The Line Between(52)
Until today.
Hearing what Ashley had said made me feel like that twelve-year-old girl again. And the absolute worst part? I couldn’t even be angry with Dane when I was to blame. He’d made me no promises, yet I was dumb enough to go against my better judgment and sleep with him anyway.
No, this wasn’t his fault.
It was all on me.
As I walked around campus aimlessly, mulling it over in my head, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, and checked to see that I’d received a text message from Jade.
We’re hitting Kolony tonight with Ash and Grady for the Pimps & Ho’s party. Tell me you’re in?
It was a Friday night, and Kolony was bound to be insane. An idea popped into my head, and the need to let go of everything ‘Dane’ related, roared to life inside me. I typed out a response, smiling.
First round is on me ;)
I had a plan, and if I was lucky, it would make me forget about Dane long enough to rid myself of any shame or lingering humiliation. He might have seen me as nothing more than a one night stand, but I was determined to see him as nothing more than a speed bump on the long, windy road that was my life.
GRADY WALKED INTO my bedroom and let out a low whistle. “Good God, honey bee, you’re going to give the guys at Kolony an aneurism dressed like that.”
I smiled, and applied the rest of my mascara before turning to face him. “Isn’t that the whole point of the ‘Pimps & Hoes’ theme?”
His brows shot up, and he crossed his arms over his chest. “This,” he waved his hand in my direction, “my little tootsie roll, is more like high end escort instead of street corner hooker. Those boys are going to be falling over their tongues when they see you.”
My eyes rolled. “Please, the girls will take one look at you, and wish you played for our team. That suit is very Christian Grey.”
I straightened and twisted around facing my floor length mirror. I had to admit that my little black dress was kind of short, but it still covered the important bits, and also made me feel sexy. The smooth black material hugged my body, ending mid-thigh with a low back, and a flattering sweetheart neckline that worked well with my new push up bra. I curled my hair, and allowed it to hang over my shoulders to show off my exposed back.
“Looking at you right now, I wished I batted for your team. I wasn’t kidding when I said tongues are going to wag,” replied Grady.
I laughed, and applied some red lipstick as the finishing touch. “I just want to have fun,” I said. “You’re the only guy I plan on going home with anyway.” I winked and he simply shook it off with a chuckle.
“Okay, deuces, let’s get this party on the road!” Jade shouted from the kitchen. Despite my earlier mood, I was excited to have a night out with my friends.
“Where’s Ashley?” I asked as soon as we were in the kitchen.
“She bailed last minute. Something to do with a biochemistry assignment gone wrong,” replied Jade.
“That’s too bad,” said Grady, waving his hand in dismissal. “We’ll send her pictures from the club. Now let’s get the hell out of here so I can go find me a Pimp.”
BY THE TIME we arrived at the club, it was already well on its way to being filled to the brim. People queued outside, and from the looks of it the line ran all the way around the corner. It wasn’t unusual for a Friday night, but the ‘Pimps & Hoes’ theme was so popular that many people drove an hour from Brighton just to attend.
I slipped my hand into the crook of Grady’s arm, and we followed Jade to the door where the bouncer, Bobby, let us in. They’d definitely gone all out with the décor, and had even gone so far as to have stripper poles situated throughout the large space.
There was very little room to move around, but after a few shoves, and some elbows to the ribs, we made it to the bar. Jade ordered us some tequila shots to get the night going, and included a few bottles of water to help us pace ourselves.
“We drink to those who love us, we drink to those who don’t. We drink to those who fuck us, and fuck those who don’t!” Shouted Jade.
Grady replied, “Amen to that!” And we clinked our shot glasses, and swallowed back the vile clear liquid. I coughed, and blinked back the way my eyes immediately teared up.
“You okay, honey bee?” Grady rubbed my back, and I nodded.
He surveyed the crowd, and when his eyes stopped on someone in the middle of the dance floor, he kissed each of us on the cheek, and made his way out into the crowd. He looked good in a light grey tailored Armani suit, black button up shirt, and just to stand out, a red silk tie. His hair was perfectly coifed, as it always was, and tonight he had a glint in his eye that I’d never noticed before.