"You look perfect," Dash said, grinning far too broadly.

I ignored the looks from several coworkers as I exited the bathroom on the ground floor of the Royal Winters office building, long white-gloved hands on my hips. "I look ridiculous."

Dash, who still sported his tuxedo and top hat, had added a cane to the ensemble while I was changing. He walked around me with an appraising expression. "It's impossible to look bad in a ballgown."

He furrowed his brow. "But it is missing something."

Removing his top hat, Dash pulled a flower corsage out of his hat like a magician, plucked up my wrist, and wrapped the ribbon of flowers around my wrist. Then, taking a step back, he took in all of me with that bright smile, far too pleased with himself. "Now you look perfect."

I stood before Dash, wearing a light purple ballgown that was all ruffle. The back had a large bow at the waist, and the entire thing weighed a million pounds. The only consolation I had was the purple Converse Dash had given me to wear so I would be comfortable, but seemed to be a purposeful pairing for the black ones he wore. Tennis shoes and fancy wear were a combination I could get behind.

He ushered me outside to where a limousine sat at the curb.

I burst out laughing. "You can't be serious."

Dash pulled open the back door and gestured for me to climb in. "I completely am."

Once we had managed to get my enormous dress inside, Dash climbed in, nearly tripping over the ruffles. By the time we managed to get the door shut, we were both laughing.

"This... went differently in my head," he admitted as he shoved down one of the ruffles as it attacked his face.

I fought a smile, watching Dash bat another ruffle away from his face. "Is this thing alive?" he wondered out loud.

"Be careful, the dress does not appreciate being talked to like that," I warned as the limousine pulled away from the curb. "If you keep that up, it'll smother you to death."

Dash threw back his head and laughed. "Ah, a clever wit. I'm learning so many things about you on our date already, Work Wife."

"Where are you taking me anyway?"

"You'll see." Dash reached into his tux jacket and pulled out a flashcard. "Okay, first date questions..."

Wow... the dude came prepared. He handed me the card and I read it out loud.

"What do you want to be when you grow up—"

"Great question!" he replied.

I glanced back at Dash, brow raised. "We are grown up, Dash."

He tipped his top hat over his eyes as he leaned his head back on the seat. "Sometimes we forget the dreams we had as kids. So I want you to answer for the kid you once were," he replied. "Here, I'll show you." He cleared his throat. "When I was a kid, I wanted to be a knight. Not a fictional one, but the ones that work at those medieval festivals and shows. I wanted to fight with a sword, and throw a flower to a pretty lady, and ride a horse toward my opponent and try to knock them off their horse."

He looked suddenly embarrassed as he tapped the brim of his top hat unconsciously, tilting it back out of his face. "I even tried to get a job at that knights dinner theater place— Medieval Times in Buena Park— when I was sixteen. But I dropped the sword on the managers foot during my audition and nearly cut his toe off."

Dash shrugged as he took in the look of complete horror on my face. "Yeah... The ambulance was called... there was a lot of blood for something that was supposed to be a fake fight."

I burst out laughing. "I'm sorry... That's terrible. I shouldn't laugh."

His eyes sparked, pleased. "Don't be. It makes for a great story. You go."

It was my turn to shove several ruffles out of my face. "I wanted to run the carousel at the carnival," I admitted. "I thought the horses on the carousel were the most beautiful creatures I had ever seen. The way they looked at night when the carousel was all lit up. I wanted to stare at them for hours, so I thought that working the ride was the best way to do that."

I remembered sitting on the bench next to the carousel, watching it spin for hours, a swirl of light and magic. It was a pocket of perfect that was all my own while my large family of six brothers ran around, getting on different rides, arguing over who would have to sit next to who. It was in those quiet moments that I felt most like myself.

Dash nodded, taking my words seriously. He didn't laugh at my childhood dream, or make fun. His smile was soft, thoughtful. "I like how they always play classical versions of famous songs when the carousel goes around."

I smiled back at him. "Me too."

...

The lights were bright, the sky dark and the air smelled like salt and corn dogs. We stood at the end of the Santa Monica Pier, taking in the loud carnival games, and the sound of roaring waves below the pier. Children ran around holding up cotton candy like beacons of joy as they chased each other up and down the pier, their footsteps like thunder.

"What..." I trailed off. I had been to the Santa Monica Pier before, but I had never been there during a theme night. Everyone was dressed up. Little girls wore dresses, the sequins catching in the light. Boys wore vests, bow ties askew as they chased each other.

Women adjusted their skirts as they tackled carnival games, while men threw ties over their shoulders to keep them from getting dirty while consuming chili dogs.

"Welcome to 'Pier and Proper Night,'" Dash said gesturing to the pier before us.

Where a moment before I had stuck out like a mound of glitter in a dirt farm, I suddenly fell into a world that seemed to spark with magic. Magic that I blended into.

