“Well, duh. Of course. And that’s why we go alone. So we are free to pick and choose.” She dug around in her closet. “Look, I’m glad you and Mason have patched things up but you need to branch out. And honestly, I’m tired of you moping around about Ryder.”
She didn’t know about his late-night visit. And after what had happened at lunch, it was probably for the best. When it was just Ryder and me, everything seemed perfect, but then things like today happened and I was back to not knowing what to think about us. “I’m not moping.”
She rolled her eyes and shoved a dress at me. “ ‘Will you call my phone? Is it working? Why hasn’t it rung?’ Blegh.” She stuck her tongue out. “No guy is worth that. Not even someone as insanely fuckable as Ryder Briggs. Try that on.” She gestured to the dress I held against my chest.
I tossed it onto the bed and peeled off my shirt, slipped the dress on, then dropped my jeans from under it.
Her face pinched on the side as she twisted her lips and studied me. “Nope.” She spun back to her closet and pulled out a blue dress. “Here.”
“This is like three sizes too small,” I pointed out.
“It stretches. Put it on.”
I yanked off the first dress and forced the other over my boobs and down my body. “Oh my God. I don’t think I can breathe.”
“It’s spandex. You can breathe, it just feels tight. Get used to it. You’re wearing it.”
“What? Are you kidding me? I feel like a sausage on a stick.”
“Well, you look like sex on a stick, all tan skin, blue eyes, long legs. Guys will go crazy. You’re wearing it. Trust me, I don’t like the idea of you looking so damn hot in my dress either, but if you can meet someone to get your mind off Ryder, it’s worth it.”
I glanced in the full-length mirror. Every single curve of my body, down to my hip bones, was visible through the skintight, strapless dress. I shook my head. “Um, no. No way in hell. I’m not wearing this.”
“Oh, please, you have a hot body. Quit acting like you don’t know that. And show it off already.”
“I might as well be naked. Or shit, just paint a dress on me. It’s the same thing.”
“Not really. If it were paint I’d be able to see a lot more. This is quite modest compared to body paint. For Halloween, I…”
I shook my head and tuned her out. I headed to the bed and picked up my favorite jeans. According to Mason, they made my ass look good. That was something, right?
She yanked them out of my hands. “No way. So help me God, I will shred these if you try to wear them instead of that sexy-as-fucking-hell dress.”
I yelled, “No! I love those jeans.”
“Then wear the dress.”
“I feel like a—”
“Like a what? What does wearing my dress make you feel like?” She crossed her arms.
“Not like myself.”
“Exactly.” She pulled out a tiny pair of shorts and a top for herself. “Now put some makeup on. It’s almost time to go.”
Some mascara, lip gloss and two shots of tequila later, she’d persuaded me to leave wearing the might-as-well-be-body-paint dress.
The frat party was crowded when we arrived. A guy bumped into me as I stepped through the door and I was ninety-nine percent confident he copped a feel while steadying himself.
Fallon led me toward the back. With every step I took, my shoes made this weird slurping sound as they peeled off then restuck to the beer-soaked floor. Fallon said something and I shook my head and raised my hands palm up. They’d gone all out for the party and hired a deejay, making it impossible to hear anything over the thumping speakers.
She leaned toward me and yelled in my ear, “Beer. We’re getting beer.”
I nodded and followed her. She stopped in front of several large galvanized oval tubs. Like troughs. For beer. Classy. She smiled at some guy and he reached in and produced two silver cans, then tapped his cheek. I tried not to gag while Fallon leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek.
She placed a beer in my hand.
“Please tell me you know him.” I popped the top of the can.
“Sure. He’s the guy with the beer.” She smiled and grabbed my hand. “Look, there’s Dani.”
A girl in jeans and a tank top approached. I bit back jealousy that she got to wear jeans.
“Hey. Dani, this is my roommate, Brinley.” She gestured toward me.
“Hi.” I offered a small wave.
“Nice dress.”
With a tug on the hem, I said, “Thanks.”
Dani’s gaze roamed down and back up. Slowly. She whispered something to Fallon, who shook her head. Dani frowned. “Bummer. She’s hot.”