Tonight I had pulled the dress out of my bag. It wasn't expensive by these people's standards. It was actually pretty simple. The red material was soft chiffon. I glanced down at my mom's silver heels that I'd kept. They had been the ones she'd worn the day of her wedding. I had always loved them. She never wore them again but they were kept in a box wrapped up tightly.
I risked a big chance of going out there and being humiliated. I didn't fit in with them. I'd never fit in at my high school either. My life was just one big awkward moment. I needed to learn to fit in. To walk away from the awkward girl who was left out in high school because she had bigger issues.
Standing up, I ran my hands over my dress to get out any wrinkles from sitting there thinking over the wisdom of joining the party. I would walk out there. Maybe get a drink and see if anyone spoke to me. If it was a complete disaster, I could always run back in here, put on my pajamas and curl up in bed. This was a good small step for me.
Opening the pantry door, I stepped into the kitchen very grateful that no one was in there. Walking out of the pantry would be slightly hard to explain. I could hear Grant's voice laughing loudly and talking to someone in the living room. He would talk to me. I could ease into this with Grant. Taking a deep breath, I walked out of the kitchen and down the hall into the foyer. White roses and silver ribbons were everywhere. It reminded me of a wedding instead of a birthday party. The front door opened startling me. I stopped and watched as familiar dark smoky eyes met mine. My face felt warm as Woods' eyes took a long slow appraisal of me.
"Blaire," he said when his eyes finally made their way back to my face. "I didn't think it was possible for you to get any sexier. I was wrong."
"Hell, yeah girl. You clean up real nice." The guy with curly blond hair and blue eyes smiled at me. I couldn't remember his name. Had he even told me?
"Thank you," I managed to croak out. I was being awkward again. This was my chance to fit in. I needed to work on that.
"I didn't know Rush had started golfing again. Or are you here with someone else?" Confused it took me a moment to understand Woods meaning. When I realized that he thought I was here with someone who I had met at work I grinned. That wasn't the case at all.
"I'm not here with anyone. Rush is um... well Rush's mother is married to my father." There that explained it.
Woods' slow easy grin got bigger as he walked toward me. "Is that so? He is making his stepsister work at the country club? Tsk tsk. The boy has no manners. If I had a sister that looked like you I'd keep her locked up... all the time," He paused and reached up to brush his thumb across my cheek. "I'd stay with you of course. Wouldn't want you to be lonely."
He was definitely flirting. Heavily. I was way out of my league with this one. He was too experienced. I needed some space.
"Those legs of yours should come with a warning. Impossible not to touch," his voice lowered a notch and I glanced over his shoulder to see that blondie had left us.
"Are you... are you friends with Rush or uh, Nannette?" I asked remembering the name Grant had used to introduce us the first night.
Woods shrugged, "Nan and I have a complicated friendship. Rush and I have known each other our entire lives." Woods hand slid behind my back. "I'm betting like hell Nan isn't a fan of yours, though."
I wasn't sure. We hadn't really had any contact since that first night. "We don't really know each other."
Woods frowned, "Really? That's odd."
"Woods! You're here," a female squealed as she entered the room. He turned his head to see a red headed girl with long thick curls and a curvy body barely covered with black satin. This would be his distraction. I started to step away and go back toward the kitchen. My moment of bravery was now gone.
Woods hand clamped down on my hip, firmly holding me in place. "Laney," was all that Woods said in response. Her big brown eyes shifted from him to me. I watched helplessly as she took in his hand settled on my hip. This was not what I wanted. I needed to fit in.
"Who is she?" the girl snapped her eyes now glaring at me.
"This is Blaire. Rush's new sister," Woods replied in a bored tone.
The girl's eyes narrowed and then she laughed. "No, she isn't. She's wearing a cheap ass dress and even cheaper shoes. This girl, whoever she says she is, is lying to you. But then you were always weak when it came to a pretty face, weren't you, Woods?"
I really should have stayed in my room.
Chapter Seven
"Why don't you go back to the party and find some stupid male to sharpen your claws on, Laney?"
Woods moved toward the door where the majority of the party was going on with his hand still firmly on my hip forcing me to go with him.
"I think I should just go to my room. I shouldn't have come out here tonight," I said, trying to stop our entrance into the party. I didn't need to walk in there with Woods. Something told me it was a bad idea.
"Why don't you show me to your room? I'd like to escape too."
I shook my head. "Not enough room for both of us."
Woods laughed and bent his head to say something in my ear as my eyes locked with Rush's silver gaze. He was watching me closely. He didn't look happy. Had his invite today been out of courtesy and not truly intended? Had I misunderstood?
"I need to leave. I don't think Rush wants me here." I turned to look up at Woods and stepped out of his embrace.
"Nonsense. I'm sure he is entirely too busy to worry about what you're doing. Besides, why wouldn't he want you at his other sister's party?"