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And fuck do I love it. Sometimes, it feels too good to be true.When everything is going so right, where’s the pitfall?I know our families pose a considerable roadblock. But to me, it seems like a minor challenge now that I’ve overcome the fear of hurting Bianka.
We’re in this together, making me feel confident we can achieve anything. Still, I’ve never had this kind of happiness before. I can’t help wondering when the other shoe might drop.And if it does, just how devastating might it be?
19
BIANKA
“I seriously can’t get over how much fun we are going to have tonight,” Ellie gushes, bouncing slightly in my vanity chair as I attach red-tinted extensions into her hair to highlight her chocolaty-brunette color with something closer to mine.
The masquerade is finally here, and Ellie and I have spent the last hour getting ready together so we can match as closely as possible. All we have left is to do up her hair to match mine, and we’re good to go.
I chuckle at my friend’s enthusiasm, grateful that she and Lucca were on board with the idea from the start. I might hate having to date Cassio in secret, but Lucca and Ellie seem to think this will be a blast switching identities, and honestly, so do Cassio and me.
Nothing like adding a little game of partner swap into a night of dancing and revelry to keep us on our toes.
After locking the last deep-red hair extension into place, I pick up the iron to curl Ellie’s hair into the same style as my signature ringlets.
“Can I just say how much I love that we look similar enough to actually pull something like this off?” Ellie says as I get to work, pinning her hair up to focus on the bottom layers.
I smile affectionately as I wrap a lock around the iron. “Me too. I wouldn’t trust another soul with something so daring, either. Thanks for helping Cass and me so much. I honestly don’t know what we would have done without you and Lucca.”
“I’m just happy to see you so happy,” she says warmly.
Curling her hair to mimic my tight ringlets before pinning it up into a style that will better mask the color difference is a long, arduous process. By the time I’m done, we’re already a few minutes late for the ball.
Thankfully, my apartment is a short ten-minute drive away, and it will help mask our plan if we arrive after the party’s already started. As a final check, Ellie and I stand in front of my full-length mirror to compare our appearances.
We wear the same form-fitting sleeveless dark-green sequined evening gown by Jovani. Its low back, plunging V-neckline, and sheer side panels keep the look classy yet alluring. And the sleek lines create a sinuous fit from our shoulders to our hips, with a split thigh skirt for a revealing finish.
“God, I could die of happiness in this dress,” I confess, running my hands down the cool, sharp sequin scales that glint in the light.
“I love it with your black mask,” she says, her eyes glinting with admiration behind her gold mask.
I giggle. “Want to trade?”
She laughs, too, knowing we’ll both be wearing one mask or the other at various points in the night. “I’d say this is a job well done.” Ellie teases her voluminous curls piled atop her head. “Man, I love your hair.”
“If you had it to manage every day, I don’t think you would still say that.” Clasping her wrist, I pull her in the direction of my front door. “Come on. We’re missing all the fun. I’m sure the boys are already there waiting for us.”
The plan is to have Cassio arrive first–definitively alone–and dance with a few girls before hunkering down at the bar. We’ll meet Lucca in the parking lot, who will then escort Ellie inside. The boys are wearing standard black tuxes that will be impossible to distinguish and generic black masks so no one will question their accidental match up.
Finally, I’ll arrive, spot Ellie, and make a scene of us showing up in the same dress and how mortifying that is. But we intentionally went shopping together at Mira Couture to find this glorious, eye-catching gown.
“Everything going well so far?” I ask Lucca as I park next to his car, and Ellie gets out.
“So far, so good.” He flashes me a grin just like his brother’s, reminding me that mischief’s afoot. “We’ll see you inside.” With a two-fingered salute in my direction, he offers Ellie his arm, and they make their way inside.
I follow them with my eyes, smiling at the perfect picture they make. I wait several minutes, locking my phone in the glove compartment–seeing as I won’t have any pockets–and checking my reflection in the sun visor just to waste time.
Giddy excitement has me trembling despite my sable fur coat–a gift Ilya brought me from Russia after his most recent visit. Taking a steadying breath, I slip out of my car and make my way into Rosehill’s event center–a stunning cathedral-esque building near the edge of campus with exquisite stained-glass windows and elegant turrets to match.
Warmth washes over me as soon as I enter the foyer, and I check my coat in, sure I won’t need it until the end of the evening when I venture out into the chilly November cold. It’s ten steps down a grand marble staircase into the open ballroom with vaulted ceilings.
The open-air above the dance floor sports stunning chandeliers with crystals that sparkle in the warm golden lighting that gives the room an enchanting ambiance. Along one wall is an impressive buffet of finger foods and nonalcoholic beverages.
The bar is tucked beneath a balcony overlooking the dance floor. One could reach the overhanging viewpoint if they followed the upper level around rather than heading down the stairs. Leaning against the dark wood bar is Cassio, a drink held casually in his hand as he studies the students filling the room.
It feels almost like a fairy-tale entrance as I make my way down to the main floor, my hand ghosting along the marble banister to keep me steady in my four-inch heels–a style I chose to bring me closer to Ellie’s naturally taller height.
