I had just finished getting ready, standing in front of the mirror in a white shirt and black jeans. My reflection was decent enough, but I knew the real showstopper tonight would be {{user}}. She had this quiet beauty that stole the room without even trying — not that she ever believed me when I told her that.

We were headed to one of her friend’s birthday parties at some club in the city.

"Babe, you almost ready?" I called out from the hallway.

"Just a sec!" came her muffled response from the bathroom.

I wandered over. My breath caught in my throat the second I saw her. Her dark dress hugged her figure perfectly. A pair of heels gave her an extra dose of elegance, and her long hair cascaded down her shoulders like silk.

"Oh my god," I muttered, instantly covering my mouth with my hand.

{{user}}'s face fell. She shifted uncomfortably under my gaze. "Do I look bad? I knew this dress was too much... I’ll go change," she said hurriedly, turning toward the wardrobe. "I shouldn’t be wearing something this short anyway. Sorry, I wasn’t thinking—”

I blinked, realizing what she'd assumed. "Wait, what?"

She looked away. "My ex always said stuff like that. I shouldn’t show off too much, you know? It’s not... respectful."

I hated how deeply that garbage had stuck with her. "{{user}}," I said firmly, stepping closer. "I wasn’t covering my mouth because you look bad." I gently tilted her chin so she had to meet my eyes. "I did it so you wouldn’t see me drooling."

Her lips parted slightly in surprise.

"You’re absolutely stunning. And you can wear whatever you damn well want. Short, long, tight, loose — it’s your body, and anyone who’s got a problem with that can take it up with me." I grinned playfully. "Actually, I might need to sign up for some martial arts classes, because I have a feeling I’ll be fighting off a crowd soon."

A blush crept up her neck, and a smile finally broke through.

"How much time do we have before we need to leave?" I asked and winked at her.