Chapter 3
3
JOSEPHINE
I ’ve never been this drunk in my entire life, and it’s only seven o’clock. Stellan and Piper both ran to their apartments to grab their things before coming back to my place so we could all get dressed together. The only thing Stellan had to do was put on his suit, which took approximately three minutes. Ava, Piper, and I had hair and makeup to do, which was undertaken in my living room because my bathroom is too small. By the time we’re ready to get our dresses on, the kitchen counter is littered with empty bottles of vodka, whiskey, and two-thirds of a bottle of wine.
“I shouldn’t wear this color. It makes me look like a corpse.” Ava stares at her reflection in front of the giant mirror in my living room. The last tenant left it when they moved out. It weighed as much as an elephant, so I considered it a housewarming gift and left it there.
The dress Ava bought for tonight’s parties is currently hanging in her closet. Back at her apartment, where her cheating dickhead of an ex-boyfriend is possibly still screwing his intern. Ava’s a good five inches shorter than me and has a lot more going on in the chest department. None of my clothes fit her.
She and Piper are closer to the same size. The only problem is that Piper's wardrobe is full of clothing that looks good with her flaming hair. On Ava, it’s leaving her washed out and sickly looking. She’s currently wearing a beige sheath dress with a lace overlay. It has thin straps and a sweetheart neckline with a fitted bodice and a skirt that flares gently when she spins. It’s very pretty, but Ava’s right. The color isn’t doing her any favors.
Pulling out a tube of red lipstick, she applies it to her lips with a shrug. “Maybe this will help.” She stares at her reflection before slapping the cap back on. “No. That's definitely worse.”
Ava turns away from the mirror and strides into the kitchen. She tosses back another shot. I’ve lost count of how many she’s had. She’s not even wincing anymore. I doubt she can feel her mouth at this point.
My mother sent over a dress for me yesterday. Something she deemed appropriate for the daughter of one of the founding houses. I head to my bedroom and stare at the satin fuchsia dress hanging in my closet. It’s something straight out of the fifties. The waist is cinched with a gold belt and the skirt poofs out with layers of tulle that stop just above my ankle. The odd length makes it look like the dress is either slightly too short or just a bit too long.
I hate it.
It may not seem like I have much fashion sense since I wear leggings and T-shirts most of the time, but that’s just practical for my job. I need to be able to move and be comfortable. Plus, half the time I feel so awful at the end of the day that I fall into bed without bothering to change.
I put on the dress, hating the way the fabric scratches against my skin. Reluctantly, I head back into the living room to a glaring Ava. She stares at my dress like I imagine she wants to look at Jamie for cheating on her.
“No.” She shakes her head, the corners of her lips turning down in disgust. “Absolutely not. You hate it. Why would you wear that?”
“How do you know I hate it? Maybe I love it.” I pick up the skirt and flounce the fabric with so little enthusiasm it’s no wonder she can tell I think it’s horrible.
“Because I have eyeballs.” Ava hiccups. Her back is propped against the kitchen counter, gaze narrowed as she stares at me. Her eyes suddenly grow wide and she smirks. “Oh, hell yeah.”
Her rapid change in demeanor leaves me frowning in confusion.
“What? What are you thinking?” I step away from the kitchen and the scheming look in Ava’s eyes. She snaps her fingers together and then slaps the counter.
“You need to wear the dress .”
Piper’s head pokes around the corner. “Did I hear something about the dress ?”
Piper’s wearing a pretty emerald-green floor-length gown. It’s perfectly nice and appropriate, but it blends in. Her fiery hair is twisted up into a simple bun, and her make-up is as plain as her dress. There’s no doubt she’ll be fading into the background at every party we attend. She prefers it that way.
“I didn’t say anything about the dress .” I pour myself a glass of wine, even though I don’t need to drink anymore. Now that they brought it up, I picture myself wearing the red gown hidden in my closet. Just as quickly, I dismiss the idea.
I bought it on a complete whim when the three of us were out shopping a few months back. It was on sale and had been marked down to the point where I couldn’t say no. It’s the kind of dress that I’ve tried on dozens of times since, but only in the privacy of my bedroom. It’s too sexy and daring. Everything I’m not. I’ll feel like a fraud in that dress.
“I can’t pull it off.” I slink out of the kitchen and head back into the living room. Stellan has the TV on, but his head is tipped back, and he’s sleeping. The moment the man sits down, he falls asleep.
“Excuse me. I saw you in the dress. Hell yeah, you can pull it off. You need to go change right now.” Ava pours herself another shot and jerks her head toward my bedroom. When I don’t immediately move, she gives me a sad face. “I just got cheated on. If you wear the dress, it'll make me feel better.”
