The day passes in a blur of happiness. Of stupid antics and laughter. By the time I’m slipping into my dark-green dress, I find myself wondering where the day has gone. I walk out of my bathroom and find Indi struggling with the strings of the corset on her dress. “Want a hand?”
She spins and gasps when she sees me. “Girl, you are fire!”
I laugh at her assessment and motion for her to turn around so I can do her up. “You’re not exactly the pumpkin of this ball, yourself.”
She grins at me in the mirror as I help her and do the strings on her corset-topped tutu dress. “Oh yeah, we’d totally get it.”
I burst out laughing at her assessment, though she isn’t wrong. When we went shopping for these dresses, I was just having fun with it, but we definitely made some choices that brought out the best in us. Her vivid locks are a shocking contrast to her pale skin and dark dress. Put together with a vampy eye and dark purple lipstick, she’s rocking that emo chic look most girls would kill to pull off.
“What shoes are you wearing?” I ask as I smooth down the front of my emerald satin dress. I check my hair once more. The front is pinned away from my face and the rest of my dark locks cascade down my spine in curls, brushing against the bare skin of my back. This dress makes me thankful for tit tape, because without it I’d never pull it off.
“Docs, of course.” She grins and I turn my attention back to her, barking out a laugh. “A girl needs some comfort.”
“Yes, yes she does.” I pull out a pair of Choos from my closet. They’re not so high that I’ll break my neck, and they’re so freaking pretty. I grab a black clutch to match the shoes before turning back to Indi. “Okay, I’m ready. You good?”
“Hell yes I am, let’s get our dance on!” She throws her hands in the air and does a little jig on the spot before leading us from the room. She dances all the way down the hall but pauses at the top of the stairs. “Umm… V?”
I come to stand beside her and see why she stopped.
Four very delicious, and mostly unwanted, guys stand in the foyer of the house fully suited and booted.
Well shit.
All eyes are on me as I descend the stairs, trying not to scowl at the four of them. I turn to Mav first. “I thought I told you no.”
I fold my arms over my chest, quirking a brow at him, just as Indi lands beside me.
“You did. I chose not to listen.” He grins at me. “And damn am I glad I did. You look good enough to eat, princess.”
I glance from him to Finn who smiles softly, to East who looks more than a little sheepish, then to Linc who just looks bored.
“Are you ready to go? The car is waiting,” Linc says, his tone as bored as his countenance.
I roll my eyes at him and turn to Indi. “You good riding with them? If not, I’ll just drive like we planned.”
“No, no. I’m good.” She grins, so I bend down and slip my shoes on. The boys head outside and Indi grabs my arm to hold me back. “If they don’t want a peek of your kitty cat in that dress, I’ll eat my own damn kitty cat.”
I burst out laughing at her and the guys turn to face us, making her blush.
“Well, they can just keep wanting,” I say, winking at her. “Let’s go!”
I take her hand and yell out a goodbye to Smithy before heading out. Finley offers me a hand to help me step into the limo, kissing the inside of my wrist as I take it. His lips are a scorching heat on my skin.
I slide into the car and Indi climbs in behind me, followed by the guys.
They talk quietly amongst themselves during the drive. If they were going to ignore us, why even bother asking us to ride with them? They seem to be arguing, so I turn the music up and have a mini party in the backseat with Indi instead. Tonight is not about them or the chaos we seem to be tangled up in. Tonight is about a night with my bestie.
When we pull up at the school, it’s like there’s been a freaking transformation outside of the gym. The trees that line the back steps up to the entryway are wrapped with twinkle lights and music spills through the doors. Indi practically vibrates in her chair as someone opens the door and she slides out.
“Thanks for the ride.” I wink at Mav and follow Indi out, taking her hand once I’m standing straight again. “Let’s go rock this, shall we?”
We strut inside, and it really is a full transformation. There’s a makeshift stage that holds a few guitars, a drum set, a keyboard, and a couple of horns, while a DJ plays from his decks. There are all sorts of tables in here, living up to the 007 casino theme. There’s poker, blackjack, craps, and a ton of other stuff I don't recognize.
“Dance or gamble?” I ask Indi. She stares longingly at the dance floor. “Dance it is!”
* * *
After dancing until my feet feel like they’re going to fall off, I tap Indi’s shoulder and prepare to slink over to a free table. These shoes might be beautiful, but they are not built for dancing, that much is for sure.