CHAPTER 34 #2
She hands me a black dress on a hanger. It's definitely short, but the sleeves are long, and it doesn't appear to be translucent, so those are obvious plusses.
Taking it from her hand, I walk inside the closet to change.
The volleyball girls usually change in front of one another, but it makes me feel vulnerable.
This isn't anything new to Ada. She and the other girls know I change in the bathroom stalls rather than out in the open of the changing room.
The black fabric is soft and forgiving. There's no zipper, so I'm able to just slip the dress on.
Whew! This thing is snug. And short. It is snug and short.
Taking a deep breath, I open the door. Ada is sitting at my desk doing her makeup.
She has a lighted mirror in front of her, serving as a guide.
Of course, she didn't offer me the mirror. I still have no idea what I look like.
Ada catches sight of me in the mirror and pauses her ministrations while she just looks at me. A devilish grin crosses her face. "Damn girl. I hope you're prepared for a lot of male attention."
I suck in a breath. "I don't really want that. Any way to avoid it?"
She looks me up and down before adopting a sympathetic look and shaking her head.
"Not a chance." She seems to genuinely feel sorry for me.
I take her in and start to think. If she's standing near me, there's no way that anyone is looking at me.
She's gorgeous. They'll be looking at her. New plan, stay near Ada.
She turns back to the mirror, and I realize that she's nearly put on a full face of makeup in the time it took me to put on one dress. She knows what she's doing. I bet the Davenport's go to a lot of important events. She must have a walk-in closet full of dresses.
Ada finishes quickly with her makeup and hair. She's opted to wear hers down as well. Her dress is lying on the bed. It's white and a similar style to the one I'm wearing. We truly are the opposite of one another. I can't wait to see her in this dress.
She clearly isn't shy, something I already know because she immediately begins stripping.
Soon, she's standing there in a matching bra and thong, and her body is even more impressive than I imagined.
I never look at anyone in the dressing room because I'm too focused on not being seen.
I never realized how ripped this girl is.
She's a sexy athlete underneath those clothes.
Her body is strong and feminine all at the same time.
Her skin tone is like her brother's, and I have never seen anything smoother.
My jaw must be somewhere near the floor because she shimmies her hips and asks, "What do you think? They're new. I bought them for tonight. Panty lines are a no-no."
Panty lines? What? Why hadn't I thought of that?
Because I don't wear anything short or tight apart from my training shorts and I don't wear anything under them.
I twist my body to look at my butt, inspecting for panty lines.
Yep. Sure enough. I can see the exact line of my panties under this dress.
I turn back quickly to look at Ada. I know she sees the panic in my eyes because she quickly looks down in the direction of the bright flashing light that is my panty line.
She stretches her lips across her teeth and sucks in a loud breath.
"No worries. You just need a thong."
"I don't own a thong," I say in near disgust.
"How do you not own a thong?" She appears almost flabbergasted at the idea of me not owning fabric designed to give me a wedgie.
"I don't like sticking things up my ass, that's why."
She drops her chin and gives me an 'are you serious look.'
"A thong doesn't go up your ass. It lays discreetly between your cheeks."
"Did someone turn off the oxygen?" I sit on the bed quickly before I lose control of my legs and sprawl my panty-lined ass across the floor. "I can't go. I can't wear this. I don't own a thong. People will know I wear panties."
Ada holds both hands out in front of her, and she's still only wearing only her bra and thong. "Whoa there, Lone Ranger. You're letting this horse run all the way off with you. We can stop by my dorm and grab one of my thongs. It'll be fine."
"I'm not sticking something that has already been up your ass, up my ass!"
Ada's eyes widen, and she shakes her head as though she's the only sane person in the room and she's attempting to shake off the crazy. With great emphasis on the o she says, "okay. Just don't wear panties. You don't wear them under your training shorts and you're fine."
I contemplate what she's proposing. My training shorts aren't wide open.
They cling to my thighs all the way around.
What if I fall? What if someone lifts my dress?
What if...I don't know. Neither of those things are likely to happen.
I never fall and why in the world would anyone lift my dress?
They wouldn't. It sounds like sexual harassment.
"Okay. Okay. That could work. No panties, no panty line."
"Exactly. I'll go commando too, if it'll make you feel better."
Will it make me feel better? I think it might. Yes. It will definitely make me feel better.
"You wouldn't mind?"
"Nope." She says, popping the p. "Makes no difference to me."
"Okay then. Yeah. I think it would."
"Pantyless party. I. Am. In." She says as she shimmies her thong down her toned thighs.
Quickly looking away, feeling like a creeper, I hear Ada's soft chuckle. "Does my nudity bother you, little Evie?"
"No. I just...don't...know the protocol here."
She laughs softly again. "I've spent too many years in changing rooms with a dozen other chicks to be shy about a little nudity."
"Yeah. I guess." She knows that I don't change in front of the other girls.
Maybe this is something that I should focus on next.
I already don't wear my protection hoodie anymore.
I can be in a room with multiple people without any anxiety as long as it's a room filled with my people. Still working on that one, I guess.
I dress in front of V. Maybe not full nudity but, undergarments. I can work on this with Ada. Next time. I'm in my head running through my thoughts and I haven't even realized that Ada is fully dressed until she says, "Well, what do you think?"
Uh red hot chili pepper. That's all I can think right now.
This girl is hot. Like hot, hot. Like if the Devil and Hades had a flame child, they'd name it Ada.
I don't want to say all that to her, so I just slow clap.
Ada smiles wide and does a spin. Her dress is just as tight as mine so there's no twirl factor, but the full 360 view is impressive all the same.
"Are you ready for this?" Ada asks with a sardonic smile.
I waste no time and respond, "Definitely not."
Her smile falls instantly and her brows furrow. "You're going to have a good time. WE are going to have a good time TOGETHER."
Vaughn walks into the room and both hands fly to her mouth when she sees me.
Channeling my inner Ada, I do a full spin.
V's smile is contagious, and my smile has overtaken my face before I can stop it.
Not that I would stop it. Seeing this girl smile makes me happy and I know my smile does the same for her.
"Wow. You look incredible."
"You think so?"
"I know so. I'm so proud of you. I want you to have fun tonight, okay?" I can hear it all in her voice. The love and pride. It's all there.
I say nothing and smile back, giving her a slow nod.
"Adam will be there and that means there's nothing to worry about. Just let go and focus on the fun."
I heave in a deep breath, "I'm going to try. I'm excited and nervous in equal measure at the moment."
Vaughn looks toward Ada, acknowledging her for the first time since she entered the room. "You look nice." She says this in a tone of complete disinterest, but it's a step. She's trying. For me, she's trying.
Ada gives her that heart-stopping smile and a genuine "Thank you."
"Well, little sister" Ada says, addressing me with her favorite inaccurate nickname, "Are you ready to paaaaaaaartay?"
"Nope."
Ada glares at me with fake disdain. "Thin ice, little sister. You're on it."
A laugh that I try and fail to hold in splutters from my lips.
Vaughn grabs my arms and looks me over intently, "Are you going to be okay tonight?"
"A chicken once lived for 18 months without its head."
Vaughn's grip on my arms loosen and she appears confused. "Huh?"
"It's my emotional support fact. If that chicken can live through decapitation, I can live through this."
Both women are still laughing when we hear a loud KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK at the front door. Ada lets out a squeal as she does another body shimmy. "That'll be our Cal Ashford-drawn carriage."
It's time. Am I even ready for this? That's a stupid question. Of course, I'm not ready for this, but the chicken lived, and so will I. Survivors. The chicken and I.