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I’m out of my seat and heading backstage. The phony me eyes me as I head straight toward her like a freight train without brakes. They know why I’m smoking pissed.
“Give me that dress, Blondie.” She looks confused but throws the gown down at my feet. I hurry back to the piano. “Raine, do you know my song well enough to play it? I don’t want to lip sync.”
“I’m on it,” she says, cracking her knuckles.
For laughs, I decided I would sing with Jaxon in the back of the bar, and one song stood out. The Gamma sisters surround me in shades of ivory, looking pretty damn hot. “Gamma, I need your help. Just a simple two step and follow Elina’s lead.” Jaxon, Hudson, and Asher join us on stage.
I’m dressed in pink satin with rhinestones wrapped around my neck as Marilyn’s signature song, “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” starts to play.
Asher stands frozen as he looks out at the audience. “Don’t look at them,” I whisper. “Look over their heads. All you have to do is look as good as you already do.” I extend my jeweled wrist and caress his cheek. He leans into me as Hudson frames my right side, and Jaxon stands over me.
A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl’s best friend
The Gamma sisters don’t prance; they dance a simple step. Ivory draped over their legs, they strike an elegant pose that is impressive done in unison. They freeze frame with smiles on their faces as I shimmy across the stage, grabbing hold of fake jewels sparkling under the stage lights. I swirl and stretch my arms to the sky, flashing a smile brighter than any diamond. People laugh at the right moments as I spoof myself.
But square-cut or pear-shaped, these rocks don’t lose their shape. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.
Shaming is forgotten as we have a fun time on stage. Even Asher gets into it, dipping me low to the floor. I hold out my hands, and my sisters flutter around me like petals drifting to the ground. The guys fall at my feet as if shot by Cupid’s arrows. I place a black heel on Jaxon’s chest as I sing the last note.
Helen sips her wine as the audience applauds. I hurry backstage to change back into my tux as the Gammas stay on the stage for their encore. I quickly fluff my hair in the mirror and notice a glow in my cheeks that has been missing for too long.
Time’s up, old Charlotte. This is your goodbye tour.
***
I smile as people comment on everything from my singing to my sense of humor. But I can’t get out the doors fast enough. I need room to breathe, and though the night is a success, I just need to shake off the hurt and the pain that’s surrounded me for months. I leave the guys behind and take off toward the campus.
“Charlotte, please wait.” Wren runs toward me, tottering on her heels across the soggy lawn. I can’t outpace her in my heels, which have sunk down into the grass with each bent step.
“Charlotte, I didn’t know,” Wren gasps, catching up to me. “And you were fantastic.”
“How did they figure it out?” I ask.
Wren is guarded. “I don’t know exactly. Maybe because you hang out with the guys all the time.” Honesty returns to her smile. “It went over most people’s heads anyway. And those who got the Madonna reference can’t stop talking in a positive way about your performance. I didn’t know you could sing.”
I laugh. “Jaxon sings. We practiced that song for fun. I was on the fence about performing it. I thought it might stir up a scandal.”
I wrap my arm over Wren’s shoulders, and she places her arm around my waist. We walk along, dressed in the fancy clothes we wore at Stonehaven before we exchanged them for collegiate sweatshirts. The nights are warming up, and the humid air reminds me of home as it clings to us as we walk.
“I miss our talks,” she says. “And I always think about the purple couch.”
I hug Wren close. “I kept the card you gave me.”
She takes in a deep breath. “I quit Theta.”
“Wren, you didn’t have to quit Theta for us to be friends. I was being selfish, expecting you to continue to play a supporting role in my life.”
“It wasn’t about you,” she replies. “I didn’t mean it that way. I said that badly. They’re too wicked for me to ignore. Nothing they have to offer can overshadow the damage they’ve done. I couldn’t be a part of it. I couldn’t be around people that treat my friends badly. And it wasn’t only because of you that I quit. Prisha moved out and isn’t returning. She waited until I was out of the room to leave. She’s blocked me.”
“What happened?” I ask softly.
“I can’t say, and not because of Theta, but because I want to support Prisha even if I can’t tell her I’m sorry. I was complacent, and that was bad enough.”
I don’t push it. Wren has secrets she needs to keep. And I do too. So, we talk about this year’s trends in fashion, not because we’re shallow but because it’s always a safe topic.
CHAPTER 18
Hudson
