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“Oh, really? I’ll have you know, I have seen every dance move imaginable and could certainly apply them to whatever music is available.” I’m doing my best to keep a straight face as I put Jasper in his place.
“You might be asked to prove that tonight, Miss Foster.” He presents his flask to me, likely as a peace offering, but I firmly shake my head. “Oh, yeah, sorry. Didn’t mean to tempt you. Gotta keep that golden kidney pristine for my boy Ben.”
“She’s your donor?” The exclamation comes from Annabelle, who is no longer clutching Ben but following close behind him as he steps up to join my and Jasper’s conversation.
Ben glares at his roommate, and I wonder if he doesn’t like people knowing about his kidney stuff. But it sounded like his ex was already aware of the situation, so his scowl confuses me.
“Yes. Holly, this is Annabelle. Annabelle, this is Holly. I thought you wouldn’t mind if I invited my new friend to your party.” Ben hands me one of the water bottles, which I accept with gratitude because I really want something to do with my hands other than have them shoved in my pockets.
“No, of course not.” Her eyes run up and down my appearance.
I’m not sure what she’s looking for or even if she finds it. However, what I am sure of is that Jasper loves mischief.
“Why are you still wearing your coat, Holly? Let me help you out.” With adept fingers, Ben’s roommate unfurls the bow and undoes the buttons that keep my coat as a protective shield from the world.
Not knowing exactly what type of party this would be, I let Terra help me search through my limited wardrobe for an outfit. We settled on something that would work in dimmer lighting and where there was more of a dance vibe. And maybe, in a few hours, this party will get to that point, but right now, it’s more like a low-key get-together.
My dress will not fit in at this party.
Not that it keeps Jasper from revealing it.
With work later, I decided on black, sleeveless, and easy to move around in. The top is tight to my waist where sections of fabric have been removed on each side so as to show slices of my rib cage. Then, there’s the skirt, which flows loosely to about mid-thigh. I’m not about to dance up on a stripper pole, but it’s definitely more risqué than my normal shorts and T-shirt work uniform.
It takes a bit of juggling with my water bottle, but together, we’re able to slide off my dark green trench coat.
“I’ll go hang this up for you.” Jasper gives my exposed side a light pinch before disappearing with my jacket.
I’m left with a quiet Ben and Annabelle.
“Yeah. So, I wasn’t given a real detailed dress code. And I don’t frequent parties too often, so this is what I ended up with. I’ll make sure to keep the bending over to a minimum.”
“You look fantastic, Holly.” Ben keeps dragging his gaze over me, which results in waves of goose bumps running and skittering over the skin his eyes touch.
“Yeah. It’s a cute dress.” Annabelle surprises me with that compliment. I expected to be ignored by her. “I’m sure more people who show up will be dressed like you.”
Was that a slightly snide undertone I heard?
Best thing to do is ignore it and rock my look. I’ve never actually gotten to wear this dress before; the tags were still on it as of an hour ago. Time to make the money I spent worth it.
“I look forward to the arrival of my fellow scantily clad women.”
Ben snorts, Annabelle pouts, and I crack open my water bottle. Obviously done with the polite small-talk requirement, Annabelle turns to face Ben, completely cutting me out of their conversation circle.
“I have my new pieces hanging upstairs. Let me show you. I want to hear what you think.”
Even though she’s clearly only inviting Ben, he leans to the side, so he can include me. “Wanna check out some art, Holly?”
Honestly? No.
I’d like to be the bigger person in this situation, take a look at his ex’s work, compliment it if I like it, and simply nod politely if I don’t. But, after spending a few minutes around her, I’m good on my Annabelle quota. Maybe, to the average person, she’s genuinely pleasant, but my friendship with Ben is obviously setting off little jealousy bombs in her brain. Classic case of girl not over guy. My place in that drama is not comfortable. Instead of getting combative, I prefer to disengage.
My mouth opens before I’ve fully thought through my answer. Luckily, my savior appears.
“Sorry, you two. Holly promised to try dancing to this music with me.” Jasper grabs my hand in his and tows me to the front room where there is literally no one dancing.
When I glance over my shoulder, I find Ben watching us with a frown while Annabelle tugs on his hand and talks animatedly. I give a mental shrug and return my attention to Jasper.
Would I rather it be Ben pulling me with him, so we can dance together? Duh.
