I grabbed the dress and held it up. “Here. I’ve been dying to wear this, but my publicist absolutely forbid it, so I’m going to have to live vicariously through you.”
Her face looked stunned. “There’s no way in hell I can pull that off.”
The dress was gold, short, slinky, and sexy. “You can one-hundred-percent pull this off. How do I know? Because it looks fucking fabulous on me, and we’re identical twins. Put it on.”
Esme stuck her tongue out at me, but she took the dress. “Are your Alphas going to come waltzing in here? Or should I change in the bathroom?”
I laughed. “I mean, it’s not their room, but yeah, maybe use the bathroom.” They wouldn’t come in here while they knew I wasn’t alone, but Esme wasn’t entirely wrong, given we all spent most nights either here or in the nest.
“Just so you know,” Esme called from the bathroom. “I hate you.”
“I know. Get your ass out here.” My jaw dropped open when she appeared.Literallydropped open. She looked fucking incredible. “Holyshit, Esme.”
“Have I mentioned I really hate it when you’re right? I’m going to need to borrow makeup, though.”
I pointed her toward the vanity that was strewn with makeup. “Have at it.”
We’d decided to do our own makeup tonight instead of having a bunch of people around.
I pulled the dress I was supposed to wear off the hanger and made a face. I didn’t like wearing white. But my team thought it was a good dress, emphasizing the fun summer movies I’d be promoting soon. And keeping that innocent yet sexy vibe.
It fell to my knees and had a nice cowl neck, but other than that it felt… plain. The only thing of interest was that the skirt had some volume. Give it to me in another color and I’d be sold.
“What do you think of this?” I asked Esme.
She looked, and I saw the truth in her eyes. That it was fine but not great. “It’s pretty.”
I sighed. “I would kill to wear what you’re wearing right now. I’ve been begging Jasmine and Brian to let me go a little edgier, but the whole team thinks it’s a bad idea.”
“Why?”
“Because I still have three more Summer Saga movies coming up, and they don’t want to piss off the studio. Which is one of the reasons we’re going to this party.”
Esme started going through one of my jewelry boxes, looking for something to complement the gold. The dangly earrings she picked jogged my memory.
“Hold on, I have something else perfect for that.” I found the armband in my closet and grabbed shoes for us before I pushed the swirling metal cuff all the way up my sister’s arm. “God, you’re such a badass.”
“Remind me why I’m going to this party again? Don’t the guys want to go?” She was on the verge of bailing. I heard it in her tone.
“They would go if I asked, but I told them not to. I’m trying to help you, remember? Pictures of you in this dress are going to have packsbeggingto meet you. And none of them will think you’re me when I’m wearing a white sack.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s not a sack.”
“You get the point.”
She slipped into the gold heels I gave her. “What if I don’t want packs knocking down my door? What if I just want what you have? To meet the right pack at the right time and for everything to be simple. I don’t think that’s going to happen with Katarina lining up every pack made up of suit-wearing Alphas.”
“It’ll happen, May-may. Promise.”
Her scent turned darker. She didn’t believe me, and that was fine. Hopefully my plan would work and the press would lighten up. Things would be so much easier if the packs approaching her weren’t viewing her as some sort of challenge.
“Okay, I think I’m ready,” she said.
“Hold on.” I grabbed my scent canceller and passed it to her. “Put this on. Scent canceller. Not for you, but these things are just a mess of everyone, so if you need to clear your head it’s good. I mean, they’ll be spraying scent cancellers, but you can’t be too careful.”
Esme looked at the little roller like it might bite her, but she nodded. “I’ll keep it with me, if that’s okay.”
“Sure.” I gave her a clutch on her way out the door.