Dash took my arm and pulled me into the crowed, lost in color and laughter as we bustled with people from booth to booth until Dash pulled us to a stop in front of a food stand. A quick glance at the menu told me they claimed to make every type of pretzel imaginable. I ordered a bacon and maple syrup pretzel called their "heavenly breakfast twist" and Dash ordered a jalapeño chicken nacho pretzel called the "cheesy cluck explosion."

We spent the next few minutes dodging dripping cheese and bacon bits as we stood at the railing of the pier taking in the carnival as we ate our pretzels. I had taken off my white elbow length white gloves. There was no way to eat finger foods and keep them clean. "What do you want to be now?" Dash asked, surprising me.

He had been pretending to be a food critic for the last several minutes, dramatically analyzing every bite of the pretzel he ate.

"I like working at Royal Winters," I said with a smile, pausing for a moment. I stared back out at the pier, watching the Ferris wheel light up in the sky. "I've worked there for three years. Watched the company get bought. Watched it change. Watched it grow into something beautiful and... I want to see what I can do as COO." I shrugged self consciously. "Not sure how it will go. It's a lot of work but... I'm optimistic."

"You'll do great," Dash said after a moment. He was leaning back against the pier railing, watching me.

"What about you?" I asked, turning to look at him. "What do you want to be?"

Dash sighed. "No idea." His brow furrowed as he looked at me, looking momentarily vulnerable. "Is that bad?"

I shook my head. "No. I didn't know I wanted anything more than what I had until I was offered more. Some people don't walk around with a goals list in their pockets, and that's okay."

He looked relieved. "Thanks. I've been temping for two years and I'm no closer to finding out what I want to be than the day I started."

"You can always go back to Medieval Times. Be a knight. You have a knack for the drama aspect."

Dash snorted. "I'm blacklisted."

I winced. "Right. Sorry."

He waved away my embarrassment, his smile back. "It's fine. I'll just have to find another way to fight with a sword." Dash pulled out another flashcard, seeming to brace himself. "Okay... next question." He glanced at me for a beat. "Past relationships."

Taking my time, I finished the last bite of my pretzel. "That wasn't a question."

Dash rolled his eyes playfully. "Fine. List your previous relationships."

I scoffed. "THAT is not a first date question."

"This is a practice date. Same rules don't apply," he said with a teasing smile.

We stared at each other for a long beat before I finally relented. "Fine. I've dated three people... Well, two. I dated a boy in high school for two weeks. But then he dumped me when dating me made his ex girlfriend jealous— which apparently was his goal. So that was fun. And then my six older brothers beat the crap out of him in a back alley so that was... well not fun, but nice of them I guess. Then I dated Liam, and HE dumped me in the KFC drive thru on our six month anniversary. That was two months ago. The one that doesn't count was my first kiss. I was twelve. I plucked up the courage to kiss James West, only to have him throw up all over me five seconds later."

Dash's mouth twitched. He was trying not to laugh, but it was proving to be difficult. "WOW... That was... wow."

I crossed my arms, waiting for him to continue. "It's okay to laugh. I laughed at your... stabbing incident."

No sooner that the words were out of my mouth that Dash burst with laughter. "Can you imagine if you kissed him five seconds later!" His laughter grew, body shaking until his hands were on his knees and tears fell down his cheeks. "You would have had the BEST, WORST first kiss story in history if that happened!"

He wiped his eyes, and sobered up after he caught my expression. "Not laughing at the KFC thing. That one sucks. And the high school one too. When did..." he trailed off, analyzing my expression. "The KFC thing is the reason for the self improvement list isn't it."

I looked away. "Not exactly, and how do you know I have a self improvement list?"

"It was just a guess. But now you've confirmed it. That Liam dude, that crap fest of a person is one of the reasons why you are trying to rebuild yourself?"

I didn't answer.

He swore. "Okay. I get it. He messed with your mind and now you are trying to unscramble it."

"What about you?" I asked, pushing the question back at him. "List all of your past relationships."

Dash gave a nervous laugh. "Okay... but don't judge too harshly." He took a deep breath. "I've dated... a Samantha, a Margot, a Elsa, Jasmine, Waverly, Bailey, Heather, Charlotte, Olivia, Mia, Ava, Ana..." He paused thinking. "And two Kimberly's." He held up his hands self deprecatingly. "What can I say? I have a weakness for beautiful things."

He peeked at me out of the corner of his eye, his smile falling slightly. "I... am not the best... long commitment type of person."

I nodded. "I can see that."

He shrugged. "I'm great at first dates... second dates... third dates... well anything up to a month and then I just..." he trailed off for a second. "I spook. I'm working on it." He looked up at the dark sky, thoughtful, more serious than I had ever seen him. "Maybe when I find the right person it will change."

Dash blinked and was back to his smiling self a moment later. "I'm surprised Boss Man wasn't on your list."

If I had still been eating my pretzel, I would have spat it back out in shock. "WHAT?!?"

Dash raised a brow at me. "Work Wife... I'm not blind. There is something there." He shook his head smiling to himself. "I'm honestly surprised you didn't ask him to go on a practice date with you."

