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Her photo shoot takes way longer than I expect. My stomach growls as I eye Riley enjoying the donuts. “Don’t worry, I’ll save some for you. These things can’t go anywhere near that dress,” she says, licking her fingers. “I’m sorry for eating in front of you but I’ve got to leave to get to classin about two minutes.”
“Thanks for being here,” I tell her. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
Riley gathers her things and tries to hug me, but Violet blocks her. “No touching the model until I’m done with her.”
“Fair enough.” Riley blows me a kiss as she heads out. “I want details the second you get back from your hot date.”
“It’s not a date.” I stifle a yawn. “I’ll tell you everything if I’m awake enough to actually go.”
“You’d better be,” Violet says. “This beautiful dress deserves a fun night out. So do you, El. Okay, I’m done. You can crash here for awhile if you want to, just don’t oversleep so you’ll be late.”
“I just need to close my eyes for a few minutes.” I take the dress off carefully while Violet scrolls through her images and nods with satisfaction. “Then I’ll get going.”
I wake up disoriented. Somehow I fell asleep on the floor again. Violet’s half-draped over the sofa, still out. It’s been hours, not minutes, and I’ve got to get home.
I take a quick look around her place but there’s not a bag that’s big enough I can use to cover up the dress. I’m going to have to chance it being out in the open all the way home.
I agonize my way through the entire subway ride, shielding my dress with my body whenever there’s the slightest danger to it. I keep my eyes trained on everyone who’s brought coffee onto the train, which you’re absolutely not supposed to do. Now I get why that rule exists. By the time I get home I’m frazzled, but the dress is safe.
The moment I slip the dress over my head and go to the mirror, I gape in disbelief. It’s absolutely beautiful. I can’t stop looking at myself, turning this way and that so the light catches the very subtle sparkles in certain drapes of the fabric. It fits me like a dream. It’s one of those perfect pieces that covers all the flaws on your body and highlights everything you want it to. My waist has never looked better.
My alarm shakes me out of my obsession with staring at Vi’s amazing creation. I barely have enough time to get ready.
I’m putting the finishing touches on my makeup that I’ve re-done twice already when there’s a knock at the door. I glance in the mirror as doubt overcomes me. I look better than I ever have, but is it enough? I’ve never done a really glam makeup look before so I hope I pulled it off.
At least I know how to do my hair properly. I love doing hair so much more than makeup. Riley gets me to do hers whenever I can, and she can afford much better stylists than me. She says she likes the way I do it and the ideas that I come up with.
Tonight I’ve done a low updo with a side braid. It’s subtle but eye-catching once it gets noticed. If I haven’t nailed my makeup look, at least I’ve got my hair style as a distraction. I pick up my clutch and answer the door.
Asher’s looking more handsome that I thought possible. He’s in a tux and wow, does it ever suit him. I stare at him before I catch myself.
“Elena. You’re gorgeous.” Heat floods my cheeks from the way he’s looking at me. Maybe he didn’t think I had it in me topull a night like this off. I can’t blame him because I certainly wasn’t sure I could pull it off myself. He leans in and kisses my cheek.
“Would you like to come in?” A moment too late, I realize I don’t have a single thing to offer him.
“We should go,” he says. “Traffic’s heavy and we don’t want to be too late.”
There’s a car waiting when we get downstairs. The driver opens the door for me and I climb in, careful not to catch my dress on anything.
Asher glances at his phone the moment he’s seated beside me. “I’m sorry but I have to take this call.”
I try not to listen as I gaze out the window at the city rushing by us. He’s obsessed with his phone. Maybe this is why he needs a date for this event. I’m assuming he’s single but he could very well have a wealthy, high-powered girlfriend who’s out of town or something. Maybe that’s why he made it very clear that he doesn’t consider this a date. I hope he would’ve told me if that’s the case.
In spite of the traffic, it doesn’t take very long before we arrive at the venue. Asher’s been on his phone almost for almost the entire drive. I barely take in his apology as we walk up to the red carpet. I was expecting high glam and I’ve got it in spades.
Asher takes my hand and the bright flash of several cameras clicking right in front of us makes me blink. Did I accidentally photobomb somebody? No. The cameras are pointing at us. More so at Asher, but they’re including me too.
It must be a mistake but when I glance at him, he’s not bothered by it. He lifts his hand at the photographers before circling his arm around my waist to guide me inside. They don’t stop snapping pictures of us even as we’re walking away.
“What was that about?” I ask.
Asher shakes his head. “Nothing much. Certain sites like to run my picture sometimes.”
I want to ask why but now I think maybe I should know who he is. Is he famous? It would explain him living in the building, and the fact that he’s at this event too. Riley texted me while I was getting ready after she found out that the price to get in tonight is thousands of dollars. Each. I nearly passed out when I realized that must mean Asher paid that much for me.
Riley told me that he might have a corporate deal and the money wouldn’t have come out of his pocket directly, but who knows? I paste a smile onto my face because that’s what everyone else seems to have done. A wave of nerves washes over me. I so do not belong here.
It’s as if Asher can read my thoughts. “Don’t worry,” he says. “It’ll be a good night.”
