Chapter Four
The lights are in her goddamned eyes and her feet are killing her. Marty is certain that with each dress, the heels are getting progressively higher. The calf length dresses are more than a little gorgeous, the thigh length ones make her feel that everyone can see up between her legs and the ankle length dresses are a bitch to walk in with the damned heels.
But God she feels sexy as all hell, Marty thinks as she bites back a smirk at the applause and whistles. She even thinks she hears a few catcalls. Those are probably from stupid immature boys. Marty fights a smile. Guys are so predictable. Put on a fancy dress and show a little leg and they turn into drooling morons. Was Ryan drooling? Not that she cares.
Did they have a moment back in the poolhouse? Marty can still feel his finger on her face and in her hair.
On second thought, maybe it's a good thing she can't see him.
When she makes her way back behind the curtain, Marissa is changing into a dress, the final one of the night and tosses Marty's dreaded blue number at her. "No attitude! You're doing great." she shouts at Marty.
The dress feels amazing but oy vey! She's just this side of almost nekkid. Marty feels a paralyzing moment of self- consciousness and thinks she can't possibly go out there in a dress with holes so close to her boobs. Her parents are out there for God's sake!
She feels a shove at her back.
"Move your butt!" Marissa shouts pushing her towards the curtain.
Marty mentally promises to pull out Marissa's hair strand by strand as soon as she gets back. Her ears are ringing from the applause and pounding music that can't seem to drown out the gasps of surprise from both sides of the runway.
Own it, Cohen. Own it and don't look at anybody, Marty tells herself, panic and adrenaline pumping through her furiously. There were spotlights sweeping across the room, which made Marty feel a little better. They only sporadically focused on her but she could sometimes see the audience more clearly now. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers, Marty supposes.
She spots a flash of blonde hair and sees her mom beaming up at her proudly and clapping enthusiastically. Her father is clapping too. But the real test was Ryan's reaction. She doesn't get to see his face until she turns back up the runway.
He sits clapping slowly, his eyes wide with appreciation and his mouth open. She sees Seth lean over and close Ryan's mouth for him.
That's right Atwood, eat your heart out, Marty thinks with a triumphant giggle. Okay, so maybe this dress isn't so bad after all.
"We did so great!" Marissa exclaims backstage as everyone passes around glasses of sparkling cider.
"Any idea about the total yet?" someone asks as Marty takes off her shoes. She drops a good three inches of height and comes up to Marissa's shoulder. Lovely, Marty mentally grumbles. Not only is the girl more gorgeous than should be allowed by the universe but she's of course all graceful and...what's that word?...Lithe?
Not that Marty was jealous. That would be stupid, Marty tells herself. She had plenty of things going for her. She was smart, rich, likeable. But she was not hot. Not Marissa Cooper hot. Guys liked Marissa Cooper's kind of hot. The delicate wounded waif look was very in. Marty didn't think she could pout if someone paid her.
Though Ryan did look at her like she was a knockout and he was the only guy whose opinion really mattered to her. Oh yeah, there was definitely a spark there.
"They're still counting but you can bet we cleaned house. Congratulations you guys!" Marissa raised her glass. "Now let's party!" She clinked her glass with her best friend, Summer, who howled in agreement.
Back in her regular clothes, a spring dress with strappy sandals, Marty made her down the stairs on the right side of the runway towards her parents.
"Look out Ms Cindy Crawford," Seth exclaims dramatically.
"Sweetie you were wonderful!" Kirsten reaches across Seth and pulls Marty towards her.
"Thanks." Marty replies, pleased.
"My little girl in that dress--" Sandy sighs proudly.
"Oh dad, you're not gonna give the whole 'where has the time gone?' speech are you?" she groans.
"No, I was actually gonna give that whole 'I wish there had been more dress on that last dress.' speech," Sandy says.
"Trust me, so did I" Marty insists blushing.
"Are you kidding? That dress was gorgeous, Marty and you looked exquisite in it," Kirsten assures her.
Their heads turned to the as yet silent voice of the fifth person in their group.
Ryan starts uncomfortably. "I...you looked good."
Marty rolls her eyes but smiles "Thanks."
"It just so happens that I put a bid on that last dress you wore and it's yours now," her mother informs her. "Shall we go pick it up?"
"What? Mom, come on. When am I ever gonna wear that dress again?" Marty objects as Kirsten begins to lead her to the lobby where the other bidders are picking up their purchases.
As she leaves she hears Seth scoff at Ryan, "Good? Dude, your tongue was on the floor."
Nope, not so bad after all, Marty thinks blushing when Kirsten hands her the dress.
Her brother calls out to her as she makes her way back from dancing with Max O' Neil, a senior with smiling blue eyes that remind her of Ryan, who hasn't asked her to dance. Marty's promised herself that after this one she was going to track him down and ask him, but so far he and her brother have been out in the parking lot. Smoking? Marty wonders uncomfortably. In the short time Ryan's been there, she's seen her brother stick to him with something close to idol worship. Ryan doesn't seem like the type to pressure Seth but she knows her brother. He's found a kindred spirit in Ryan and would certainly want to seem cool to someone like him.
She's relieved when he comes up to her and doesn't smell like smoke. Marty smiles. Ryan's a good guy. She knows he is.
"Ryan and I just got invited to a party at a beach house," He's practically jumping for joy and if it wasn't at the house that Marissa Cooper, Summer Roberts and their band of merry bimbo's, she'd be excited for him." "Wanna come?"
Ryan is leaving tomorrow; back to his world which Marty is glaringly reminded is not her world. Part of her wants to go, to spend every minute she can with him but...Marissa Cooper et al? And now that the excitement of the night has waned, sleepiness has begun to set in.
"Brother, I love you but I would really rather stick needles in my eyeballs than spend anymore time in the vicinity of Cooper and her cronies," She tries to stifle a yawn but was unsuccessful.
Seth nods with understanding. "Gotcha. And really, Summer is gonna be there and I'd rather not have someone around who knows that I used to be able to blow snot bubbles on command."
"Used to?" Marty asks with a teasing smile.
"Go home and paint, sister," Seth turns her around pushes her towards their parents.