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I raise my eyebrows. “Oh really? I wasn’t the one announcing how good sex they were having last night. I mean, I wasn’t saying: Oh, yeah, right there! Harder! Harder!”
“Shut up!” Lex’s eyes go wide as she looks around us to see if anyone is gawking at us, but thankfully no one notices.
I blow a kiss in her direction and she groans. “I have to go and get ready for that ball, but I’ll see you later, babe.”
“I’ll see you later, bitch.”
9
Dressup
It’s mid-afternoon when I go back to my apartment building, where Vanders, my parents’ very own chauffeur is patiently waiting, beside the Rolls Royce that he used to drive me in during my high school years.
And I was bullied for years after that, being labelled as a rich bitch by a girl named, Ellie. It’s why I still prefer my quiet life in a simple apartment with my best friend, away from the high-rise life of New York City.
Once Ellie had punched my nose and I’d learned then that about a third of the population drowned in wealth and decided to ignore the third class, whilst the other half watched with envy and waited for opportunities like Ellie did to teach the rich girl a lesson.
If my mother had her way with my life, I’d be living like an Instagram model with zero brains, travelling to Bali every second day to take bikini photoshoots with her French photographer friend Rodrigo, while gorging on a dragon fruit salad, living off my parents’ money. But I have to take credit that I have more ambition in life than that.
“Long time no see, Vanders,” I say when I approach him.
He is around fifty-two, old enough to be my dad or even grandfather possibly, but he is always sharp in his uniform black suit, with his dark hair all brushed back. There are a few silver hairs, but not enough to notice his actual age.
He smiles at me and raises his eyebrows. “Hello, Parker.”
“How have you been Vanders?” I ask as I embrace him.
For as long as I’ve known him, I’ve called him by his last name, Vanders, and I secretly think he likes it.
He pats my back awkwardly like he always does for old times sake. “Very well and you, Miss?”
“I’m good. Just rolling with life.”
“Well,” he says, a smile forming on his mouth. “I wish I could just roll with life, but we have places to be.”
He opens the back door of the Rolls Royce and reaches in, before pulling out two large Versace gift bags and a Christian Louboutin box.
Even if I don’t appreciate my mother’s expensive habits, I certainly appreciate her sense of style. Most of my things eventually go to goodwill anyway.
I take the bags and box from Vanders as carefully as possible. “Thanks. I’ll be down really quickly.”
Vander’s nods and I go into the apartment building as the sky darkens above.
I have a quick shower, before lathering my body in lotion and spraying Hypnotic Poison Eau De Toilette by Dior, along my pulse points on my wrists and neck and behind my earlobes.
When I’m done, I’m left smelling like a vanilla pod with strong hints of almond and jasmine.
My mother sent two Versace dresses. The first is a colourful Medusa Renaissance shirt dress that is far too extravagant for my liking.
It’s a charity ball. Not a fashion show, but unfortunately, my mother doesn’t believe in my simple values.
I open the other package, hoping for something simple and I gratefully find a black dress. It’s slightly heavy, probably from the expensive material used, but I prefer this over the shirt dress.
When I slip the dress over my head, I go over to the tall chicory framed mirror that’s hooked against the wall in my room.
This is definitely my kind of dress, I think as I study myself in the mirror. It comes mid-thigh, with a deep neckline and long sleeves. The feel of the fabric against my skin is amazingly soft.
I run the brush through my hair a few times until it’s left silky and straight against my back. As for my makeup, I go the safe way and try a natural look with subtle shades of peach eyeshadow that give me tired eyes, black mascara to bring my grey eyes to life and matte red lipstick for my plump lips.
