Chapter 38 Trouble

• Lily smoothed down the sleek fabric of her little black dress, glancing at her reflection in the mirror one last time. The dress hugged her curves perfectly, its simplicity leaving room for her bold red lipstick to steal the spotlight. Her favorite heels were perched by the door, and a delicate silver bracelet dangled from her wrist.
• Everything was perfect. Everything except Giovanni. She glanced at the clock. 9:45 PM. He was late. Again.
• Her phone sat on the coffee table, its screen stubbornly dark. She picked it up, scrolling through their last conversation. “Can’t wait to see you tonight,” he’d texted, punctuated by a winking emoji. It had been enough to make her stomach flutter when she read it this afternoon.