She gives me the critical once over, grins and says, ‘I think I officially hate you.’
‘You don’t think it’s too … er … sexy?’
She comes closer to me. ‘It’ll be tremendously sexy when it gets wet, but that’s the whole point,’ she explains, tilting her head slightly as she adjusts the material around my hips.
I swivel my head to look at the back of the dress. Actually, it’s already tremendously sexy. ‘Are you sure your dad won’t mind?’
‘I have a credit limit. Sparks only start flying when I go over it.’
I smile at her awkwardly. ‘Well, thank you for the dress. It’s very generous of you.’
She looks down at her bare feet, and for a confusing moment she looks young and vulnerable. ‘It’s only a dress. You do a lot for me.’
‘Thank you,’ I say softly.
She raises her eyes to mine and smiles shyly. ‘You’re welcome, Tori. I really like you.’
For a fraction of an instant I can’t bring myself to reciprocate. Then I realize that she’s just a kid. A lonely, rich kid. Telling her I like her won’t be a lie. Sometimes, like now or when she was hanging on to my bathroom door and twerking, I do like her, a lot.
‘Me too,’ I say.
Her smile widens into a massive grin of pure joy. It is infectious and I start grinning back at her too.
‘Are you planning to put your hair up or let it down?’ she asks suddenly.
‘What do you think?’ I ask, bowing to her obvious expertise when it comes to clothes, fashion, and pool parties in the homes of celebrities.
‘Without any doubt, down.’
‘You don’t think that would be too … obvious?’
‘God, no. It’s an asset. I wish my hair was as beautiful as yours. Actually, I wish my everything was as beautiful as yours.’
I frown. ‘I think you’re way cuter than you give yourself credit for.’
‘No,’ she says gloomily. ‘Cash got mum’s lovely coloring and looks and I got dad’s.’
‘I think you’re beautiful, Britney,’ I say sincerely.
She shrugs. ‘You’re hardly going to tell me I’m ugly even if you think so, are you?’
Astonished, I stare at her. ‘Why on earth would you imagine that I think you’re ugly?’
She shrugs again.
‘I don’t think you’re ugly at all. In fact, the opposite. You’re beautiful. People are always telling you that.’
‘Sure they are. Everybody wants to be Cash’s sister’s friend.’ Her voice is husky, almost tearful.
‘That’s not true,’ I deny immediately, but we both know that there is no real conviction in my tone.
She smiles suddenly, a forced stretch of her lips. ‘Never mind. Let’s settle the bill and go get us some killer shoes.’
We pop into Russell & Bromley and Britney gets a pair of mile high platform sparkly shoes and I buy silver stilettos. My shoes come to £120.00 and I insist on paying for them. They are more expensive than what I would normally splash out on a pair of shoes, but what the hell? We only live once!
After buying our bikinis, black for me, and white for Britney, we head off to the hairdressers. While I wait for Britney, the girl from Thailand who does nails comes and asks me if I want to have my nails done. My nails are actually pretty rough looking.
‘I make pretty,’ she says, nodding her head vigorously.
How can anybody resist such an invitation?
‘Oh, go on then,’ I say. A little part of me has started to get excited about this pool party and seeing Cash again.
‘Manicure and pedicure?’ she asks, sensing an easy prey.
‘OK,’ I agree, and she shows me her color swatches.
To be honest she does make both my hands and feet look very pretty. Feeling generous I leave a good tip.
‘Thank you,’ she says with a small nod. She immediately roots around in her basket and carefully presses a small crystal onto my thumbnail and finishes it with a layer of clear varnish.
‘Hmmm … your carriage awaits, Cinderella.’
Chapter Nine
Tori
‘She most popular girl in bar. She got sex appeal.’
- The World of Suzie Wong
The cool air smells of roasting meat and pulses, with techno music and the sounds of a seriously good party in progress. As soon as the car noses through the gaggle of paparazzi gathered outside the gates, the guard waves us through and we turn into Cash Hunter’s drive. The house, a massive, modern, glass and steel monster structure, is lit up like a mother ship.
Britney and I get out of the car and walk up to the team of bouncers standing around the front doors. We go through the tall doors and, I’m not kidding, step into every manslut’s wet dream.
The living room has —wait for it—an Olympic-size swimming pool. OK, Olympic size might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the picture. It is infested with nearly naked, nubile, squealing bodies. As my dazed eyes watch more super-excited, shrieking, gloriously perfect, scantily clad girls land in the water with a splash.
Oh, you should also know that the living room boasts a dance floor (that’s right, a slightly raised square platform that flashes), two well stocked bars (on either side of the pool), and a giant movie screen with images of whales swimming underwater in slow motion. The whales, I’ll admit, is a cool and surreal idea.
Honestly, the whole thing looks like an MTV music video.
Right in the middle of all this fun and laughter is Cash Hunter. Lying on a giant purple inflatable bed between two giggling babes. One of them is pouring champagne straight from the bottle onto his chest. Talk about living a cliché.
Still, awesome, fantastic, wonderful.
This is exactly the kind of stuff I was hoping to run into. Right this minute, the lead singer of ALKALINE doesn’t seem all that attractive. In fact, he looks like a shallow, selfish, vain, egocentric, show-off, media created, hateful, sexual deviant of a jerk. Who in their right mind would ever want a party god like this?
Beside me Britney screams, ‘Cash.’
His head swivels in our direction and our eyes meet. Suddenly the blood in my veins starts fizzing like soda water. Oh God. Apparently, I’m not in my right mind. Because I want him so bad it hurts my stomach, and until he decides to break the eye-fuck I find myself totally, completely, and absolutely unable to look away. I just stand there frozen and stare idiotically at him.
Until his eyes flicker and he turns his gaze to Britney. A smile breaks out on his face. Rolling the girl next to him into the water, he slips into it himself and swims strongly towards us. Placing his palms on the tiles at the edge of the pool, he hauls himself out easily. His eyes are luminous with water reflections.
From his crouched position, he uncoils, full of sexual energy. Water sluices off his body in fast flowing rivulets and I actually feel my eyes widen. Holy crap. What a rush! He lifts his powerful arms and slicks his hair back, and my eyes just follow like some starving, stray dog.
It’s just not fair. Why should anybody look like that? I shake my head to clear the weird hypnotic effect he is having on me. It’s not like I want anything to happen between us.
Britney takes a step forward and pecks delicately at his wet cheek.
‘Great party,’ she says stepping back.
‘There’s not much to your dress,’ he notes darkly.
‘We’re here to have fun,’ Britney giggles.
His eyes narrow disapprovingly. ‘Watch it, Brit. I don’t want to have to bash anybody’s head in.’
‘Oh for God’s sake don’t be such a spoil sport, Cash. I never get to go out and have fun,’ she groans.
He scowls at her. ‘I mean it. I’m not your BFF. I’m your older brother.’
‘‘What time is Taylor Swift coming?’ she asks, craftily changing the subject.
‘Not until later.’
She clasps her hands together. ‘I’m so excited. I can’t believe I’m going to meet her.’
r /> He smiles indulgently. ‘She said she’s bringing something special for you.’
Britney’s eyes become dinner platters. ‘What?’
He lifts one wet, muscular, tanned, taut shoulder. Phew. This man could start a new category of porn – shoulder porn. ‘It’s a surprise,’ he tells her.
‘But do you know what it is though?’ she wheedles.
‘Nope. You’ll just have to wait.’