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“This is nice,” I say breezily, as if I’m surrounded by this sort of opulence all the time.
The Uber stops, and Alexis climbs out. I follow, gazing up at the towering brick-and-stone building. What must it have been like to grow up in such splendor? I want to hate Alexis for having such a plush life, but I don’t. Maybe because she’s looking at me like she really wants me to have a good time. Or maybe because, soon enough, I’ll be profiting from all of this.
I gaze around the property. No lights are on, and there are no cars in the driveway. “Seems kinda empty,” I say.
“Oh, my grandma’s party isn’t here.” Alexis walks up the frontlawn. “It’s at a restaurant nearby.” But then she frowns. “I’m surprised my parents aren’t home, though.” She pulls out her phone and studies the screen. “Shit. I missed a text from them. Their flight from France was delayed—they won’t be here for another hour.” She glances at me, her expression contrite. “Are you okay waiting outside until they’re back? They’re always changing their locks—they’re security freaks—and I don’t have the updated house key.”
I shift in my high heels. They’re already beginning to pinch my feet. “Couldn’t we just go to the party without them?”
“Uch, no.” Alexis makes a face. “I don’t want to see Trip yet. Besides, it doesn’t start until eight. Let’s just party here.”
In my world, being locked out of one’s house would mean sitting on a cold porch, suffering stares and possible harassing remarks from the neighbors, and possibly inhaling meth fumes from the basement lab next door. In Alexis’s world, it means sitting on a sprawling stone patio under a heat lamp, enjoying a good bottle of wine procured from a beverage fridge nestled into a rock in the outdoor kitchen. I sink into a canvas couch and gaze at the forest in the distance. Next to us is a burbling hot tub that Alexis says we can go in later if we want. Alexis starts a crackling, spitting fire in the pit in the center of the patio. She even turns on sexy music on her phone, which links to invisible speakers built into the walls. A soft blanket of sound surrounds us.
“Cheers.” Alexis holds up her glass. “Thanks for coming. Forsavingme.”
I sip. The wine is smooth, decadent, and surely expensive. It goes down easy, but I have to pace myself. I can’t get drunk tonight. I need to stay on point.
The fire snaps and pops. I can feel Alexis staring at me. “So,” she says.
“So,” I say back, grinning.
Our eyes meet, and Alexis giggles. I do, too. The tension is gooey, thick, luxurious. We’ve talked a lot since the party. Thingsbetween us have started to shift from mere flirtation to something deeper and more confessional. Alexis has confessed about her eating disorder in high school. How she feels subpar next to her high-achieving older siblings. She’s said how, most days, she hates her artwork, and she wonders if people take her seriously.
We also texted about Aldrich stuff—hack gossip but also our upcoming schedules for winter semester.Let’s rush a sorority next semester. Let’s do it together.Hell, I’d have the money to afford the dues soon. It’s funny, earlier this year, when I was working for Manning, Sienna and I had considered rushing... but it wasn’t something I was keen on doing with her, even if I had been able to afford it. Maybe it’s because rushing requires a certain amount of vulnerability, and that was a part of myself I didn’t want to share with her. Of course, that could be tangled up in the fact that I was scamming her family. With Alexis, things feel less complicated.
I’ve never actually had a friend like this. Sure, there were kids I hung out with in high school, though usually I used them because of what they had to offer: a sumptuous liquor cabinet, a forest full of four-wheelers, a Toyota Corolla that I could borrow. But I was never a girl who lay on the carpet of someone’s bedroom and swapped secrets. I was always... well, scheming. So it feels kind of nice sending off a text and getting one back so immediately. It feels nice to have inside jokes with someone, upcoming plans. I feel rooted to Alexis in a way I’ve never been before. It makes me feel bad for everything I’m keeping from her.Sort ofbad... but not completely.
We bob our heads to the music. With the wine and the setting sun and the roaring fire, it’s hard for this setting not to feel romantic.
“Come a little closer,” I murmur, patting the cushion. Alexis smiles and moves over, the warmth of her body dripping into mine. My other hand curls around my phone.Go time.I need to turn on the video recording function soon, so that it captures what’s bound to happen. But I also have to be aware if her parents suddenly pull up. I can’t have them catching us and ruining everything.
But before I can touch my phone, Alexis says, “Tell me a secret, Raina.”
“A secret?” I draw both hands into my lap, intrigued. “What, like truth or dare?”
Alexis nods, her eyes gleaming. She’s got her hair swept off her face, which accentuates her sharp cheekbones and the slope of her jaw. Her skin is milky, edible-looking. The wine has left a reddish stain on her lips.
“I’m not telling you a secret unless you do, too,” I say, deciding on the spot.
Alexis shifts so close that our thighs are touching. She finishes off her wine, then looks at me, her mouth twitching. “Okay. Don’t be mad, but my grandma’s party isn’t tonight.”
I frown. “Wait, what?”
“And my parents aren’t due back in the country for another week.” Alexis ducks her head. “I just wanted an excuse to get away from campus. With you. So no one would see us. Do you hate me?”
I sit back and cross my arms. At least now I don’t have to worry about her parents interrupting us. “You didn’t have to make up an elaborate birthday party to get me alone.” I wave my arms around. “This is gorgeous. I’m thrilled to be here.”
She breathes in as though she wants to say something, then stops herself. Finally, she blurts, “You’re beautiful, Raina. Like, I can hardly stand it.”
I fumble with my wineglass. People have told me this my whole life, but somehow, her bluntness about it catches me off guard. “You’re beautiful, too,” I stammer.
Alexis’s face seems to flower. She hinges a little closer to me, and I can smell the wine on her breath. My heart is humming. Is it going to happennow? Our faces are mere inches from one another. I can see the hope in her eyes. My fingers feel for my phone, but it’s just out of my reach. As I’m fumbling, suddenly Alexis’s lips touch mine. What comes next is soft, and warm, and delicate. It sendsunexpected tingles through me, and then it’s over. Alexis pulls back, her eyes wide, her lips parted.
“Sorry,” she says in a breathless voice. “I just... really wanted to do that.”
“It’s okay.” My voice is laced with wonderment. My mouth feels stung. I want to do it again, I realize. Again and again andagain.
“Your turn,” Alexis says softly, holding my hands. “Now you have to tell me a secret. Something you’ve never told anyone.”
