War of Prey

44) How To Fall Out Of Love

"He loved and gave all he had, she took it and burned it while trying to see it."

***

"Stand straight!"

"Maezie, I am not wearing a dress!" Rhea hisses, slapping Maezie's hands off her waist and tearing the dress off her.

"Flame, this is a big deal! You have to look nice!"

"From what I am told, I look 'nice' in everything. Now put that damn dress away," she commands. She strides to her closet in mild annoyance, a significant improvement since nearly three months ago when she came here. Flipping her clothes to the side and huffing she takes an outfit and shows it to Maezie.

"Nothing wrong with this and it even looks 'nice'."

Rhea waves her hand indicating that Maezie should turn around as she dresses. She slips from her gear and replaces it with her new outfit. A tight gold spaghetti strap top with a deeply plunging neckline, revealing skin where a bra should have been, tight black leather leggings (made to stretch for battle) with holes in them, and finally, blood-red Lita pumps. Maezie gawks at her and sighs. "Well, that is certainly...an attention grabber."

"What, it is not nice enough?"

"It's just a little...revealing. That is the kind of outfit you wear if you are going clubbing by yourself to attract male attention. Tonight, you have a guy's attention, and you shouldn't put your body on display when you know every male within a block will be staring. I don't think Gemini will appreciate that much," Maezie explains, much to Rhea's annoyance.

"No matter what I am going to get male attention. Why not put it all on display and let them know that I am taken? I am sure Gemini will love to see the jealous looks of those guys when they realize they have no chance with me."

"Sure, but we also don't need to clean up dead bodies when men gawk so hard they walk into oncoming traffic. I don't want Gemini to walk into a pole either," Maezie responds dryly.

"Maezie, I am not changing."

"Fine," she spits, "but I'm adding things to your outfit."

"Bossy little thing, are we?" Maezie adds a tiny pearl necklace to Rhea's throat and Rhea takes the chained speared earrings off the dresser and inserts them in her first piercing on her lobe. Maezie does a once-over before a knock sounds on the door. She gives Rhea a small smile and shoots her eyebrows up. Rhea slaps her, somewhat gently, on the arm, and Maezie brushes past her to open the door.

It had been nearly a month since Gemini asked her out and she had sprouted wings; they hadn't been back since they went to the Secret Underground. She's been putting this date off for so long because something doesn't feel right but she does want to do this, hence why she said yes. Ever since they came back from the Underground, she has felt an attachment to Gemini that concerns her, she no longer minds responding to his touches gently, being soft and smiling. It is quite strange, but she had been working with herself to try and get this right as she remembers what she promised the phantom in the Secret Underground. She takes a deep breath coming to terms with the fact that she is going on her first date, one that she consented to, and with a guy that doesn't repulse her, a boy—dare she say—she cares for. Those words are enough to make her shudder.

Rhea stalks back into the bathroom and picks up the dark red lipstick, which Maezie specifically told her "Do not wear that! It makes you look like a prostitute. Besides, red lipstick will show clearly on Gemini," after Rhea promptly slapped her on the arm again.

"Flame!"

Rhea sets the lipstick down, unused, and emerges from the bathroom to see Gemini, wearing a white t-shirt and black jeans, seeking her eyes. When their eyes meet, Rhea stifles a laugh as Gemini's jaw drops and a moan escapes his lips.