Chapter 27: Chapter 27

AVERY

I rush home from work on the night of the gala, eager to get ready. I find Olive lounging on my bed when I come back to my room after a shower.

“So, any idea about what to expect tonight?” she asks.

“Expect?”

I walk past her, heading for the closet. I sift through my old dresses, but it’s a lost cause. Everything I own is too casual and too plain to catch the eye of my brother’s best friend. Not that I’m trying to do that.

“You know,” she says, and I can almost hear the obnoxious wink in her voice. “You and Reed, all dressed up and sipping fancy drinks, surrounded by beautiful sights and sounds. What if something happens? What if he can’t control himself? What if you can’t?”

I laugh, picking through my nicest dresses.

“Olive, I’ll never understand how your mind works,” I sigh, pulling out a green sweaterdress from the closet. “We’ve kissed twice, and those hardly count. One was that kiss cam at the hockey game, the one you didn’t tell me about. I think we’re safe. Besides, his dream girl is supposed to be there.”

I quickly discard the sweaterdress. It’s not the statement piece I want for tonight.

“Men and women can just be friends, you know,” I tell her, riffling through more hangers.

“I know, but not you and Reed Everett. There’s more than friendship there.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I know what I see. And the way he looks at you, the way he grins like an idiot whenever you enter a room? That’s not friendship. Don’t forget, I spent the whole morning talking to him while you were still sleeping it off after that night you pleasured yourself under him.”

“Olive!” I gasp.

She just shrugs. “The point is, there’s something between you two. Why not act on it?”

I groan. I didn’t want to have this conversation, especially not tonight when I’ll be meeting Reed’s dream girl. I don’t want to be reminded that regardless of the pull I feel toward him, he doesn’t want me back. His heart is hers.

Frustrated with the conversation and with the fact that every dress I pull out is subpar, I throw my hands up in defeat.

“Ugh! I don’t have anything to wear to this thing!”

Olive just giggles. But it’s a sneaky, mysterious giggle, similar to the one Reed let out when he told me about my sleep-talking habit.

“Wait here,” she says, barely containing her excitement as she jumps off the bed and runs out the door.

She returns moments later, carrying a fancy box with a cream-colored bow. With a grin that rivals the Cheshire cat’s, she hands it to me. It’s surprisingly heavy.

“I got you this.”

“You… What?”

“I picked this out for you,” she repeats. “And don’t worry, it’s your style. Not mine. Well, a little bit of mine.”

“You bought me a dress?” I ask.

“Reed mentioned the gala a few nights ago. I knew you’d need something fabulous. Just open it,” she says, bouncing with anticipation.

What I find inside takes my breath away. Beneath two layers of sparkling tissue paper, is a stunning sea of shimmery silver-and-black fabric. A pair of elegant, diamond-encrusted, open-toed heels and a bejeweled headpiece are nestled next to it.

“Oh, Olive…”

I trace a finger along the silver vines embroidered on the dress. I’m speechless. I reach in to start unpacking the contents, but Olive stops me.

“No. Go put it on, and then come out wearing the whole look.”

I don’t argue. I nod, grab the box, and rush into the bathroom. It takes me a few minutes to figure out how to put the dress on, but when I do, I feel like a princess. I can’t stop smiling as I walk over to the full-length mirror to check out my reflection.

The dress is a mix of silver-and-black chiffon that hugs my body at the bodice, giving me an hourglass figure and showing off my chest before it flares out into a full skirt that sweeps the floor. There are two high slits up each leg that reveal peeks of skin when I move.

I’m in awe of the gown’s detail as I stare at myself. It’s incredible. The beaded lace appliqué cascades down the bodice, wrapping around the back and along the thin straps.

I slip on the heels. They fit my petite feet like Cinderella’s misplaced glass slipper, adding a few extra inches to my stature. Their straps mimic the vines on the dress, tiny jewels intricately woven into each one.

The headpiece is the last item, but since my hair isn’t styled yet, I carry it back out to Olive.

She gasps dramatically when she sees me, all dolled up in my ball gown. She hops off the bed to fuss over me, touching the textured bodice and spinning me around for a full view.

“Oh. My. Fucking. God, Avery. Reed is going to lose his shit when he sees you in this.”

“I’m not sure what to do with my hair or makeup,” I admit, blushing.

“I do,” she retorts, pulling me back into the bathroom. “Wait here!”

Moments later, I hear the sound of something scraping against the floor as she comes back down the hall. She hauls one of the kitchen chairs inside, placing it in front of the sink.

“Sit,” she orders, then rushes to the counter to plug in the curling iron. “I took cosmetology in high school. I still remember a few tricks.”

“I trust you. Do whatever you think is best.”

***

Several minutes later, she sets down the curling iron and dusts my cheeks with a bit of shimmer.

“And now for the finishing touch,” she says, securing the headpiece in my hair. “Voilà!”

She helps me up and guides me back to the mirror.

I gasp. Olive has done my makeup in a way that makes my blue eyes pop, the smoky eye making me look exotic and seductive. My lips are an eye-catching dark red.

I still look like me, but I don’t feel like me anymore. I feel…confident. Like a woman who knows her worth and trusts herself. A woman who’s not afraid to ask for what she wants. Like I’m a bombshell in silver heels.

“You look fucking amazing. You’ll have Reed and everyone else at this party eating out of your hand.”

There’s a knock at the door, and Olive heads out to let Reed in, giving me a moment to collect myself.

“I can do this,” I whisper to my reflection.

I strut out of the bathroom and stop when I see Reed standing in the living room, my heart leaping at the sight of him. My eyes travel up his shiny black shoes, perfectly tailored black suit, and that luscious black hair I just want to run my fingers through.

~God, he’s such a beautiful man.~

“Avery, we need to get…”

His words die as he turns and gets a good look at me. “Avery…you…w-wow,” he stammers, his gaze heating as he scans me from head to toe and back up again.

~Is Reed…speechless?~

That familiar blush creeps onto my face. “Thank you.”

“Y-you’re welcome,” he manages. He shakes himself like he’s clearing the fog and stands a bit taller, gripping the sides of his open jacket and presenting me with his best dazzling smile. “Now, how about me? How do I look?”

~Hot. Gorgeous. Painfully beautiful.~

But I can’t say any of that, so I give him a smile and say, “Like the perfect gentleman.”

His eyes smolder as he swallows. He once told me he wasn’t known for being a gentleman. The look in his eyes suggests he’s not thinking anything gentlemanly right now.

“We should get going. You ready?”

I nod. “Absolutely.”