Chapter 4 #2
Avery treats me like her own freaking doll to play with, and I just shut my eyes and let her.
She tames and curls my hair into gorgeous, gentle waves.
My makeup is simple, but with a bright red lipstick that makes my pout look lush and sexy.
The black dress Avery pulls out of her wardrobe for me is sleek, stunning, and I tell her to never let it slip how much it cost her.
It has a high neckline and from the front it looks modest, even with the skirt landing just above my knee.
The show-stopper is the back, where the cutout dips low and the ruching over my ass makes it looks round and pert.
The neckline buttons at the top to look like a choker, and, fuck, even I get a little excited at how I look.
Avery cackles, every inch of her body glowing with a particularly mischievous aura that I’m sure would terrify the guys if they were here seeing it, but it only makes me grin back at her.
I mean, it’s this sharp edge that I admired in her to begin with and now I get to be in on it with her, it’s literally my life’s purpose at this point.
“Is this what you were thinking when you asked for my help?” she gloats.
With a smirk, I turn to check myself out one last time before giving my ass a shake for good measure, and she laughs even harder. “This is better. I didn’t know I could look this good.”
There’s a thump at the door and then Harley grumbles through it at us both. “Are we going to dinner or a fucking runway show? I’m hungry, and if Morrison smokes any more, he’s going to be useless.”
Cursing under my breath, I swing the door open to find Blaise and chew him out, but Harley is blocking the way.
Before I can ask him to move, or shoulder him out of my warpath, he takes a jerking step back at the sight of me as his jaw drops.
My temper cooling a little, I smirk and raise my eyebrows at him, hoping he doesn’t notice the way I’m also having some trouble breathing at the sight of him.
I never knew black slacks and a white button-up shirt could look so devastating.
“Jesus Christ, you’re both drooling,” Avery grouses as she sidles past me, shooting me a grin behind Harley’s back before she struts out into the lounge to murder Blaise for me.
Recovering with a speed I envy, Harley smirks as he steps forward and tugs me into his arms. “I should’ve known Aves would dress you in her fancy shit. You look like one of those upper-class ladies. Don’t get me wrong, you look hot as fuck, but it’s still… weird.”
I scoff at him and I’d probably be a little insulted, even with the assurances, if he wasn’t looking at me like he wanted to rip the dress off my body.
He hasn’t even seen the best part yet. “I’m assuming Avery is taking us to some uppity place, and I doubt I own anything that would pass the dress code.
Those people don’t exactly love a band tee and Docs. ”
Harley smirks. “Too bad for them, Blaise does and that asshole is willing to throw his daddy’s reputation into the mix to get away with it.”
Avery’s screeching cuts through the air, and we both laugh at Blaise’s pissy reply.
Harley’s hands smooth over my ass as he leans down to kiss me.
I think he was only planning for it to be a quick peck, but I open my lips to his the second they touch and I swallow his groan.
Footsteps in the living room pull us apart.
“Are we still going to dinner, or are we leaving Morrison here as a sacrifice to distract Avery and finding something better to do with our evening?” Ash drawls with a snarky edge but, though tempted, I smirk back at him.
“I’m not wasting this dress. Let’s go.”
Pulling away from Harley, I walk to the door without looking back and the gasps and curses that follow me have me smiling like an idiot. Avery steps over to me, and her smug face tells me everything I need to know about their reaction to the back of my dress.
She links her arm in mine as she leans in close to murmur to me, “Pretty sure you could get any of them to bend you over something right now if you wanted.”
I smirk back at the guys. Blaise has joined them and paused in buttoning up his dress shirt to stare at me, his eyes ravenous, but I shrug at them all. “We should get a move on; I’m pretty hungry.”
That gets them moving.
Blaise drives us in the Maserati, declaring without a shred of shame, that he needs the distraction to keep his hands off of me, so I end up wedged between Ash and Harley in the back.
Harley tucks his hand into mine and lets his head drop back against the headrest with his eyes closed.
Ash scowls out of the window and traces patterns into the exposed skin on my thigh.
When I shift in my seat, he looks over at me and smirks.
“Black?” he whispers and I know exactly what he’s asking.
“Nothing. I didn’t want there to be lines.”
