“How do you look so gorgeous in just a t-shirt, Mia? I swear to God, I hate you sometimes.”
I grin as I turn to see my best friend teetering out of the house with a glass of champagne in each hand.
“The star guest has finally arrived,” Hope says sincerely, her eyes welling up as she reaches me. “I’ve missed you so much.”
She falls into my arms, a little tipsy already, as I try to balance her. The glasses slosh alarmingly in her hands as she plants a long kiss on my cheek. Her scent surrounds me, a mixture of vanilla and lavender, which I think might be the perfume I bought her for her birthday. Leaning back, she looks at me, handing me a glass.
“Give yourself as much time as you need to settle in,” she says, her dark eyes sparkling.
She’s in a beautiful silver dress, her tan skin lined in light from the open doorway. Hope’s the same height as me, both of us taller than average, but her hair is a cascading mass of dark brown curls, whereas mine is wavy blonde.
“Is everyone here?” I ask, sipping my champagne.
“Yep, but the party isn’t starting until you walk in, babe.”
“It’syourbachelorette,” I say, laughing, and she shrugs.
“They all know you’re my oldest friend, and they’ve been asking when you’re getting here for the last hour. I’m so grateful you came all this way. How’s Annabelle doing?”
“She’s okay. Thanks for asking.”
Hope slings her arm around my shoulders, and I end up draining my glass as we head into the house. I can hear the shrieks and squeals of her friends inside, and she eyes me warily.
“Come out whenever you’re ready. There’s no rush.”
I shake my head. “I’ll be five minutes. I can’t wait to celebrate with you. Rory is the luckiest man on the goddamn planet.”
Her guarded expression evaporates, and she gives me a relieved grin. I love her for trying to help me feel welcome, but we both know this weekend is my worst nightmare. I’m going to have to make sure she believes I’m enjoying myself, because I don’t want to be a downer.
“Give me one sec,” I say, squeezing her fingers reassuringly as she glides back into the main room.
There is a chorus of shrieks, and an elegant woman with short spiky hair hands Hope another glass of champagne as they all start dancing together.
I dash into my room, strip quickly, and pull on my sequined dress. It’s a little too short, and I pull it down over my thighs, slipping on my shoes as I wrap the straps up my ankles.
I did my makeup before I left, which saves me time, and I give myself a quick once-over in the mirror to check how I look. My long blonde hair is tied in a loose braid over my right shoulder, and my makeup is passable but won’t look as perfect as all of her friends’.
I pull my dress down one last time, check my lipstick, and sneak back outside to my car. Grabbing the balloons from my trunk, I stand silently in the darkness listening to the thump of the music within.
Steeling myself like I’m going into battle, I tighten my fingers around the silky ribbons tied to the balloons and run inside, holding them high above my head and bursting into the main room with a flourish.
A gaggle of women scream with excitement and rush forward to greet me as Hope’s party really begins. I’ve barely been there five minutes and I’m already glad I came.
Five hours later, Hope and I are in the hot tub outside. I’m a little buzzed from the champagne, but not feeling too drunk. As predicted, the party is already pretty unhinged, filled with innuendo and sex jokes.
Francesca, Hope’s friend from college, hired a stripper to come and serve us for the evening, and we’d all just finished drinking shots off his abs before Hope and I came out here.
Hope is pretty drunk, but happy, her head resting on the edge of the hot tub, hair pulled up in a clip. I listen to the other girls inside as the pop of a cork explodes.
One of her friends named Bethany, whom I don’t know too well, appears, climbing into the tub. She’s wearing a red designer bikini that looks brand new.
I’ve borrowed my swimsuit from Hope because I never have an occasion to go swimming. It’s too small for me, and my boobs are bulging over the fabric.
I dip lower into the water, self-conscious about how pale I am. Bethany’s skin has a stunning, bronze sheen to it that I can’t help gazing at in awe.
“Hey bitches,” she says with a grin, sighing as she lowers into the water. “I love this place.”
“Isn’t it awesome?” Hope asks, sitting up and pressing the button as the jets spring to life again. “I could stay here all week.”
