Suddenly, a quick smile formed on Rene's lips.
"Hey, you're the receptionist I just met, right?" She asked, and the young man nodded, extending his hand for a handshake. "Isiah's the name," He said politely, and she accepted his handshake. Suddenly, the waiter cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Would that be all, ladies?" He asked, and Eliana nodded. "Yep. What he said is fine, I guess," Isiah giggled as the waiter nodded. "Alright then, I'll go check on your orders. I'll be back soon with them." He said, then turned to Isiah, "Sir, you can grab a seat to join them if you'd like." "That won't be necessary, as I'll be leaving soon," Isiah replied, and the waiter nodded gently before excusing himself. Immediately after the waiter left, Eliana made an attempt to leave as well, but Rene grabbed her hands. "I know what you're doing; he's a good person." She said, and Eliana glared at him before sitting back down.
Isiah then gave her a warm look and extended his hand. "I'm Isiah; what's your name?" He asked, but instead of responding, she squirmed and grabbed her phone. "After putting my friend through a lot, you dare to ask me questions?" She mumbled, clearly scrolling through TikTok. Isiah laughed, turning to Rene as he pointed at her. "She's a real one; don't lose her," He said as Eliana rolled her eyes in annoyance. Suddenly, Rene chuckled, shaking her head. She then turned to Isiah and said, "Don't mind her. She's a really nice person when you get to know her. Anyway, did you come to get something? If you did, why didn't you give the waiter your order at once?" Then it clicked; he dipped his hand in his pocket and slipped out a handkerchief, handing it over to Rene. "This isn't the first time this has happened, and usually, I find them here," He summarized his intentions as she giggled. "Right, thank you," She calmly said as he nodded. He gently knocked on the table, saying, "Well, it was nice meeting both of you, and Rene, I truly have no excuse for her. I am sorry for
what happened today." "Thank you…an⁵d thank you for this too," She said, shooting Eliana a glare before kicking her under the table. "What?!" Eliana exclaimed loudly in frustration. "Don't be rude!" Rene exclaimed as she turned to Isiah, "Fine…goodbye, dear Isiah," She said dramatically as Isiah nodded, giggling, "Take care, ladies," He replied and slowly walked away.
Rene shot Eliana a glare right after but she shrugged feigning ignorance, "What?" She asked and Rene giggled. "You're indeed something else. You know that right?" She said as Eliana danced in her seat proudly. "Nobody should mess with my home girl, is that so hard to ask? And where's the breakfast? I am famished!" She complained, her voice dragging lazily.
About ten minutes later, the waiter approached, balancing a tray laden with two plates of donuts and two steaming cups of cappuccino. As Eliana reached for her purse, he stopped her. "No, ma'am. The young man had already taken care of it." "Wait, what? Why???" Rene asked, genuinely baffled. The waiter chuckled, "Perhaps he fancies you. Enjoy, ladies." With a wink, he strolled away. "Likes me? He didn't even ask for my number. And I'll never see him again... so what's the point?" "Why are you overthinking it? He's not so bad after all. He did well." Eliana replied, taking a large bite of her donut and closing her eyes in appreciation. "So, he's a good person now because he paid for your meal?" Rene asked, unconvinced. Eliana shrugged, setting down her donut and reaching for her coffee drink. "Of course! What else could turn an evil person good in a matter of seconds? Food... good food, to be precise! Get into this, he wasn't kidding. Such a lifesaver!" She exclaimed, taking a long sip.
Suddenly, Rene burst into laughter, attacking her cappuccino with the hard straw. "You're unbelievable!" She declared, before taking a bite of her own donut, her face mirroring Eliana's earlier delight. "Okay…now messing my interview doesn't feel as bad." She said, and they both burst into laughter..They finished breakfast earlier than expected, so they spent almost the whole day driving in circles, scouting through boutiques, and playing dress up like they were kids.
As they entered the parking lot, Eliana sighed, "Are you certain you wouldn't prefer to come home with me? My family always loves your company." "And I adore them, but not tonight. You know how I love my birthday mornings," Rene replied as the car slowly stopped. "I do, and I love your mornings for you as well, but your mother knows about the interview, and you know she'll keep pressing until you respond. Then, if you don't get it, it turns into insults. Have you considered that?" Eliana questioned, resting her head against her seat, her hand gently touching Rene's thigh. Rene smiled, "With your love, I'll never settle." "You better not! You better... NOT! In all caps!" Eliana exclaimed with a tune, and they both laughed.
