AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fuck.
What if tonight went awful?
What if it went amazing?
My thoughts continued to dance between the two scenarios until I eventually dragged myself off for a bath. Might as well get some use out of the incredibly ornate bath inside my hotel room.
The dress was incredible.
A doorman had dropped the dress off while I was in the bath, leaving it waiting for me when I came out. I’d put on my underwear, curled my hair, applied subtle eyeliner with a nude lip, and then opened the dust jacket. The zipper parted the name Portia & Scarlett Nadira Gown, and what was inside took my breath away.
It wasn’t until I slipped it on that I truly got an eyeful of the beauty.
The deep bottle green silk dress had a heart-shaped, strapless bust with a split that ran down between my breasts and stopped just below my ribs. With a high thigh split on the left leg and a gorgeous train pooled behind me; the bust line, bodice, and the edges of the trail were outlined in glittering gemstones that caught the light from every angle. Paired with silk gloves that slid past my elbows and a pair of silver kitten heels to match, I was utterly silenced by how beautiful the gown was and how perfectly it fit. From boobs to butt, it hugged me like a second skin. The deep color of the dress even made my eyes stand out like emeralds, and with a pair of dangling waterfall diamond earrings, the only adjustment I made was to shift my curls over one shoulder.
I was ready.
With a pounding heart, I snapped a picture to Lily, who replied with a hundred heart eyes emojis and a declaration of switching sides to date her instead. That laugh was enough to ease some of the nerves thrumming through my system but not enough to calm the violent pounding of my heart.
Never in my life had I dressed in something so revealing, never mind something so elegant. It had to be the expense that made the dress so light that it almost felt like I was wearing nothing at all, and that thought lingered in my mind as the doorman appeared once more to let me know my ride was here. His eyes bulged at the sight of me. I forced a nervous smile and tried to ignore the warmth that flushed over my face and down my throat as I headed to the lobby.
“Oh my god.”
Lucas stood in the lobby, dressed in a charcoal suit with a bottle green shirt beneath his jacket and emerald cufflinks that glittered as he turned to face me.
My heart beat so fast it was just one constant pressure in my chest, and I struggled to get my mouth to work as his gaze dropped down me.
“Does it look alright?” I finally asked.
Lucas choked slightly and shook his head once. “Not alright, you looking fucking phenomenal. How do you feel?”
As I approached, he crooked his elbow and offered it to me. I grabbed on gratefully, my grip ending up tighter than intended.
“Like I’m going to be sick,” I replied honestly, “but also amazing. Like I’m not even myself.”
“Did I tell you to trust me?”
When I looked up at him, his bright smile was clear, and my racing heart slowly started to calm. He patted my hand and leaned in, pressing a warm kiss to my cheek that sent thrills cascading down my arms and legs like goosebumps.
“You did,” I replied softly.
“Ready to wow everyone?”
“As I’ll ever be!”
The drive to the Gala and two glasses of Champagne helped calm my nerves enough that by the time we climbed the steps to the Grand Hotel, I was much more confident in my steps. My smile wasn’t wobbling either, and Lucas kept close to my side.
“Now,” he said as we stepped into a ballroom filled with stunning people all dressed to the nines. “Remember, you’re here as my date, and if anyone asks you anything you don’t understand, just reword it as a question back to them.”
“Oh my god,” I gasped, taking in the streaming glittering lights above, stretching out from each chandelier like raindrops. The tables were covered in crisp, white tablecloths and decorated with large urns filled to the brim with flowers. Several ice sculptures lined the space between the tables and the stage, where a full orchestra was in the middle of playing a beautiful song.
“Are you okay?” Lucas paused our walking and turned to me, gently cupping my cheek. “Too much?”
“This place— how do I still feel underdressed?” I laughed. “I thought this dress was insane, but this place, these people are even more insane!”
“Welcome to High Society,” Lucas smirked.
The party was a whirlwind. Luckily, Lucas stayed by my side for most of the first few hours as he made the rounds, talking to people I had never seen or heard of. All I had to do was remain by his side, accept compliments on the dress, and nod where appropriate. Lucas kept my champagne fresh, and as we walked, I kept my eyes peeled for Toby. In a weird twist, the dress and the Lucas had distracted me from my nerves about confronting Toby and now that I was here in the swing of things, I was certain I could take him on and give no space for him to back down.
