by Vivian Ward
“Well, I did get involved with The Center for Children and Families this year. I’ve spent a lot of time raising money. I bet that has something to do with it.”
“Yeah, that must be it. Are you going to go?” I asked, hoping that she would say no.
“Me? I doubt it. You know I don’t go to things like that.”
“Yeah, I know. Do you think I could have your invitation? I’ll go in your place. Nobody would ever know.”
“Lexi, I can’t do that. Even though I don’t plan on going, I’m sure there’s going to be plenty of people there that are also involved in the organization. That means there’s going to be lots of people there that I know personally. If I let you act like me and you get caught, a lot of future possibilities could be ruined for me.”
I could already see where this was going. The fact that my goody-two-shoes sister wouldn’t go along with my plan shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me. She’s never been the type to do anything that could be construed as being against the rules.
She’s been that way since we were little kids and it only got worse after we lost our parents in the fire. The thing is, I used to act just like her. I wanted to be the perfect little girl to make my parents happy. Once they were gone, it was like somebody pushed a button and I didn’t care any longer.
Sarabelle looked at the contents of the envelope before tossing it onto her desk and leaving the room. Since I’d never actually seen a gala invitation, I snatched it and gave it a read. The first thing that caught my eye was the fact that the invite was good for her and up to three guests.
There it was.
Being her guest was my way into the gala. The only thing I had to do was convince her that she should go. Of course, that was going to be much easier said than done.
I decided to bide my time and not bombard her right away. Over the course of the next week, I dropped little hints and made backhanded statements about how she never left the house and needed to get out more. As expected, she went on and on about how parties and the like aren’t her style.
After many attempts, I was finally able to convince her that showing her face at the gala could only help when it came to getting involved in more charities, which was the one thing she was truly passionate about.
“You’re right, Lexi,” Sarabelle began. “Maybe making an appearance wouldn’t be the worst thing I could do. The only way I’m going to do it, though, is if you’ll come with me.”
I agreed without any hesitation. Of course, I would go with her. That’s what this whole damn thing was about in the first place. Did she think I was suddenly so concerned with whatever charity she was working with to talk sense into her? No way, it was always about me getting myself into that gala. I wasn’t about to say any of those things to her, however. I gave her a more suitable response.
“You know I’ll be there for you,” I said. “What are you going to wear?”
“I’m not really sure,” was her reply. “I’m sure I’ve got something in my closet that I can wear.”
Was she serious? She was going to go and pull something out of her closet? There was no way I was going to let that happen. The gala was a little more than a week away and I had to act fast or she was going to embarrass the hell out of me.
“Sarabelle, don’t you know that the Gala is the social gathering of the year? There is no way you’re going to be able to go into your closet and just pull out an old dress and think it’s going to be good enough. Besides, I’ve seen the clothes you keep in there. There’s nothing in there that will work. Do you want to get laughed out of the building?”
“Lexi, you’re being ridiculous. I doubt anyone would be willing to laugh me out of the building. Besides, what does it matter what I decide to wear? It’s just a stupid dance.”
Was Sarabelle being serious? Just a dance? That’s like saying the Super Bowl is just a football game or that the last supper was nothing more than a Sunday brunch. The fact that she didn’t realize how big of a deal it was pissed me off much more than it should have. The only way I’d be able to get her to understand was to show her.
I grabbed my laptop, typed in the website address for the Grand Roosevelt Ballroom and carried the computer over to her bed. The photos on the website were beautiful.
“Look at this place, Sarabelle. Does this look like the kind of place that would host just some dance?”
“Wow, it’s gorgeous. It looks like something straight out a fairy tale. What am I going to do, Lexi? Where would I even shop for a dress for something like this? I have no clue where to start.”
“What in the hell is your problem?” I asked her as I rolled my eyes. “You’ve got more money than you know what to do with. Call The Best Dressed of Westchester and set up a time for a fitting. Go down there and pick yourself out a ball gown.”
I could almost see the light bulb going off in her head. I swear that if I weren't around, she’d be happy sitting around looking like a homeless refugee. She asked me if I wanted to go with her to help pick out a dress but I had better things to do. Besides, she wouldn’t like anything that I’d try to persuade her to wear.
A week had gone by and the day of the gala was finally upon us. My sister was a wreck and I couldn’t take all of the pacing back and forth that she was doing. I tried to ignore it as long as I could but I could feel myself coming a bit too close to the point of snapping. She’s literally been driving me crazy all day.
“Sarabelle, what in the hell is your problem? Why are you pacing?”
“It’s the dress store. They still haven’t called to tell me my dress is ready. What am I going to do if it’s not ready on time? Maybe going to the gala wasn’t such a good idea.”
This was turning badly very quickly. I had to give her some reassurance because if she changed her mind, it would be nearly impossible for me to change it back.
“Did they say that your dress was going to be ready today?”
“Yes, the lady who helped me said that they had a lot of orders but it would be ready this morning.”
