Page 32 of The B Side

I’d have preferred before things got all emotional, but I suppose I appreciate the belated heads-up

Darcy - 8:45A.M.

Well, Em, I’m glad you didn’t say anything earlier because this warmed my whole dang heart

Chapter Seven

Darcy smoothed her hands over her jacket.

The motion was mostly useless; there wasn’t a wrinkle in sight, not after their team of wardrobe/hair/makeup had spent the better part of twenty minutes before they’d left, threatening her with a steamer and Darcy with bodily harm if she touched it again. Okay, so Blythe had been on FaceTime with her, and she’d been the one with the threats, but she felt like she’d seen agreement in wardrobe’s eyes.

Still, her palms needed somewhere to go.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

It was technically a suit, though it didn’t look anything like the stiff tuxedos others would be wearing tonight; that really wasn’t… her. The trousers were deep navy, high-waisted and cut with a long, fluid line through the leg, falling perfectly over the pointed ivory heels she’d chosen to go with them. The matching blazer was tailored close to her frame, its sharp shoulders and clean lines giving the whole thing a polished edge.

Beneath it, she’d traded a traditional button-down for an ivory silk blouse. The neckline draped softly open at her throat, tucked neatly into the waistband of her pants, giving her something that both softened the lines cut in her suit and was incredibly elegant.

A few delicate pieces of silver jewelry were all she’d opted for – small earrings, a fine chain at her throat, as always, a couple of rings. She was going to try her best not to fiddle around with them, but Juliet was up for awards tonight, and Darcy was already feeling antsy on her behalf.

She’d left her hair down, for both simplicity and comfort.

The Grammys.

Her first award show with Juliet. Not technically, given that they’d sort-of done events and award shows together for the last two years, since Juliet and Robbie had been broken up. They’d accompanied one another plenty, but always as friends. Doing separate interviews, never really touching. No more than arms brushing or the backs of their hands. Always leaving Darcy wanting more, but never having it.

Tonight was different.

Together, in public. And not just going out to dinner or to the store, but in a big way.

The thought still made something in her chest fill with warmth, before that sensation rolled through her veins.

“Are you ready?” Juliet asked as she opened the door from their ensuite.

Darcy already knew what Juliet would be wearing tonight; they’d deliberately chosen every aspect of their outfits to coordinate. And still, her breath caught and held in her throat, all normal, human words dropping away from her vocabulary.

Leaving her simply with, “Wow.”

Juliet paused as she’d started walking through the doorway, first arching Darcy a look, before a slow smile tugged at her lips.

God.

Juliet was wearing a midnight-blue gown, the same exact tone as Darcy’s jacket. When she moved, the fabric caught in the light in tiny flashes, like stars were trapped inside of it. It was fitted as though it had been sewn for Juliet’s exact form in the bodice, before it fell into a sleek, fluid skirt that brushed the floor. The neckline dipped just enough to still maintain its elegance; one shoulder was bare, the other framed by a delicate sweep of the soft material, and there was a cut up the side that was barely noticeable unless Juliet was walking.

This was not a dress for Juliet Jacobs of yore. This was not a dress for cute-and-innocent country music’s sweetheart.

This was a dress that made your heart pound by looking at her, and Darcy’s was no exception.

Her dark hair had been swept back into a low, loose twist, leaving a few soft pieces around her face. Diamond earrings caught the light whenever she moved.

And there was a ring on her right hand. Silver. One of… Darcy’s stomach dipped low in a free-fall. One of her rings, from her jewelry case.

“Who’s the thief now?” She managed, sliding her gaze from the ring up to Juliet’s.

Her lips poked into a small pout as she cocked her hip, her hand falling to it. “You like?”

“Uh, I love, actually.”