Ash sucks in a breath, and Harley’s hand spasms in mine. I grin at Avery when she glances back at me, satisfied I’ve finally one-upped them in their own game.
The restaurant is ridiculously ritzy, the type of place I imagine Ash and Avery frequent because they fit right in. Blaise is at ease but he still looks around with thinly veiled disgust. Harley is the only one who shares my outraged look when we see the prices of the dishes.
“Is the lobster going to serve itself to me for that fucking price? I haven’t spent that much on groceries for the entire fucking break.”
Avery smirks at me, but Ash looks confused. “How much do groceries cost in the slums?”
Blaise cackles like a madman at the look I throw the spoiled asshole. “I’m no longer feeding you. Also, you’re on the couch tonight.”
“Snap, motherfucker,” Avery murmurs under her breath, mocking me the way only she can get away with.
Ash glares at her, and Harley slings a smug arm around the back of my chair.
I’m tempted to order the mango chicken, as a threat to Ash because I know he’s allergic, but I decide not to play with fire and order a pasta dish to eat my feelings.
Plus, it’s the only dish under a hundred dollars on the menu that isn’t a salad.
“So, how are we all feeling about Hannaford tomorrow?” Avery asks sweetly, and Blaise throws a linen napkin at her.
“I’m glad we don’t have to worry about Joey breaking down your door,” Ash says and drinks his bourbon. Yep, the spoiled, eighteen-year-old asshole ordered a bourbon, and no one questioned him.
“I’m going to join the state team for swimming, and I’m applying for some scholarships for college, to see if that gives me a better chance,” Harley mutters. Avery meets my gaze, and I give her a tiny shake of my head. I haven’t told him my plans yet and I’m not going to.
“I’m getting my neck tattooed. And my hands.
Oh, and I’ve signed up for the same classes as you guys this year because I’m clearly fucking insane, but the Mounty has promised me she’ll get me through.
She’s also been campaigning for me to not only go to college but to apply to whichever one you all do, so I guess I’ll have to earn the marks to get in,” Blaise says cheerfully.
I smile at him, but the other three all stare at him with various degrees of shock on their faces. Ash recovers first. “Your father will disown you if you tattoo your hands and neck.”
Oh. So, he hasn’t told them all yet. Shit.
Blaise pulls a face. “Too late, he already has.”
When everyone freezes in their seats, he uses the opportunity to grab Ash’s drink, downing it in one go like he needs something to take the edge off before he gets the rest of it out.
“Turns out I was right; my parents only put up with me because they didn’t have any other options…
until now. My mom’s pregnant. It’s a boy.
I’ve been cut out of the family now there’s a replacement son on the way. Oh, perfect timing; dinner’s here.”
The stunned silence continues until the waiters have left. Blaise shoots me a smile like he’s reassuring me he’s fine, and I send him one back that I’m certain is calling him out on that bullshit, but we both tuck into our dinner happily. It takes the others a solid minute to start in on theirs.
“Congrats, I guess?” Harley says, and Ash snorts at him.
“He’s not the one who’s fucking pregnant, and who the hell said that this is a good thing?”
Harley rolls his eyes at him. “Whatever, fuckwit. At least he’s free from them both now.”
Avery cocks her head, ignoring them both as she stabs at her meal viciously. “Did your dad definitely disown you? Can I start ruining his life now?”
Ash waves down a server to refill his drink as I smirk at her. “We, Aves, can we start ruining his life now? I have some very creative plans for Mr. Blaine Morrison.”
That gets Blaise’s attention, his brow furrowing as he looks between us. “What plans?”
With zero shame or intention of putting things nicely, I lay it out for him. “I’m going to royally, and viciously, fuck that man up. I won’t even give him the mercy of taking him out until he’s been absolutely ruined first. He’s going to beg to be put out of his misery.”
Harley and Ash both whoop with excitement, and Blaise looks vaguely concerned, but it’s mostly aimed in my direction, so I’m not worried about having overstepped.
Avery continues to eat her salmon delicately, pausing to say, “Are they going to name the baby Blaise, too? Just completely replace you?”
It sounds harsh as fuck, but the scorn isn’t directed at Blaise. He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. “Blaire. They’re naming him Blaire.”
I cringe for him. “At least it’s not Eclipse?”