“Then stop worrying. Damn, Sarabelle, don’t you know what kind of reputation that shop has? If they said it was going to be ready, then it will be there.”
Before I could even finish my last sentence, her cell phone started to vibrate on the desk. As soon as she answered, I could see the relief on her face. It was the shop letting her know that her dress was ready to be picked up. She seemed so excited when she hung up the phone. I thought she might even begin to jump up and down.
“You were right, Lexi. My dress is ready. You want to come with me to pick it up? I picked out a beautiful dress.”
“No, that’s okay. I’m sure you did an excellent job,” I said sarcastically, knowing that anything she picked was much more likely to be hideous than beautiful. I wouldn’t be able to keep my mouth shut about something like that.
I was so excited when we pulled up in front of the Grand Roosevelt Ballroom. For the first time, I knew I was going to be attending the gala instead of merely trying to get inside. There would be no pleading with bouncers or attempting to beg my way in.
They would see that I was a guest of Sarabelle and no other questions would be asked. For someone who doesn’t get excited about much, I was giddy. I can’t say that I still wasn’t jealous but this time, I was jealous of my sister instead of everyone who was attending the gala. Not only was she the person who was actually invited to the event, but she also managed to kill it when it came to her gown.
I was impressed.
It was gorgeous and I had a hard time believing that she picked it out for herself. She doesn’t have the kind of fashion sense necessary to make that kind of choice. Her gown was so pretty that I actually tried to wear it myself. It figures that today would be the one time she decided to grow a backbone and stood up to me.
Oh well, I still looked damn good in my short black dress and I was going to make all the women inside want to be me and all their dates want to be with me.
The l
ine was slow moving but we eventually made our way inside. Even when you consider all the fancy, high-end clubs I go to, I’d never seen so many prominent, beautiful people in one place before. I felt like I was exactly where I belonged. My sister hated the idea of coming to the gala without a date so she asked Liam Bane if he would be her date.
Liam had been Sarabelle’s best friend since long before our parent’s passed away. I always liked to make fun of him, calling him my sister’s gay friend, although he was actually a good guy. I liked to give him shit because he and my sister spent so much time together, yet never had any interest in getting together romantically.
I always thought they’d make a cute couple but my sister would never hear of it. They were best friends and she wanted to keep it that way.
Their little situation didn’t matter much to me. I didn’t bring a date to the gala and that wasn’t because I couldn’t find one. I would have had no trouble finding someone to accompany me but I didn’t want to be tied down. I wanted to be free to drink, have fun and go home with who I wanted to.
The gala had an open bar which was music to my ears. While everyone around me was trying to come off as classy, I was sitting with a few guys downing shots of tequila.
One by one, they started to show their inability to hang with me as they began to look sick and leave the bar area. Pussies. Once I had a nice buzz going on, it was time for me to cruise the room, find the lucky man who would be fucking my brains out that night, and make my move.
I shouldn’t have been surprised but there wasn’t a huge selection of guys to pick from. Most of them were there with their spouses or girlfriends. If push came to shove, any of those women could have been going home on their own but I decided to be good. I was back at the bar having a couple more shots when Kade Nichols came and sat down beside me.
Kade was another guy that my sister and I had known for quite a while. We met him while we were going through the foster care system. When we were younger, he was really cool and chill.
After we had gotten out of state custody, however, something changed. He was all about my sister for the longest time. He developed a crush on Sarabelle and wouldn’t give up, even though she made it clear that she wasn’t interested in him.
That only made the pressure her even more until one day, she cut him off permanently. She stopped answering his calls and texts. It drove him nuts for the longest time but he eventually got the message and stopped calling.
I never saw what it was about my sister that he wanted so badly. He was always a good looking guy but you could tell he had a dark side. That dark side was much better suited for a girl like me. Time had agreed with him. He had become one hell of a hot looking guy. I could almost picture him lifting me up onto the bar and taking me right then and there.
“Hey Kade, how’s it going?” I asked him.
“I’ll be damned. Did Lexi Williams finally make it into the gala? What happened? Did the bouncer feel sorry enough for you and let you in?”
“No, he didn’t, smart ass. My sister got an invite tonight and brought me along as her guest. I didn’t realize how lame this thing was going to be. I think I hyped it up in my mind and there is no way it’s going to live up to my expectations. Why don’t you and I get out of here and go find something more exciting to do?”
He started laughing. “Didn’t you just hook up with my buddy Tony a few days ago?”
“Yeah, we were drunk and horny. So what? It didn’t mean anything. This won’t mean anything either. Just fun.”
“That’s cute Lexi but no thanks. I’m not into anyone’s sloppy seconds. Besides, I’ve got someone waiting for me. Have a good night, though. Tell your sister I said hello.”
He walked away, leaving me there fuming. I could feel the steam radiating off my face as my blood simmered. How dare he talk to me like that? He should have been thankful that I was even willing to go home with him. Oh well, fuck him.
His loss was going to be someone else’s gain. I ordered myself two Jack and Coke’s, which is my default drink when I’m pissed off at someone. I figured that by ordering two, I’d get fucked up a lot faster.
