16
London
Luca: Can I ask a favor?
London: You mean ANOTHER one?
Luca: Yeah ...
London: Depends on what it is ...and what I get out of it.
I grin as I anticipate his response.
“Youdoknow you’re grinning at your phone, right?And it’s kinda creepy?”Val asks, walking into my bedroom dressed more like she’s attending a red carpet premiere than a fire department charity auction.
Tonight’s dress code is creative black tie: traditional formal attire but with the option of adding a whimsical or unique accessory to show your personality.
Val’s wearing a full-length silver glittery ball dress but with the Val touch of a black faux-fur stole.Her hair is piled up in a sea of curls on top of her head and finished off with diamonds around her neck and in her ears, and the most perfect smoky eyes I’ve ever seen.She’s the epitome of high class and style, and I can’t help but look her over.“You do know you look hot, right?Like, absolutely stunning.”
“You don’t look too bad yourself, Lonnie.I loved that dress on you when we went shopping for it, but with the hair and the ‘look at me’ eye makeup ...you’re gonna have every man in the place tripping over themselves to get to you.”
The truth is, when I was deciding what to wear tonight for the auction, there was only one man I wanted to have falling over himself.I may betryingto get on with my life and get to a place where I’m ready to move past my feelings for Luc, but intentions and reality are fickle creatures.Remembering the way Luc looked at me that night at the restaurant, I wanted to see if this same dress could work miracles.The fact it matches my eyes and makes me feel sexy and elegant at the same time is a double whammy.
“And tonight, you not only look freakingamazing, you’re going to spend alotof my brother’s money to save his dignity from the old-lady brigade I totally made him think would be bidding on him.You’re going to show that idiot of a man justwhathe’s missing.”Val closes the distance between us, and with her hands on my shoulders, she gently turns me around until I’m facing my full-length mirror and she’s standing behind me, looking me up and down in its reflection.“And inthatdress, you’re going to make him notice.I swear, Lonnie.Just you wait.”
Then her words register, and I whirl around with a gasp.“Youdidn’t...”
Val’s lips turn up into a satisfied smirk.“Oh, I totally did.But not only that, I recruited Renee’s grandma and a few of her friends to start a bidding war for my big brother.We can’t make thingstooeasy for the man.”
“Oh my god,” I say with a giggle, shaking my head.“I don’t know if I can do that to him.”
“You can and you must.He thinks you’re going to save him, and you will.Butmyentertainment for the night is watching him squirm ...just a little bit.”
“You, boss lady, are an evil sister.”
She cackles like she’s the wicked witch of the Midwest, which just makes me giggle even more.“Hey, those brothers of mine had their share of fun at my expense growing up.I’ve gotta take payback any chance I get.”
My phone vibrates from where I left it on my dresser.
“Speak of the devil,” she murmurs presumptively.
I pick it up and open the messages.“He wants to ask me a favor.”
“Mm-hmm ...I bet he does.Something along the lines of ‘please don’t let me become some grandma’s rent boy’.”
I meet her dancing eyes and laugh.“Probably.Maybe weshouldlet Renee’s gram snap him up.I’m sure she’d put him to work.”Then I turn back to my phone to see Luc’s message and I freeze.
Luc: So I may be asking too much and of course you can say no ...but could you wear that blue dress you accidentally sent me a picture of?The one that makes your eyes look like the deepest blue sea?With those silver heels that turn your legs into a work of art?
I stand there, mouth agape, my eyes just as wide, wondering whether my best friend has had a brain transplant or if someone is pranking me via Luc’s phone.
“London?”Val asks curiously.
“Huh?”
“You okay there?”
“Um ...I think I’m living in an alternate universe.But yeah ...”