Playing His Game

Chapter Twenty-Six | Start Me Up

Twenty-Six:

"Do I look okay?" Lily asked for the third time in the last hour, looking at me anxiously.

I gave her an amused smile, nodding. "Yes, Lily, you do."

It was just the two of us getting ready in the en-suite bathroom; Carly and Lauren already finished and were probably hanging out with the guys.

She bit her lip, her eyes flicking back and forth from me to the bathroom mirror. "But are you sure? Really look at me."

I sighed, scanning her up and down as I examined her outfit. Her tight, gray dress was wrinkleless and fit her like a glove, despite the fact that she kept smoothing her hands over the front of it as if there really were some she missed. "I'm sure. You look amazing, really."

She smiled with a quick nod. "Okay but I'm still gonna straighten my hair," she said with determination, grabbing the flat-iron from the counter.

"It's already straight," I said with a roll of my eyes, turning to study my own reflection.

"Not straight enough!" she huffed with indignation.

I laughed. It was funny how worried she was about looking good tonight, yet I was feeling the same way. I peered closely at my made-up face in the mirror; was my makeup blended enough? Was I wearing too much makeup? I had spent the last 40 minutes curling my long hair; was it too curly?

"Hey, you look great, too, Audrey," Lily said as she pulled a chunk of hair through the straightener.

I gave her a smile in return, shaking off my self-conscious thoughts. "Thanks, Lil."

There was a sudden, sharp knock, and Carly's head appeared in the doorway. "Guys, come on! You've been in here for almost an hour!"

"I just finished!" Lily said with a smile, returning the straightener to the counter.

"I'll be out in a minute, I just have to put on some lip-gloss," I told Carly, reaching for the tube that was sticking out of my makeup bag.

"Alright we'll probably be in the living room."

I nodded, watching as, with one last fluff of her hair, Lily followed Carly out the door.

"Oh, and Audrey?" Carly was back in the doorway.

"Yeah?" I asked, uncapping the peach gloss.

"Hurry."

I smiled to myself as she left me alone. I quickly ran the tube across my lips, rubbing them together a few times to spread the sticky gloss around evenly. I was in no way a makeup guru, but I had managed pretty well. It had taken me a few tries and stabbing myself in the eye, twice, but in the end, my eyes were lined with kohl and I had two layers of mascara to show for all my effort.

I tossed the gloss back into my makeup bag and grabbed my phone before I left the room. Our bedroom was only partly lit with one of the three lamps on, basking the room in a golden glow.

I paused by the door, taking the time to double check my outfit in the full-length mirror. The black dress was simple enough. Tight and long-sleeved, with the top cutting straight across the bottom of my collarbones, it was both cute and presentable.

The only problem was the hemline.

I tugged on it nervously, wishing my legs weren't so long that they caused normal clothes to appear provocative.

Carly had wanted me to wear the dress on its own with heels, to which I'd refused. Firstly, it was winter, for gods sake, and secondly, I wasn't about to go bare-legged with a dress that cut off mid-thigh.