I glare at her. “One time. You get to use that once. Are you sure this is what you want to waste it on?”
Ava's eyes widen, and she makes a wounded sound. “That’s not fair.” Then she stops to think, her gaze fixed on a point somewhere across the room. “Shit, that’s so much power. Oh, to hell with it. Yes, go change. And stop thinking about your mother. It’s time for Josephine Delvaux to unleash her awesomeness onto the world.”
A brief thrill races through me. It’s silly. It’s just a dress, but it feels like a rebellion. I’m sure it will end in catastrophe because I’m not wearing what my mother picked out. Suddenly, all I want is to get out of this awful tulle nightmare. For once, I just want to be myself.
“Okay,” I whisper. “I’ll be right back.”
“Damn straight. This is your year, Jo. You’re going to embrace your true self and throw off the shackles of a shitty family and learn to value who you are.”
“Ava.” Piper scolds, but I wave her off. She’s not wrong about any of that.
I hurry down the hallway to my bedroom, already unzipping the dress. As soon as I’m in the room, I yank off the fuchsia housewife monstrosity and leave it in a crumpled pile on the floor. I kick it aside, an illicit thrill at the action making me smile like that one small gesture is a rebellion against my mother.
The gown in question is at the back of my closet. I’ve hidden it there like a shameful secret. Or because I’m afraid someone will randomly open my closet door, see the dress, and wonder why I have it. The color is a deep ruby red. The form-fitting fabric clings to my body, flaring slightly at the knees. With heels on, the hem just barely brushes the ground. The neckline plunges, with a matching vee in the back. There’s no such thing as wearing a bra with this dress, and I’m suddenly grateful for my less than ample chest.
The smart thing would be to wear my mother’s dress, or at the very least one with sleeves, so as much of my skin as possible is covered. But I’m feeling reckless tonight.
“Get your ass moving, Delvaux,” Stellan shouts, obviously awake again. “We’re making a stop at the Briar Hollows Bridge before we go to the first party.”
“What? Why? It’s freezing out.” I look at myself in the mirror. I’m still a little pale from earlier, but there’s a new flush to my cheeks. Probably thanks to all the alcohol.
“Because we could all use some good luck,” Stellan responds.
“The bridge isn’t for good luck, it’s for making wishes,” Ava says loud enough for me to hear down the hallway. She’s annoyed. We might make wishes, but do they ever come true?
“You can wish for luck,” Stellan argues.
I settle my hair over one shoulder. I left it down at Piper and Ava’s insistence. Even though my mother instructed me to wear it up. If she thinks wearing my hair down makes me look like a “Jezebel,” then this dress will really push her over the edge.
Before she was too many drinks in, Ava sat me down and curled my hair until it fell in soft waves halfway down my back. Stellan unhelpfully said it looked fine either way. I’d be insulted if I didn’t know him. He’s practically a brother.
My steps are slow as I head back into the kitchen. All three of my friends stop and stare.
“I’m changing.” I spin around, ready to head back to my bedroom and pick up that ugly pink dress from my floor to put it back on.
“Oh no, you’re not.” Ava snatches a wooden spoon from a holder on my kitchen counter and hooks it through my arm. She yanks me back into the kitchen, managing not to touch me.
Stellan whistles, and Piper smiles like we’ve pulled off some sort of heist. We haven’t even left my apartment.
“You look incredible.” Ava grins at me and plunks a shot glass down in front of me. “Take this and then we’re going to throw a quarter into Briar Hollows River.”
Stellan loudly clears his throat and raises one dark brow. He cocks his head at his sister. “And…”
“And make a wish,” Ava says with an exasperated sound.
“No,” I moan distractedly while searching for my phone. When I can’t find it, I do a quick spell that makes a chime sound from beneath the couch pillows. I throw the phone in my clutch, along with some lipstick and gum. “That is a childish tale, just like witches having fated bonds. It's not even worth the twenty-five cents we’d lose.”
“JoJo. You’re doing it. I’m doing it. Ava’s doing it. Piper’s doing it.” Stellan straightens his tie and runs his hand over his beard. The shithead doesn’t look like he was just sleeping.
Ava’s drunk ass nearly falls over as she checks her lipstick in the giant mirror one last time before we leave. “We’re doing it, Jo, because we all need something to hope for. I don’t know if wishes ever come true. Mine never seem to, but I’m not ready to give up asking the universe to help me out for once in my life.”
We need to get to the parties. But I suppose five minutes out of the way isn’t going to make much of a difference.