I looked over and saw Sarabelle and Liam next to me at the bar. I hadn’t been paying much attention earlier but I couldn’t help but notice how kind the years had been to Liam. At one time, he was just a dorky kid who hung out with my sister but he had become quite attractive.
To say that he had become jaw-dropping handsome would not do him justice. I wondered if I would have seen him differently if the thing with Kade hadn’t just happened. Besides, I didn’t want to be with Liam.
What if things were different, though? I don’t know why these thoughts were running through my mind but they were. What if I did want Liam? How happy would that have made my father? He always adored Liam. There’s a reason he was the only boy who was ever allowed to have a sleepover at our house.
My parents knew that he was respectable and would never do anything to lose their trust. I could feel myself starting to shake. Why was I having these thoughts?
I had to get away and do it quickly. I grabbed my drinks and took off towards the dance floor where I quickly found an attractive man to drag back to our table and start making out with.
I didn’t know if he was single or married. Hell, I didn’t even know his name. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t looking for a spouse. I was just looking for someone to have a good time with. I looked around for my sister and saw her and Liam on the dance floor.
I’m not sure exactly what they were doing but I guess you would call it dancing. It was the perfect time to make my escape so I grabbed the gentleman by his hand and led him towards the door.
Liam 2
I was glad that Sarabelle had invited me to be her date to the gala but I was feeling pretty guilty. We’ve been best friends for as long as I could remember and usually told each other everything.
We literally had no secrets from one another. Well, no secrets except one.
I feel like I’ve done a good job at hiding it all these years and I know that she’s never suspected a thing but the main reason I agreed to come to the gala with Sarabelle was her sister.
Lexi has always been the girl who was out of my league but that never stopped me from wanting her. Every single change I’ve made over the years has been in a failed attempt to get that girl to notice me.
Going to the gym to transform myself from the chubby nerd I used to be to someone who isn’t ashamed to be outside without his shirt off was all for her.
My change in wardrobe and giving a shit about style was all for her. No matter what I did, I could never make her give me a second look. Sure, we’ve talked when I was hanging out with Sarabelle but never like I wanted to.
As Sarabelle and I danced along with the live band playing in the background, my eyes were fixated on Lexi. She looks great in her low-cut black dress and heels. The dimmed light illuminated her breasts perfectly, leaving just enough to the eye for imagination.
Unfortunately, she seemed to have taken a liking to some other man at the gala. I wasn’t sure who the guy was as I’d never seen him around before. I was pretty sure she didn’t know him either but that wasn’t stopping her.
She was in the middle of a hot and heavy make-out session and she didn’t care who saw her. I had to admit, I was feeling a little on the jealous side and wished it was me kissing those perfect lips.
I tried to ignore what was going on and placed all of my attention on Sarabelle. Watching what her sister was doing was only going to drive me crazy. Why couldn’t I just man up and tell Lexi what I thought about her? Was I afraid of rejection? What in the world did I have to lose?
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t realize the band had finished playing. Instead, I was still swaying back and forth like I had been for the last several minutes.
Finally snapping out of my daze, I gave Sarabelle a kiss on her forehead and went back to our table. When we got there, Lexi was nowhere to be found. Her sist
er looked around and spotted her walking out the door with the guy she had been making out with. I looked at Sarabelle and could see the look of concern on her face.
“Could you go get her for me? She doesn’t make the best decisions when she drinks,” she asked.
“Yeah, I can do that. She looked pretty messed up at the bar. Maybe I can get her away from that creep and get her back in here. Are you okay here by yourself for a bit or did you want to come with me?”
“I’ll be okay. Just try to hurry back.”
That was the answer I was hoping for. Maybe if I had the chance to spend some time alone with Lexi, I’d finally be able to tell her what I felt about her. It was doubtful, but maybe it would happen.
First, I had to intercept her in the parking lot before she had a chance to get into a car with a guy she didn’t know. I couldn’t imagine that going well, especially with the amount of alcohol she’d already consumed that evening. Apparently, I made it outside just in time as the valet had just brought the guy’s car around to him.
“Lexi, wait up,” I yelled as I ran up to the car. “Where are you going?”
“Does it matter? I’m going to have a little fun.”
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. Why don’t we get you back inside?”
“Who the fuck are you?” the guy she was with replied out of nowhere.
“I’m a family friend. Her sister’s inside and I need to take her back in.”
“Are you fucking deaf?” he questioned. “The lady said she was going to come with me and have a good time. Why don’t you run along now?”
Why don’t I run along now? Who the hell did this guy think he was dealing with? I took a deep breath so I wouldn’t lose it in front of Lexi and was eventually able to collect myself.
“Brother, I don’t know who you are and to be honest, I really don’t care,” I said. “I just want you to know that you have to pick your battles in life. I strongly suggest that you don’t choose this one to fight. Why don’t you either go inside and find someone else to take home or go on alone and sober up. Lexi is not going home with you.”