I tried to explain that Laurence Royal wasn't on my list of people to date. That he was just my ex-boss and that was that. "I... no. Nothing like that. I... psh... what?" was what actually fell out of my mouth instead.

How eloquent.

Dash's smile grew wider. "Oh this is far more interesting than my other flashcards." He pulled out the other date questions and threw them over his shoulder with dramatic flair, sending them scattering like confetti in the wind.

"I don't think it's one sided by the way," Dash said. "He was obviously annoyed when he heard we were going out."

"It wasn't that. He wasn't having the best day. Plus he doesn't like you much."

Dash snorted. "I'm a delight! And he's always grumpy."

I sighed, looking away. If only he knew. That calendar date is so much more than grumpy inducing for him.

"You're reading into things Dash. Don't assume to know him after working for him for so little time."

"People who are too close to a situation tend to be the most blind to it." When I glared in response, Dash changed gears. "Okay, answer these two questions. One... what else is on this self improvement list?"

I pressed my lips into a thin line. "What's number two?"

"How long have you been in love with Laurence Royal?"

...

Dash gazed down at my list, quiet for a long moment. We sat at the very end of the pier, a bucket of popcorn and M&M's between us. This was a chocolate and popcorn type of conversation. He plucked up a single piece of popcorn and placed it silently into his mouth, contemplating.

I shoved a mouthful into mine.

"I like the list," he finally said. "It's good. Practical. Honest."

I kicked my feet out over the water, watching the bottom of my dress swish out into the breeze. "It's been helpful so far." I tucked several strands of long curly brown hair behind my ears. "I just don't know how much more I can do without actually committing to a relationship."

"You're stuck on the New Years Eve kiss thing," he gathered.

I blushed. "A little. I just... I don't want to get into another relationship and lose all my progress."

Dash gently tapped one of the items on the list. "That's what the 'walking out of a date without shame' one is for. If you go out with someone terrible, you get to leave and call it homework."

He handed me back the list. "If you can't find anyone, I'll kiss you on New Years Eve."

I turned to look at him, trying to decide if he was teasing me. His expression was completely serious. "Dash..."

He held up his hands. "I am fully aware that Laurence Royal is who you want to be kissing Lily. I'm not oblivious."

"Okay. First of all... I'm not in love with Laurence Royal."

"And second of all?" Dash asked searching my face.

"I... don't have a second of all."

He shrugged. "Lying to yourself won't do you any favors."

"It's just a crush, Dash."

"Three years is a long time to have a crush." He continued before I could argue. "All I am saying is, if you can't get up the courage to actually go after who you want, I'll leave New Years Eve open for you." He smiled, eyes warm, tone playful. "You know... to help you with self improvement."

His eyes turned dark for a beat. "These lips could be all yours."

My face burned. "Dash..."

"I'm quite good," he added, raising his brows, his mouth turning up in a playful smirk.

"Dash."

"I have a long list of female references that would vouch for me."

"Dash!"

"I mean, if you want a sneak preview right now—"

"Dash! I get it!" I shouted, hiding behind my hair. This conversation had gotten completely off track.

Dash plucked several strands away from my face so he could look into my eyes. "Too far?"

"A little."

He tucked the strands behind my ear. "Shame. I like the 'Making Work Wife Blush Game.'"

Dash stood up and helped me to my feet, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Sorry, I get a little carried away. I like messing with you. You get this little blushy, angry face and it's cute." He cleared his throat. "Sorry."

He took a step back and held up his hands. "If you need to leave our date to accomplish the 'leave in the middle of the date without feeling guilty if the man makes you feel bad about yourself,' part of your list, I won't feel bad."

I laughed. "I think I'll save that for an actual bad date."

Dash perked up. "So... I'm doing well. How well am I doing?"

I began to walk back down the pier, throwing. a smile over my shoulder at him. "Good enough for me to no longer protest to you calling me your Work Wife."

Dash pumped his fist into the air. "Yes! Now we just need to pick a nickname for you to give me."

He caught up, taking my arm in his again. "I was thinking... Handsome Hubby."

I laughed. "Not a chance!"

"Hilarious and Humorous Hubby?"

"Nope."

"Marvelous Mate?

I snorted. "What? No."

"Workmate Mate?"

He continued to pitch names, the sound of my laughter getting lost in the evening sounds along the pier. As we continued our walk, I thought of three more things I liked about myself and mentally added them to my list.

I'm fun. I'm open to new things. I am pretty good at first dates.

---

Thank you for reading chapter thirteen! I hope you are enjoying the story! Or are at least curious to see where it goes! Add this story to your reading list to know when the next chapter drops!

UPDATE DAYS - A NEW CHAPTER EVERY FRIDAY!

Will Lily eventually give Dash a work nickname?

Is Dash right about Laurence caring about Dash and Lily's date?

Will Lily kiss Dash on New Years Eve?

What will happen next?

CHAPTER QUESTION - What did you want to grow up to be when you were a kid? Has that changed?