“Hey tootsie rolls.” His smile fell when he saw us. “Why the hell aren’t you dressed yet?”
“Kennedy doesn’t want to go,” said Jade.
“Oh come on, Honey Bee. It will be fun, and a total girls night out.” He winked, and my lips slipped an inch. I wanted to tell them why going was bad idea for me, but that entailed an explanation I wasn’t quite ready to give.
This time it had everything to do with Dane. I’d managed to avoid him since he’d walked out of my room on Tuesday night, and I had the feeling that seeing him tonight wouldn’t bode well. Especially because it was his birthday, and I knew how much he hated celebrating it. Our common disliking for our celebrating our birthdays was something we had in common, albeit a little odd. He was probably thinking about his sister, Jewel, just like I’d been doing, and that tended to make him rather volatile.
“You guys will have fun without me,” I argued. “I’m just going to be a party pooper.”
“Chase will be there,” Grady taunted. “I know you want to see him again.”
I did want to see Chase. He’d been texting me since our date, and we’d slipped into an easy friendship. He was the perfect distraction.
I sighed, knowing I would give in eventually. “I don’t have a costume.” It was a pathetic attempt at getting out of it, but I gave one last ditch effort.
Jade gave me a sly grin. “You didn’t think I’d leave you hanging, did you?”
I groaned, and hung my head in defeat. If nothing else, I could at least reach a compromise. “Fine, I’ll go, but I have a condition.”
Jade bounced on the balls of her feet. “Name it!”
“I’m coming home when I’ve had enough, and you can’t give me any crap about it. Okay?”
Jade looked at Grady, and he shrugged. “It’s better than nothing, baby cakes. Now get her sexy ass dressed so we can go partaaaaay.”
AN HOUR LATER, we stopped outside of the frat house were the party was being hosted. It was a large colonial style mansion with a sprawling driveway and front yard already littered with beer cans, and inebriated college-goers. I climbed out of Jades’ Audi and silently cursed her when my tiny pleather shorts got wedged between my butt cheeks. When she said she had a costume for me, I thought it would cover more skin, but instead, she had me wearing shorts that barely covered my butt, and a blue button down shirt that ended just above my belly button. She pinned a fake cop badge on the pocket, making sure it drew attention to my cleavage. Thank God I was wearing boots without a heel. If she’d forced me to wear her hooker boots I would have been tempted to stab her with them.
Jade on the other hand looked ready for a Victoria Secret model shoot in her black baby doll dress, spiked heels, and black angel wings. No guy would be able to keep his eyes off her, and I had a feeling she was hoping to get the attention of one guy in particular. Not that she’d admit it.
“You ready?” She asked, slipping her arm into mine.
“You coerced me into coming,” I replied. “I’d rather be watching paint dry.”
She rolled her eyes, and did a little shimmy. “Whatever. You’ll be thanking me when the night is over.”
Grady stepped up behind us, slapping us both on the butt. “Let’s get this party started my tootsie rolls. I’m not going home until I’ve found me a hunk.”
I snickered, and walked up the driveway to the door. Everyone around us had obviously taken dressing up seriously. Some people were wearing sheets wrapped into a toga, while others went the less-is-more route by channeling their inner Playboy Bunny. It was comical really, and I realized that I was in fact showing less skin than anyone else.
Once inside, we stopped at a Keg, and filled some red solo cups with warm beer. I opted for water because I had the feeling I was going to end up driving my friends home.
The makeshift dance floor was packed with bodies, and we had to shove our way through to the other side of the living room. I spotted Chase, and gave him a small wave. He smiled when he saw me, and mouthed a ‘help me’ while trying to fend of the unwanted attention of a pink playboy bunny lookalike. She was standing really close, and the pink leotard she wore did little to hide her D-cup sized breasts. Why Chase needed my help was beyond me, but I decided to answer his plea anyway.
Jade disappeared onto the dance floor with Grady, and I walked over to Chase. He grabbed me around the waist, taking me by surprise.
“Officer.” He grinned. “I didn’t think you’d show.”
The girl he was standing with eyed me, her mouth twisting into a scowl. She was pretty, and had that air about her that screamed ‘sorority’.