As Rene combed her fingers through Eliana's hair, she said, "A little white lie never hurt, right?" "Absolutely! Oh, thank God you're taking notes!" Eliana shouted, as Rene laughed and shook her head. "Okay, I feel much better now." "Thanks for understanding. Don't worry, tomorrow is ours, promise?" Rene asked, extending her pinky finger. Eliana's eyes widened, "Am I crazy? Of course. It's a promise!" Rene laughed as they performed their special handshake. Suddenly, Eliana's phone rang, and Rene nodded, pulling Eliana into a warm embrace. "That's my cue to leave; your nephew needs you, go!" She said, exiting the car slowly. She shut the door, looked at Eliana, blew her a kiss, as she slowly reversed.
As she drove out of their compound, Rene felt her phone vibrate in her bag and quickly grabbed it, smiling at the caller ID. "Hey... how are you?" She asked as she entered the house. Upon entering, she saw Eunice in the kitchen, whisking eggs in a plain ceramic bowl. Still on the call, she muted the phone and greeted her, just before putting the phone back to her ear, but Eunice wasn't having it. "Renata Claire Gloria Dubois, you will turn and greet me like a sane human being!" She yelled as Rene stopped and sighed. "Let me call you right back, Henry," She said calmly and turned, "Good evening, Mother. I trust you're doing well. Wait, who named me Gloria?" She added sarcastically, but Eunice rolled her eyes, dropped her spoon into the bowl, wiped her hands, and walked towards her. "How did the interview go today? Did you mess it up as usual?" Her question annoyed Rene, but this time she smiled, "No, Mother. I didn't. In fact, you're looking at the Reid's store manager, as we speak," She replied, tilting her head as she confidently lied, but her mother rolled her eyes and turned. On her way back, she said, "Change and come down to help with dinner."
Since it didn't sit right with Rene, she walked down the stairs, towards the counter, "Wait a minute. So you were ready to condemn me for not getting the job, but now that I told you I did, your immediate response is silence?" Eunice turned, "Aren't you going to eat dinner? Should I cook without your mouth?" She asked, trying hard to irritate Rene, but instead, Rene burst into laughter, evidently confused. "I know what this is; this is for tomorrow, right? Wrong candidate and most of all…wrong timing mother. And sure, I'm satisfied anyway, so call your perfect daughter upstairs to come help you since she's the only one invited to what you're cooking. Enjoy your dinner, Mom," She said politely. Annoying Eunice as she sang "Hampstead" by Ariana, walking upstairs.
On her way, she saw Mimi leaning against her door with a smile. "Hi, birthday girl!" She calmly exclaimed, and a smile spread across Rene's face, even though deep down, she still had tears she wanted to let out. "At least you care," Rene said as she walked closer. "Of course, I care. Come, come, I have something to show you," Mimi said, running into her room as Rene giggled, wondering what she was getting at. She walked in and squinted, confused, "What is it?" She asked. Michelle ran into her closet yelling, "Have a seat, birthday girl!" Mimi exclaimed, and Rene laughed, taking her seat. A few minutes later, Michelle slipped out with a big box and screamed. She quickly walked over to place the box on the bed before locking her door. "I don't want Mom eavesdropping," She explained, but Rene laughed, "You don't have to explain. What's this?" She asked, touching the box as Michelle opened her drawer for a little pink scissors. She handed it over to her sister and clasped her hands together, smiling sheepishly. "Go ahead, cut it open!" She exclaimed softly, with her head tilted and her legs crossed.
Rene smiled and cut the bow satin ribbon first before cutting the wrapper to a point. She then placed the scissors down and unwrapped it with her fingers. On top of the box was a paper, but just when she was about to read it, Mimi snatched it. "This is for later! Go ahead and open the box!" Mimi exclaimed happily, so she did, and immediately she gasped. "No!" Rene exclaimed softly, tears welling in her eyes. "Yes! Renata, I know tomorrow you'd want to go out; unfortunately, I can't go out with you because I don't want Mom's drama ruining your day, but I'd love for you to go out with anyone in these," Mimi said. Then Rene looked up and down twice as tears coursed down her cheeks. Turning, Mimi wiped hers and quickly grabbed the white stilettos before going in for the white sequinned dress in the box. She then placed them on the bed, pushed the box down, and pulled her sister up. "Come on, get up, I need you to try them," She said, but covered her mouth, mocking her tears as she shared her gaze with hers.
