Sloane
Ping!
I jump about ten feet into the air when I hear an incoming text. I glance at the clock on my nightstand and peer at my reflection in the mirror before grabbing my phone. My hair falls around my face in loose waves and my makeup is flawless thanks to Shaye’s heavy hand. It’s way more than I’d ever agree to wear…ever…but tonight is a really special night and I want to look perfect. I even let her put on fake eyelashes which feel hella weird on my eyes, but wow, do they pop.
I feel like a princess, and I can’t wait to see my handsome prince.
I swipe my finger across the screen to see what Jules sent and my eyes widen as an image of my dark prince fills the screen. He stands out like a sore thumb in the hallway of flowers.
Her caption?
Sex on a stick showed up today, and damn I wanna lick him up and down.
I bite my lower lip. Sex on a stick indeed. But why was he even there? I type a quick reply.
Did he visit any of the kids?
A second passes. Eli. I think I’m gonna have to find an excuse to spend more time with him even though he’s a little prick.
I roll my eyes. Come on, he’s not a prick. You have the worst bedside manner ever.
You’d better believe it’s gonna change real quick if that guy keeps showing up!
I snicker and toss the phone on my bed. I’ll just tell her later. I want to see the look on her face when I show up with him to the benefit.
I open my closet and pull out a form-fitting red dress. The color matches my lipstick perfectly and compliments my dark hair. Nude heels complete my look, and I douse myself with some perfume before leaving my room to wait for my chariot to arrive in the form of Max’s Ford Raptor.
I can’t walk very fast in these heels. The tips of my feet already feel pinched. How am I going to last for hours wearing them? How the heck does anyone? Shoes like these need to come with a surgeon general’s warning, for Pete’s sake.
I move gingerly, hoping that if I don’t clip clop on the floor, my toes won’t burn so much. I eye my black flats and hear Shaye’s voice berating me in my head.
Don’t even think about it. They are the antithesis of glamour, and I didn’t work on your face for hours so you could kick off those heels and destroy your look with flats!
She’s right. She did work hard on my face.
A little pain is good for the soul, right?
I practice walking up and down my hallway and forget about my burning toes when I hear a knock at the door. Clack, clack, clack go my heels against the hardwood floor, the smile spreading across my face in anticipation of seeing Max in a tux. Just the thought makes me think about tearing him out of it later…
I yank open the door, ready to fling myself into his arms when I recoil. “Daddy! What are you doing here?”
My father shifts on the stoop, dressed in a navy blue suit. “You didn’t think I’d miss your big night, did you?”
“I’m so glad you decided to come.” Tears fill my eyes as I wrap my arms around him. “You’re the best dad in the world, do you know that?”
He squeezes me tight. “Your mom would have been so proud of you,” he says in a gruff voice. “All of the work you’ve done in her memory. She’d have loved it.”
“It makes me feel closer to her, you know?” I whisper, blinking fast to keep the tears in check. “Come on in. Max should be here any minute.”
He visibly bristles when I mention Max’s name and my brow furrows. “I’ll take my own car.”
I fold my arms. “Daddy, what’s the problem with Max? You’ve known him forever. Why are you so opposed to me spending time with him?”
My dad paces the floor, running a hand over his bald head. “Sloane, he’s not good for you. He can’t give you the kind of life you deserve. Why can’t you just find a nice, stable doctor at the hospital?”
The corners of my lips curl upward. “You don’t think Max is stable?”
Dad frowns at me. “He’s a loose cannon. He was always a troublemaker as a kid, and now he’s on to bigger things. Worse things. Things that you shouldn’t be around.”