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Well, fuck. The red brick on the building had faded to a dark brown. Cracked a/c units sat inside each of the windows, and metal bars covered the glass on the entrance door. Streetlights flickered around us, and the few people who hovered the streets were hunched over, hands in pockets, eyes darting from side to side. Either high on drugs or waiting for a pick me up.
Just as I opened Olive's texts to double check the address, the front door beeped, swinging open. A halo of yellow light doused Olive, and I blinked, taken aback by the sight of her.
Rolling my window down, I whistled. "Well, look at you."
She gave a coy smile and twirled around.
The floor-length satin blue dress hugged her frame in all the right places, it's long sleeves and high neck giving way to a deep dip in the back. Her hair was piled on the top of her head, and ringlets of blonde curls framed her face.
I hopped out and opened the door for her. "Your chariot awaits, my lady."
With a chuckle, she curtsied. "Why thank you, my sir."
Holding the door open, she slid into the backseat. A breeze passed over me, making the hair on my arms stand on end. Silence pressed against my ears like a held breath below the sea, the pressure disorienting, the isolation eerie.
I climbed in after her and slammed the door shut, the hum of the air conditioning soothing.
Olive cocked her head as the limo pulled into the road. "What's that look?"
"Nothing...I'm just surprised you live here."
Her jaw slowly dropped, her lips curving into a smile. "Wow, what a nice compliment."
"I'm sorry, that was rude."
She smiled, but her eyes were flat. "It's fine. I get it, we can't all travel by limo."
Jeffrey eyed me in the rear view and rolled up the privacy screen. "I just meant that I hope it's safe here."
"Safe enough."
Twisting in the seat, she looked forward and adjusted her grip on her black wallet. She cleared her throat, and I sighed. "Ah, shit. I know that sound."
Her blue eyes studied me. "What sound?"
"The sound you make when you're annoyed."
"Ugh, excuse me, I don't make sounds when I'm annoyed."
I held her gaze, challenging her statement.
Her careful facade cracked. "Fine, okay. Maybe I still do that." She wagged a finger at me. "But don't get ahead of yourself, Mr. Wilson. I'm not the same girl you knew ten years ago."
Not only had she grown into her looks, but there was also a confidence to her I couldn't remember, like she no longer questioned her movements. I liked it. "I don't doubt that one bit, Ms. Winters."
Her shoulders relaxed, and she leaned against the leather seat. "But in all seriousness, thank you for inviting me tonight. It's good to see you."
"It's good to see you too, O." My old nickname for her spilled out effortlessly. She glanced down at her hands, her smile making her freckles dance as her pale cheeks flushed with warmth.
One thing was for sure—she was no Barbie. She might live in the poor side of town, but she wasn't here for my money. Olive had never been materialistic, but beyond that, there was an ease and a comfort even in the silence. I couldn't have made a better decision by inviting her tonight.
Jessie's mansion was on the north side of town, where property value skipped into the millions and the lots tripled in size. I'd visited a handful of times to set up my company's security system, and I knew the property well. Still, it looked almost unrecognizable.
Red and black lights doused the front of the white colossal manor, adding a premature Halloween vibe to the last September air. Jeffrey pulled the limo into the cue of waiting cars, where guests spilled out onto a red carpet, pausing for photographs before disappearing through the metal gate.
"Oh, before I forget." I reached into the side pocket by my seat for the black velvet mask, the crystals sparkling as I handed it to Olive.
"A mask, huh? What kind of party is this?"
