Chapter 3
I already know my hair is going to resemble a bird’s nest that’s been thrown from a tree during gale force winds.
That’s what I get for leaving it to air dry alongside fighting an unknown enemy in my sleep.
The morning sunlight starts to peek through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room, the rays catching the glass suncatchers hanging from the window to create a mirage of shapes along the walls.
Crusted saliva sticks to the side of my face, leaving a crumbly white line down my jaw.
I rub it away with the back of my hand and peel myself out of bed. I need coffee, stat.
Sliding my feet into my black slippers that are covered in neon yellow smiley faces, I make my way into the living room whilst grabbing my robe on the way out.
I slip my arms through the soft fabric, tie it at the waist, then shuffle into the kitchen like a living dead zombie.
I can already taste the roasted coffee beans on my tongue as soon as I flick the kettle on to start boiling.
The water starts to bubble and steam rises from the spout leaving a patch of condensation on the kitchen cupboards above it.
Once I’ve located my favourite mug, there’s a design printed on the side that has the phrase ‘horror movies and chill’, the words surrounded by knives and little Ghostfaces, from the cupboard, I plop a healthy amount of coffee into the bottom of the mug, followed by a little sweetener.
The kettle starts to come to a slow boil, indicating that the water is hot enough to burn through my entire being, just how I like it.
Opening the fridge to grab the half empty milk container, I pour a splash into the swirling brown liquid, then give it a quick stir with a spoon, and tap the side of the mug twice before putting it into the sink.
The aromas waft up into my nostrils as I bring the mug to my lips and sip tentatively, trying not to scald my tongue, humming pleasantly at the roasted taste.
My phone chimes with a notification, the noise shaking me out of my blissful moment.
Locating it on the coffee table where I left it last night before I passed out, I scroll through the notifications, deleting irrelevant emails before noticing the dating app I signed up to a couple of weeks ago is dryer than the desert.
Where can a girl find a decent guy around here?
I brush the thought away, trying to not let it sour my mood.
I’ve had flings in the past, but nothing serious has ever come from them and they all seem to want the same thing, which is cool if that’s what you’re into, but I want something meaningful, something real.
Something like my books, but maybe that’s wishful thinking.
There’s a notification from the girls group chat.
I breeze over the details, skimming through the messages of the book we’ve been reading to avoid spoilers and the TikTok videos I’ve yet to catch up on, no doubt containing thirst traps of masked men.
I dip out of the group chat and open Ellie’s message.
Shaking my head I smile to myself. Ellie’s been trying to get me into the dating scene for a while now.
After her and Jake got together I’ve kinda been the third wheel, which is cool, I’m happy for my best friend.
But to be wanted, that would be nice too.
My fingers fly across the keyboard as I send off a quick message.
Her reply comes instantly.
I run a hand down my face, laughing inwardly at her reply.
I can already see her now cringing over the comment.
Quickly checking the time at the top of the phone, it’s still early.
I’ve got a couple of hours to kill before I have to get ready for Crimson’s opening night.
My stomach tingles with nerves. I’d like to think I’m an outgoing person, but sometimes that isn’t always the case.
Meeting new people, walking into a new space is nerve wracking sometimes, but I refuse to back out and let Ellie down and plus, would it be such a bad thing to let my inhibitions go for a night?
Maybe experience a man’s touch for the first time, even if it is in a club?
I let my thoughts wander for a moment before replying to Ellie’s message.
Placing my phone back down on the coffee table, I reach for the TV remote to catch up on my favourite shows. After a while I feel my eyelids grow heavy, the softness of the sofa cushions and blanket dragging me under into a quiet slumber.
My eyelids flutter open, the sound of the TV still playing away to itself in the background.
Shit. I must have slept pretty heavily. It takes me a minute to get my bearings before lifting my head off the sofa and reaching for my phone on the table.
5:00pm. The time from the screen glaring back at me.
I slept all day? I pocket the phone in my robe and rub my fists into my eyes, causing a glittering scene to bloom behind my eyelids, then turn the TV off before heading into the bathroom, turning the shower on to warm it up before meandering into my bedroom to hunt down the dress and shoes I’ll be wearing.
I open the closet doors and run my fingers over the different materials and clothing hung up until I locate the dress and pull it out, noticing it still has the tags on.
Digging into the bottom of the closet, I find my favourite pair of black heels and pull them free of their confines, then lay them on the bed next to the dress.
The thick, leather platform heel adds at least another 5 inches to my height.
The shoes have a black strap with a buckle that wraps around the ankle, hanging from the strap are silver chains, adding a dark but sexy look to the shoe.
Once my ‘everything shower’ is complete, I take the time to really dry my blonde locks before pinning them into place to give them a bouncy curl, then slip into the dress.
It sits just above the knee with a wrap accent at the front to cover my stomach, but also accentuates my curves.
I pull the off shoulder sleeves onto my arms and fasten the zip at the side.
The sweetheart neckline is doing wonders for my cleavage, if I do say so myself.
Carefully, I slide my feet into the heels and fasten the buckle and strap around my ankle, my black polished toes peeking out the front.
After unpinning my hair, I let it fall in bouncy waves over my shoulders, framing my face like a gold halo.
My makeup is simple, but effective. A sharp, black, winged liner is painted on my eyelid with military precision, lashes and a nude lip.
My phone pings, alerting me that the uber has arrived and I take one last look in the mirror making sure everything is in place, then grab my clutch on the way out, stuffing it with my phone, purse, and keys, then leave my apartment to make my way down the stairs to the ground floor, slowly so as to not break my neck in these heels, then shuffle my way over to the Uber, sliding into the back seat.
“Crimson bar, right?”
“Yes, please. Thank you.”
Digging out my phone, I let Ellie know that I’m on my way. I’m feeling positive about tonight, it’s about time I let myself be free and have a good time. And who knows, a decent guy might just sweep me off my feet.