A Taste of Sweetness
Pop! The girls squealed in delight. London passed the glasses out to everyone as Vienna let the foam from the eight hundred dollar champagne flow out like rivers of sparkling gold. Our suitcases were packed and ready to go, as we were.
After much persuasion from the Billings alumnae, Hathaway finally agreed to let the parties continue. There were going to be adults at this party too, so not everyone was going to get as crazy. Although that was still up for debate.
Money was pouring in so fast, it made the earth spin twice over. The Billings website crashed, not to mention we ran out of items to sell. People were signing up to get to the parties by the dozens from all over the east coast. Old, prominent families were already donating to our cause. The Palace was overflowing with reservations, and the Palace staff was most likely upset that twenty-five percent of the revenue was going to us. The money we got from the smaller, riskier parties made me go dizzy.
"How about it, Reed? We will be the most famous girls of all time!" Rose exclaimed. "This fundraiser was – well, is the best thing ever. I think we should give a toast!"
The girls nodded their agreement. Rose wrapped a slender arm around my shoulders and raised her glass into the air; I was handed a glass also. "To Reed and Noelle. Many thanks to you two for working your butts off. And," Rose faced me and looked at me adoringly, "especially to Reed who has no idea how to navigate the streets of rich people. But don't worry; we're here to save you!"
Everyone began to laugh and drink from their glasses. I caught Noelle's eye and she gave me a timid smile. Over to the side, I saw Amberly huff and puff, Missy following suit, resorting to rolling her eyes instead. I had a suspicious feeling Rose was already a little tipsy; she was never this exuberant.
By the time we had reached the Palace, everyone was giggling incessantly. It was three in the afternoon on a wonderful Friday night, and already I had begun to see a few people I recognized. Gambling night was starting promptly at eight, and us girls had to get ready.
It seemed as if Noelle had secretly taken care of every single one of my needs. She had a few dresses from her own closet she wanted me to wear. Also, she and I were staying in the same, expensive Palace hotel room. I had a lot to thank for.
As we stepped out of the limousines, I couldn't help but gasp. The girls mindlessly went inside, but my eyes were fixed on admiring the beautiful hotel. It was a classic example of elegance, tipped in with a modern range of furniture and staff. I knew I looked like an idiot and a girl who just saw the Palace for the very first time.
"Are you coming, Reed? You can't stand there forever," I heard someone say.
Instantly, I turned around and found a beaming Taylor and an always glamorous Kiran. My mouth fell open; I struggled to come up with a response.
"Taylor! Kiran!" I ran up to them, dropping my bags and running forward to hug them. Taylor gave me a bone crushing hug while Kiran gracefully slipped her arms around me. She smelled wonderful.
"You look great, Reed! How've you been?" Taylor asked, linking a strong arm around mine. Kiran motioned for one of the staff members to pick up the items I dropped. I could've sworn I saw her snap at the boy.
I beamed and drank in Taylor's appearance. She looked great. "I'm fine. What about you two? Excited?"
"If excited means getting drunk off your ass and having a bit of down time with some Easton hotties, sure, why not." Kiran came over to my left side and wrapped a toned arm across my shoulder. "Besides, I'll need the drinks for tomorrow night. Dancing with a corset is not as cool as it seems."
Frowning, I asked, "I thought we weren't doing the dances? I mean, I thought we already had burlesque dancers to do that." When London and Vienna suggested that the girls auction themselves off, many of the girls refused to do so, although a couple (London and Vienna) wanted to. Noelle told us we didn't have to, for which I was thankful for, and it was up to us.
"Well, yes, you do. But I want to, and considering I'm an alumna and I'm a model, we might get more money. Not to mention I get to keep that guy." Kiran winked at me and Taylor blushed at her bluntness. I was too happy to admonish her.
The girls led me inside the hotel while Noelle sorted everything out. Some of the alumnae I saw at the meetings were coming in. Ada Mason, a vibrant fifty year-old who was in charge of putting gambling night together, was already barking orders. Apparently, she jumped at the opportunity to organize gambling night; Noelle informed me that she had a weakness for poker chips, cards and losing money.
I waited to be escorted to mine and Noelle's room, and I couldn't stop myself from having my mouth hang open. The lobby was fantastic. It was light and airy, lush with extravagance. There were two winding stairs, and for a second, I imagined myself walking down with whatever dress Noelle had chosen for me, smiling and waving at everyone. This was surreal; this was great.
Finally, a handsome young man took our belongings and we were headed towards the elevators. I quickly found out that it was all cherry wood inside, and they were playing all of Bach's Cello Suites. The Palace oozed charisma and sophistication. For a minute, I was afraid I didn't belong here, but after thinking about how much I sacrificed for this, I deserved it.
We weren't in a penthouse (something Kiran expected, for she was complaining; I didn't know why), but the room was wonderful. There were two king-sized beds, one for me and one for Noelle. The luggage carrier politely dropped our suitcases on their respected area and tried to avert his eyes when Kiran bent over.
Kiran went to the side of the wall and opened a door – a closet door, it seemed. But she suddenly disappeared and said, "Taylor, get your butt over here!" Ah, now I got it. There were adjoining rooms.
Taylor sighed and gave a lopsided smile. "And to think, I'm friends with a bossy girl like her." She patted my arm and left, leaving Noelle and I to do what we wanted. I immediately collapsed on the bed, sinking in the comfort.
I looked up at the intricate ceiling and said, "Thanks a lot, Noelle. This means…so much." I got up and propped up an elbow, facing a smug Noelle. "If there's anything I can do…"
Noelle tsked me. "No, there isn't anything you can do. Although," she opened up a garment bag and smirked, "you can try this on. This here is a Carolina Herrera classic." She swiftly came over to my side and dropped the very expensive silk and georgette dress on my bed. "Try it on."
I had only been at the Palace for twenty minutes and I was already drooling. It was lovely. It was navy blue and slim and slender. The under part of the dress was form-fitting, while the georgette was rippled into perfection. It wrapped around the entire dress, the front of it looking like a loose and wavy 'X'. A thin gold belt was around the waist area, its purpose to outline whatever curves I had. It was gorgeous.
But I couldn't take it. It was too much.
"Noelle . . . I can't wear this. It must have cost a fortune, and what if . . ."
What if something bad happens, like in Casino Night, and this million dollar dress gets ruined?
A shudder ran through me, but if Noelle saw that, she ignored it. "Don't you dare use that phrase. If Noelle Lange ever, ever, gives you something, you better take. Or God forbid – I'll just leave it at that." She came over to me and smiled, opening the zipper of the dress. "Come on, now. You don't want to be late to your own party."
Feeling renewed with energy and anticipation, I knew this weekend was going to be awesome.
But I tended to be wrong.
A/N: Many thanks to my reviewers and to Glyndewar for beta-ing. Sorry, I lied about the parties, but the next three chapters are dedicated to the fundraiser. Just four more chapters until this fic is over!