"How did you even..." "My savings." "Mimi...." "No... don't do that, please. Rene, you deserve this and more, and I know that I haven't shown you the love you deserve for the longest time, and I am sorry. I know life has been hard, so please, on the day you were born, try to make it memorable." Suddenly, Rene pulled her into her embrace as she cried, "No one has ever done something like this for me before. Thank you, Mimi. Thank you so much!" Rene said, evidently grateful as both wiped their tears. After a moment, Mimi pushed her back and giggled, "Enough tears. Come on, go and try it on. I chose white to signify a new chapter for you because I know it only gets better from here. Go... go!" Michelle said as she grabbed the dress and heels and handed them over. Rene smiled and nodded gently before heading into Mimi's washroom. On her way, Mimi ran to the other side of her bed, grabbed her phone, and connected it to the Bluetooth speaker before playing "It's My Birthday by Anne Marie.
"Are you ready?" Renata asked, and Mimi shouted, "Come out!!!"
As Rene stepped into view, Mimi gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. She looked absolutely stunning. The dress hugged her figure perfectly, accentuating her curves and showcasing the craftsmanship of its design. Her toned shoulders were exposed, and the neckline dipped just low enough to tease the delicate skin underneath. The sequins, carefully arranged, seemed to shimmer with her every movement... and even without a corset, she was beautifully cinched.
Completing her look were the stilettos, a bright white that matched the dress. They lifted her stature, adding a bold touch to her elegance, and each step echoed against the polished floor. She radiated a calm, majestic aura.
"Why are you just staring? Say something!" Rene exclaimed nervously. "My goodness, you're gorgeous!" Mimi responded, her heart brimming with joy. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she asked hesitantly, "Are you sure?" But Mimi, slightly annoyed by the question, walked over and pulled her in front of the mirror. "Do you believe me now?" She asked, and Rene nodded with a wide smile, her hands gliding down the dress enticingly.
Tears streamed down her face as Rene said, "I don't think I've ever looked this good, Mimi." Mimi turned her around and smiled, "Then you'd be amazed tomorrow. Combining this with the beautiful, modest makeup and hair you do? You'd look like a Barbie princess." She said, wiping Rene's tears. Just as Rene was about to respond, they heard a knock, and silence fell. "Honey, what's going on in there? Come down for dinner!" Eunice called through the door, and Mimi chuckled. "Coming, Mom!" She yelled back. "Come now before it gets cold!" "Please go away, Mom! I'll come down soon!" Rene covered her mouth, but Mimi yanked her hand away. "Does she have a filter? Why cover my mouth? I don't even want her in our conversation. Take off those heels because we are about to have a dance battle." "Wait, what about dinner?" Rene asked, genuinely curious, but Mimi rolled her eyes. "I won't die. Take those off while I find a better playlist!" Mimi exclaimed, heading toward her phone as Rene sat on the bed to remove her heels.
"Heyyyy For you!" Rene yelled, jumping to her feet and shaking her hips with her arms in the air. "Hey, wait for me!" Mimi said as she ran over to join in the dance battle.
A few hours later Rene wiped her eyes before opening them, an exhausted yawn escaping her lips. She turned to see Mimi asleep and smiled. She then slowly slipped out of the bed, covered herself with the duvet, kissed her forehead, , and grabbed her heels before slowly dashing out. As soon as she heard Eunice's footsteps, she ran into her room, shut her doo, and locked it. Just then, she saw two pink medium-sized boxes on her bed and frowned, dropping her heels. Immediately, she remembered her bag and pressed her lips, then she shrugged, "Sorry,y Henry, I can't go back there." She said before grabbing the square box.
Her eyes immediately widened when she saw a diamond tennis necklace with its earrings. She quickly placed that box on the bed and grabbed the rectangular one to open it and saw it was the bracelet of the tennis necklace, also diamond. Then she saw a note beside the bracelet and quickly slipped it out, placing the box on the bed and opening the letter. It read,
"My Renata, I love you. My soul sister…I love you. That's really all I want to say. After Mimi told me she was getting you a dress and heels I instantly knew what I could get you. I can't wait to see you in all these tomorrow. Happy birthday my favorite person, life has got nothing on you. I'd enjoy this day with you, so I need not say enjoy this day, but rather, we'd paint the town red!!!. I'd see you soon, my love. XOXO."
Smiling sheepishly, she fell on her bed and spread her arms. "Thank God for love. It feels good to be loved!" She exclaimed excitedly.