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Throwing my shoulder into the door, it pushes open. The winter air smacks me in the face, burning my cheeks.
Damn, it’s cold out here.
Rubbing my hands together to create some warmth, I search the alleyway for my mystery girl. Drunken idiots are s
creaming and dancing outside as if they had taken the party out here. Some people have their cars parked, the windows steamed up from them making out inside. So much is happening, yet I cannot find the blue dress or the beautiful woman wearing it. Unsure of which way to go, I make a right and hope she parked on Greek Row.
But I have no idea how she got here. For all I know she lives around the corner in one of the dormitories. I know nothing about her. The least I could have done was ask her age or if she goes to the Strickland University. At least something more definitive to narrow down my chances of finding her.
Realizing this is a fool’s errand, I stop a few people walking by. “Hey, did you guys see a girl in a light blue dress? She had blonde hair and was wearing a mask with a feather sticking up on the one side.”
Two of the boys ignore me, but the girl steps forward and takes a drag from her cigarette, blowing the smoke out through her nose. “I saw her, I think.” She seems a bit confused, maybe even a little high. “She went that way.” The girl points in front of me and to the end of Greek Row. This conversation was pointless, further wasting my time and my chances of finding my mystery girl.
Once I reach Greek Row, I’m even more at a loss for where to go. The street is a long Philly block that spans down to Broad Street, right at the corner of the south side of campus. If I go one way, I’ll end up in the heart of one of the worst neighborhoods in the city. But, if I walk toward Broad Street, I could end up wandering the streets alone for hours. I consider driving until I realize I’ve had too much to drink.
She’d drive away from the house not toward it, so I set off toward the center of the campus, dodging drunken idiots as I pass. I don’t even waste time by asking anyone if they’ve seen her, quickening my pace as my feet hit the cement, and I take off running. I keep going until I hit Broad Street and stop to catch my breath. Bending over with my palms on my thighs, I suck in some air and take another look at my surroundings.
Car horns blare in the distance. The scent of exhaust fumes from the cars at the stoplight fills my nostrils. Even at this hour, there are so many people on the streets that I have trouble concentrating on anything in particular.
She’s gone. Just like my mask for the party and the meal plan Coach wanted me to follow, I lost the girl. I have to get her back. With enough digging, I’m sure I can find out who she is no problem. But what do I ask? Do you know a girl with blonde hair and nice tits? People would think I was crazy.
I’d know her voice, even though she spoke very little, and I would remember her eyes if I saw them again. I couldn’t stop looking up into them.
Deflated, but not defeated, I turn around, deciding to give up my hunt for the night. The entire walk back to my fraternity house, I inspect every person I encounter. I study every face I see and every voice I hear. But she’s gone.
Why did she leave without an explanation? Did I do something wrong?
I hadn’t even crossed any lines with her, at least none that she hadn’t begged me to cross. Why did she allow me to devour her, sink so far into her that I couldn’t come up for air until it was too late? She even thanked me for a perfect night. Why come to the party just to kiss me and then leave? Nothing about this night makes sense.
I almost wonder if I made her up. Am I that buzzed? Nope, I don’t think so. In fact, I could use a few more beers to dull the sting left behind from her ditching me. That was a first. Plenty of girls have used me for a hook up, and I’ve used them back. But this was different.
The side door to the house is still open a crack. It’s no wonder we don’t get robbed all the time, but I guess that’s one of the perks of our president being the son of a Mafia boss. This house is under constant surveillance all the time. Luca’s family has their goons keep a watchful eye on things. They also have enough pull with the local police department to keep our parties from being busted every weekend.
A small part of me had hoped she would be standing in the entryway, waiting for me. But the hallway is as empty as when I left it. I shut the door behind me, lock it, and lean against the cold metal, still thinking about how soft her lips were against mine, how she tasted, and how much she turned me on with every moan of my name.
Lowering my head, I notice something shiny on the floor, its reflection attracting my attention. I bend down on one knee to give it a better look. Holding it in my palm, I analyze every carving of the gold charm necklace. The one thing connects me to my Cinderella and the one clue that can help find her.
Ella
I kissed Shawn Finch.
Hell, I did more than kiss him. If we weren’t in that cramped hallway and I was in different clothes, I would have handed over my virginity to him on a platter. He had me eating out of his hands and ready to do anything he wanted. That’s part of why I had to leave. The other reason was my evil stepmother and the amount of time I needed to get Mrs. F’s car back before curfew.
Before I lift my hand to ring the doorbell, Mrs. Feighry is standing in the entryway with a warm smile. She changed from her casual clothes and into a pink terrycloth robe and slippers. Mrs. F welcomes me inside and escorts me upstairs to change. I stare at myself in the mirror, not wanting to forget the night I had with Finch and every place his hands and mouth touched. For the first time in what feels like years, I’d had enough nerve to go after what I wanted. Always oppressed by the step-witches, it was nice to feel like my old self again.
And Finch was everything I had hoped for and more. Even if I didn’t have a curfew, I chose the right time to leave. If he had known who I was, he wouldn’t have given me the time of day. It was better this way. I controlled every part of our night, including my departure. It was nice to have some control over something when my world is in complete disarray most of the time.
After I finish admiring myself, I slip out of the dress, place it back on its hanger, and put what’s left of my mother’s ripped dress back on. Now, I look more like myself. This girl scrubs the floors and prepares the food in the Fitzgerald household. Not the girl who hooks up with sexy football players in abandoned hallways. But it was nice to dream for the night. Sometimes, dreams are all we have to hold on to at night. Thanks to Shawn Finch, I have memories I will never forget.
Once I emerge from the closet, Mrs. F is sitting with Bruno on the bed, scratching behind his ears. The dog buries his face into her robe and situates himself on her lap.
“It’s a good thing you have him to keep you company,” I say, softly.
She nods in agreement. “Bruno helped me through some rough days with Mr. F.” Glancing up from the dog, she locks onto me. “My offer still stands if you’d like to join me sometime for tea.”
“Thank you.” I sit next to her on the bed. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me tonight. I would love to come for tea. That sounds great.”
“For such a young girl, you are so sad, but you seem happier than before you left. I take it things went well with that boy.”
