“I’ve never even been on a bicycle, Liam!”
He laughs, but this is just plain scary! “Don’t be a baby, Nora. You just need to hang on tight, I’ll drive safely, I promise. Come on, we have to change quickly before we get to the party, or we’ll be late.”
Late for what, exactly? I get on the motorbike despite my fear. At least, Liam seems experienced with it. And he’s right. We are finally the 14th, and I want to see what all this fuss was about. To think Damian came to dine with me last night, and now I’m going to go to his party behind his back... But I need to know what he is hiding from me. I want to think Damian is being sincere, yet there is this invisible wall between us that I need to take down. And I’ll see what kind of wall it is tonight.
Once we get home, I go straight to my room to shower and get ready. Choosing a dress is quicker with the guys than when Tonia is here, mostly because they let me pick it myself. I go for a rather simple empire dress with a silverglitter top and a long white skirt. Elegant yet straightforward— it should be good enough. For my makeup, even if I’ve been practicing these last few days while getting to read for work, I usually keep it really simple. For tonight, though, I have to make extra efforts. I look at a couple of online tutorials before getting started and proceed very slowly and carefully. The result is alright, I think... I put on a natural peach eyeshadow, a thin trail of eyeliner, some mascara, and a light pink blush. When Bobo comes into the room, I’m putting on the final touch, a rosy lipstick. I turn to him.
“How is it?”
“Very pretty. You look more natural than last time.”
“Because I didn’t put as much stuff... I can’t remember half the names of the products the makeup artist gave me anyway.”
Bobo smiles. “Are you going to be okay...?” He asks
“I don’t even know what I’m supposed to see, so... Is it bad?”
He stays silent for a second. “...You should get your heart ready.”
I stay silent. The more I hear about it, the harder it is to think it’s a good idea...
Turns out, Boyan is good at braiding my hair and helps me put it up into a Greek goddess-like hairstyle. It also matches my dress perfectly, so I’m more than happy with it. Once we return to the main room, Liam is desperately trying to do his necktie. He turns to us, but before he can even ask, we shake our heads. I have no idea how to do this... He frowns, and takes it off, undoing his first button.
“Forget it, I’m not going to impress anyone, anyway. Are you ready, my lady?”
Indeed, I am, though I’m shaking a bit... I grab my white coat and put my necklace on. The little diamond moon is shining bright and matches my dress just fine.
“I just hope I’m dressed enough...” I sigh, taking an overall view in the mirror again.
Liam rolls his eyes. “Yes, you are. You’re wearing a $5,000 Dior dress and a diamond $2,000 necklace. What else do you...?”
“I’m wearingwhat?” I scream, shocked.
“Oh, get over it, you know my brother is like, crazy rich.”
“Liam!”
“Oh, come on, Nora, you should be used to it by now. So, if you are done being scandalized, can we go, please? Trust me, the price of your dress will be the last of your concerns after tonight.”
While in the car, I’m still sending annoyed looks at Liam. I hate it when he plays with my nerves like that! And he’s doing it on purpose, I know it. Even now, he won’t bother to hide his smirk. I growl at him.
Bobo is driving, and no one is saying a word. I’m too nervous to talk, to be honest. I have no idea what to expect. While I imagine several scenarios, Liam’s phone rings.
“Hi, Nate. What’s up?”
I can recognize his brother’s voice, but even with my enhanced hearing, I can’t tell what Nathaniel’s saying... Liam starts smiling. He lets his brother speak for a while before interrupting him. “Don’t worry Nate, I’m on my way. ...Yup. No, I’m dressed as I should be, tuxedo and all. ...No, I borrowed someone’s girlfriend to be precise.”
His brother stays silent for a few seconds while Liam smiles. I heard my name, but Liam answers before I can say anything.
“Good guess! ...First, we both know Damian would never touch me. Plus, I bet Nora would kill him first. She deserves to know, don’t you think? ...Do you really want to have the conversation about managing love relationships, Nate?”
Touché. Though I think that one was a bit mean from Liam... For a few seconds, I think about Elena’s baby. Neither of them probably knows about the pregnancy yet. Nathaniel’s love life is about to get a lot more complicated...
Both brothers stay silent for a while again, and I wonder if Nathaniel can do anything to prevent me from going. He could probably revoke Liam’s invitation, no? To my surprise, Liam starts to smile again. “Really? You’re going to help us?”
I hear Nathaniel yell something, but Liam laughs and hangs up. Even if he said otherwise, not doing anything is basically the same as helping us. Though Liam is happy about it, this call didn’t make me feel better at all. I wonder if it’s too late to turn back, but I don’t even know what I’m supposed to fear! When Bobo finally stops the car, I recognize where we are. It’s the entrance of the Grand Hotel, a five-star and one of the most luxurious hotels in Silver City. I’m feeling kind of better about my overpriced dress now...
Liam helps me out of the car, and Bobo follows us. It’s my first time seeing the two of them dressed up, but there is quite a difference. Liam obviously chose a very luxurious tuxedo, while Bobo’s outfit is much more discreet. He looks like a bodyguard with this look and size, and well, I guess that’s kind of what he is for tonight?
