I sank right into the aesthetic, feeling oddly at home in a place where I didn’tknow a single soul and knew I didn’t truly belong.The faces I was surrounded by all looked familiar, but I put that down tosimply interacting with them online for the benefit of growing our platforms. Sweet comments on our posts were our version of business deals, and being seen together at these events were the handshakes.
It was a weird charade, but one I’d learned to perfect. What had gotten myaccounts to a combined number of over nine-hundred-thousand. What had meant mum was looked after for the next two years at least.
The other reminder of who I was doing this for made my feet move for me,what weaved me between the tables decorated with more candle sticks and star-shaped favour cookies as I found my name place at the one closest to the centre of the room.As I held my breath and sat down, I let the subtle string quartet stuffed intothe corner be the lullaby to calm me down.
“Are you at this table?” I turned around at the sweet, airy voice, finding a girlaround my age with short auburn curls, midnight blue silk jumpsuit, and green eyes darker than Daisy’s.
I flashed her my name card, along with a smile. “Yep.” I popped the ‘p’, tracingher friendly smile as it grew. “You?”
She nodded, not taking her eyes off me. “That’s me there.” She pointed to thegold name card sitting on the place setting to mine. “I’m Rainie, by the way. Extremely new and beyond terrified of everyone in here.” Her American accent slicked her words, but not in a way that felt obnoxious.
I lifted my hand in a little wave. “Cora. Also equally terrified, but now new. Stick with me and I’ll show youjust how to get through these with your sanity, and dignity, still intact.”
She smiled, a sweet laugh slipping from her glossed lips as her head fell for amoment. Her eyes were back on me soon enough though. “I know who you are. And it’s very cool to meet you.”
“Pleasure to meet you too.” I said, honestly. She didn’t seen like the type to behere, and that already made her my favourite person in the room. “So,” I started, breaking the air that feltoddly tense. But not the scary kind of tense. This was… fun. “What brings you here?”
She took a sip of her water before she swept a hand through her fiery hair. “I’vejust recently moved from California, and it felt like my following kind of boomed overnight. Although compared to everyone here in more of a micro influencer. This is actually the first event I’ve been invited to.”
I tilted my head, savouring the doe-eyed bambi look in her eyes whilst it wasstill there. I’d give it three more of these events before the wonder wears off. “Well, you’re doing great so far. You’re polite, you’re smiling, and that outfit is stunning.”
Her smile shone on her lap, her eyes roaming the almost-navy silk. “I wasterrified of not following the dress code. I wanted to make a good first impression.” Her eyes flitted to me, before dipping down my dress in a way that didn’t feel as innocent as her voice. “But it seems I’m sitting with the rule-breaker.”
My smirk peaked. “Blue isn’t my colour.”
But it sure is hers.
Her elbow rested on the table, her hand resting against her cheek as she eyesturned foxy. “Somehow I think black was made for you.”
Oh.
Oh.
Like there was a flirty mist hanging over her that suddenly cleared, Rainie’seyes widened, her stare falling back to her lap. “Oh, God that was really forward wasn’t it? Who am I kidding,of course it was.” She let a laugh slip between us. “Was that really stupid?”
Reaching for her hand, I shook my head. “Don’t be daft. It’s okay.” I shruggedas she looked up to me. “It’s the first time someone’s tried to pull me in a few months and it was actually nice to feel normal again.” My smile was reassuring, enough to pull one out of her. “I promise.”
Bashfulness became her. “I’m very happy I hit on you and not anyone else whowould just blab and turn me into the internet’s new pariah.” Her eyes softened, candle light flickering in them. “Also, I only just… recently, accidentally found out I’m bi and I wasn’t sure what to do about it. Obviously testing the waters here probably wasn’t the smartest of ideas but…” her eyes found mine, and I smiled on instinct. “Just… thank you. For being so nice.”
I shrugged, my eyes rolling for no other purpose than to show her what a bigdeal it wasn’t. “It’s just nice knowing that at least someone in here knows I’m not a total bitch.” The awkward curves of the chair met my back as a comfortable silence descend around our corner of the table, until a thought popped into my head. “How do you accidentally find out you also like girls?”
Pink invaded her cheeks. “I re-watched the live action Scooby Doo.”
My eyes narrowed. “Daphne?”
Hers widened. “Velma.”
Giggles overtook my body then. Probably too loud. Also probably the onlytime I’d ever laughed at one of these things and actually meant it.
But as they became more contagious, the text tone of my phone eruptedon the table, and as I whipped it out and stared down at the withheld number, my heart stopped.
Unknown Number
Today at 20:38pm
you look so pretty when you laugh
At first I thought I’d read it wrong. I wasn't sure whether to laugh. Whether I'd imagined it. But as I read the words over and over again, as I peered around the room, a half smile unconsciously sitting on my mouth, that’s when I felt the world slip away.
