon be revealed. Follow us.”

They led me inside and up the stairs to a guest room. There, on the bed, lay the most exquisite dress I’d ever seen, its dark blue fabric covered in a thin layer of tulle and embroidered with dozens of delicate flowers. Unable to restrain myself, I ran my hands gently over the intricate petals and leaves.

“Is this for me?” I’d never seen anything so exquisite.

“It is!” Olivia winked at me. “Go on, get dressed, and then I’ll help you with your makeup and hair.”

I gazed at my best friends, still unsure. “But you still never answered my questions. Where’s Wesley? What’s all this for?”

Piper shook her head. “We can’t say anything. But today is all about you, Violet, so enjoy it.”

They left the room, and I quickly changed, thankful my mother had insisted I take a shower. The dress fit like a glove, and I looked and felt beautiful—like a fairy queen.

“Knock, knock.” Olivia stepped into the room, a men’s jacket over her outfit. “I got a bit cold, so Asher lent me his jacket.” She took one look at me, and her eyes sparkled. “I knew it would be perfect. You look stunning, Violet.”

“Thanks. Where’s Piper?” I asked.

“She had some things to do,” Olivia said vaguely. “Now, let’s get your hair and makeup done.”

Knowing Olivia was an expert in such things, I let her get to work. Thankfully, she didn’t go overboard. A twist of my hair plus a dab of lipstick and a slick of eyeliner, and I was ready.

“There,” she said with a sigh. “Perfect.”

“Now do I get to see Wesley?”

Olivia shook her head and held out another small brown box. “Last one, I promise.”

I unwrapped the box and tugged out the paper inside. “Love is blind, and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit. The Merchant of Venice.”

Follies? I’d certainly committed quite a few these past weeks. But why was the word blind underlined?

“We’re going to our final destination now.” Olivia led me outside the house, and I shivered.

“Here.” She handed me my teddy bear jacket. “Good thing you brought this. You ready to see Wesley now?”

I nodded and wrapped the jacket around myself.

“Alright then, close your eyes, and don’t open them till I tell you to.”

Ah, so that’s why blind was underlined. I hesitated and then did as instructed. Something swished in front of my face.

“Can you see this?” Olivia asked.

I shook my head.

Olivia took my hand. “Good. We’re going to make our way down the driveway. Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

With a nod, I gripped Olivia’s hand and allowed her to lead me. At one point, I tripped, and her fingers tightened around mine.

“Thanks,” I murmured. “Sorry I’m such a klutz.”

“You’re doing great,” Olivia encouraged. “Now we’ll make a right turn and follow the sidewalk.”

Okay, I could do this. Everything seemed to be going fine until I tripped and stumbled again.

Olivia’s hand tightened around mine. Her grip was surprisingly firm. “Wow, Liv. Have you been working out? Because I could get some tips from you.”

She giggled. “Sure. I’ll share all my secrets after this.”

As we continued walking, a gust of wind blew around us. I let go of Olivia’s hand and ran my fingers down the front of the jacket to find my zipper.

“Let me help you with that,” Olivia said.

“Are you sure? I can zip it up myself if I open—”

“Keep your eyes closed!”

I pulled away. “Wow. You’re really taking Wesley’s rules seriously.”

“Yes, I am. And you should too. Our destination’s only a couple more steps away, so keep your eyes shut. Trust me. It’ll be worth it. Here, let me zip up your jacket for you.”

I felt a gentle tug on the material as she pulled up my zipper.

Olivia’s hand paused for a moment when the zipper reached my throat. A clean scent, almost like aftershave, lingered in the air, but as I angled closer to take a whiff, Olivia pulled her hand away.

I inhaled. “Is that a new perfume? It’s less floral than the ones you usually wear.”

Olivia grabbed my hand again. “Yeah. You know my mom. She’s always throwing one perfume or another at me.”

Her mom was an ex-model, and one of the perks of being the famous Imani Mitchell’s daughter was all the free samples and clothes. That’s probably the main reason Olivia’s closet was larger than some people’s bedrooms.

We began walking again. “What’s this one called?”

“This what?”

I laughed. “Perfume, silly. It smells nice. Fresh. Kinda sexy.”

Olivia giggled. “You think I smell sexy?”

“Yeah. It’s almost masculine in a way. I’m surprised your mom likes it. I would have figured she’d go for something more floral.”

Olivia let go of my hand. “Use the railing to guide you up the steps. Once you get to the top, turn the doorknob and step inside. And then, you can open your eyes.”

Okay. I shuffled forward until I found the stairs. We must be at someone’s house. Wesley’s, I assumed. “Olivia? How many steps are there?”

No response, but Olivia did give my back a gentle rub.

“Fine. Don’t tell me. I got this.” Carefully, I made my way up the stairs, gripping the railing and using my right foot to work out where the next step was. When I could no longer feel any more in front of me, I reached out and walked forward. My hands easily found the doorknob.

Made it!

I turned the knob and stepped inside. Then, I opened my eyes.