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There was a knock on the door and Zane poked his head inside the apartment. “Everyone decent?”
“You wish we weren’t,” River answered smugly.
“Only you, Honeybee.” Zane strolled in, hands stuffed in his pockets, and tossed River a cocky grin as he joined them. The apartment was small and he propped a shoulder against the wall, watching the girls get Inda date-ready. But it was still clear to all of them he only had eyes for River.
Staring at herself in the mirror, Inda took a moment to admire the women’s work. They’d certainly done a good job primping and preening. She’d always been a little self-conscious about the beauty marks dotting her face, but surprisingly, Harper hadn’t covered them up. For some odd reason, the makeup accentuated them and they didn’t actually bother her even though she’d always considered the small marks annoying and not much better than blemishes. As Harper dabbed some red gloss on her lips, Aubrey fluffed her waves. She usually pulled her wild hair back into some semblance of order—a bun or ponytail—but now it was loose and curled.
“All done!” Harper took a step back and admired her work. “You look gorgeous.”
“So pretty,” Aubrey added.
“If thisisa real date, Lucas isn’t going to know what hit him,” River added with a sly grin.
Inda never blushed, but she felt her cheeks heat up at their words. She wasn’t used to compliments, and very rarelyreceived any, but she chalked it up to spending most of her time around men who merely saw her as just one of the guys. But not tonight. Tonight she wanted to embrace her femininity. Most importantly, she wanted Lucas to see her as a woman. A very desirable woman.
“You guys did amazing. I feel like Cinderella.”
“Just be home by midnight before you turn back into a pumpkin,” Zane teased, and River punched his arm.
“I’ll turn you into a pumpkin,” she threatened, and he chuckled.
“Don’t forget to wear your pin,” he reminded her.
“I made sure to pick an outfit the pin matches.”
“Thanks, River.”
“Okay, everybody out so our girl can get dressed.” River shooed the others out then turned back to Inda. “Make sure you stop in the common area before you leave so we can see the final transformation.”
Inda nodded then turned to the light, flowy sundress spread out on the bed. It was cute and fun, a frivolous number that would show off her slim legs. After slipping it over her head, Inda dragged a light sweater on and carefully pinned the “L” against her chest. Then she stepped into the rhinestone sandals and took one final look at herself in the mirror. God, she couldn’t remember the last date she’d gone on, nevermind putting this much effort into her appearance. She hoped Lucas liked it. Just thinking about him sent a flutter through her stomach.
Grabbing her purse, Inda left her apartment and headed down the hallway. As she approached the common area, hernerves kicked up as the voices grew louder. Most of her team would be hanging out there and she didn’t want them to make fun of her. In an early attempt to justify her efforts, she’d told them this wasn’t a real date, but another opportunity to dig for intel about Carlisle.
Was she lying to herself or them?
Pausing, she pulled in a deep breath then walked into the room.
A low, appreciative whistle filled the air. “Damn, Bruja,” Ryland said, his cobalt blue eyes raking over her. “Sheridan isn’t going to know what hit him.”
“Isn’t this a conflict of interest?” Gray asked, always the pragmatist.
“How so?” Aubrey asked.
“He’s her boss.”
“Not really, though,” Aubrey reminded him.
“Yeah, it’s not like Carlisle has the hots for her,” Ryland said, and they laughed.
All the commotion had Saint poking his head in the balcony door, and he smirked around the cigarette in his mouth. “Not a real date, huh, Bruja?”
“Leave her alone.” Braxton came to her rescue as she shot a daggered look Saint’s way. “She’s trying to get more intel from Sheridan. That’s it.”
“Yeah, okay.” Zane chuckled and Inda closed her hands into fists.
As much as she loved these guys, they didn’t understand what it was like being the only woman on the team. She was constantly under pressure to perform as well as them, and that meant embracing a side of herself that most women never did. Possessing extreme mental and physical strength was infinitely more important than buying the latest makeup brushes, but there were times she needed to embrace her estrogen.
Her girls immediately stuck up for her, getting up and surrounding her. They bestowed one compliment after another on her as they escorted her over to the front door. Until Harper, Aubrey and River, Inda never had her own girl squad, and she loved it. They were genuine friends and she treasured each one of them.
