I tell myself it’s okay. I’m used to disappearing. No one in my family pays me much attention. As a matter of fact, they barely even notice me. Everyone’snoticeis usually focused on Gwen and Paige. They’re the bright lights. The ones who attract attention. On my own, I’m little more than background noise. When my baby sister and cousin are around, I’m completely invisible.
“You want one, Millie?” Dana, one of Gwen’s nicer friends, asks when she realizes I’m sitting here. Before I can get my mouth open to offer her a polite decline, Gwen snorts out a laugh.
“Millie?” She says without even bothering to look at me. “Stick-in-the-mud-Millie doesn’t want one, trust me. Besides, it’s past her bedtime.”
Ridiculously stung, even though it’s something she and Paige call me on a regular basis, I shoot a quick look at the bartender, watching while he pours the shaker down the row of shot glasses he lined up on the bar.
It’s like I’m not even here.
“No, thank you,” I say, even though no one is even listening to me. Picking up my glass, I drink the last of the chilled wine before sliding out of my seat and heading for my room.
My sister’s right. It’s past my bedtime.
FOUR
Watching Little Miss Stick-in-the-Mudabandon her wineglass and our conversation, I have to fight the urge to call after her. Ask her to wait. Give me fifteen minutes to do my job because that’s all it’ll take before they get bored with flirting and move on to dancing and taking selfies by the pool.
Pull your head out of your ass, Dean. That woman is not interested in you. Hell, she’s even less interested in you than the women in front of you. At least with one of them, you have a chance at a one-night stand. Stick to what you know—drunk debs who want to bang the hot bartender—and leave well enough alone.
“What crawled up her ass,” one of them mutters,staring after Millie while she walks across the living room and disappears from sight.
“A very large stick,” the bride-to-be answers on an irritated eye roll. “Millie’s always been uptight. It’s like she’s allergic to fun.”
Grinding my teeth together to keep myself from pointing out that maybe if they weren’t such assholes to her and try including her instead of making fun of her, she’d loosen up, I focus on smiling while pouring their shots, telling myself that it’s none of my business. I get enough rich girl drama at Level. I don’t need to get involved in whatever the hell kind of weird dynamic is going on between Millie and her sister.
But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t bother me.
After their round of slippery nipples, it was a round of blowjob shots, followed by a round of dick suckers and killer pussies. When one of them asked me for a cum in my panties, I decided I’d had enough. “Actually, those are Angel’s specialty,” I told her with a killer grin to hide the fact that I’m trying desperately to get rid of them. “I bet if you ask nicely, he’ll make it a double.”
Smelling fresh blood, they herd themselves toward the pool house, laughing and shrieking. As soon as they’re gone, I decide leaving well enough alone has never been something I’ve been able to do. Snagging Millie’s abandoned bottle of wine and a fresh glass, I follow after her.
Remembering that she came from somewhere behind the foyer when her cousin dragged her out of hiding to introduce us, I follow a short hallway until I find a set of closed double doors. Even though this house probably has no less than a dozen bedrooms and I have practically zero chance of actually finding her room, I stop in front of the doors. After a few seconds of debate, I reach back and tug the polo shirt hangingout of the back pocket of my jeans like a tail and pull it on. Covered, I lift my hand and knock.
And then I wait.
And I wait some more.
Even though I can’t hear anyone, I’m distinctly aware that someone is standing on the other side of the door, just inches from where I’m waiting. Taking a chance, I lean in to press my forehead against the smooth wood on a laugh. “I’m not leaving until you open the door, Maleficent.”
The door flies open before I have a chance to pull back.
“Maleficent?” Millie stares up at me, her wide hazel eyes rimmed red, hand still anchored to the knob, arm stretched across the open doorway to keep me from barging, uninvited, into the dimly lit room behind her. “Seriously? Did you just call meMaleficent?”
Ignoring the fact that she’s obviously been crying and knowing that makes me a little sick to my stomach, I give her the same killer grin I’ve been handing out all night. “Sorry—still trying to guess your name.”
“You wouldn’t have to guess if you’d just let me tell you—or better yet, just Google it,” she grumbles at me, clearly irritated that I’m bothering her.
“Well, that would be cheating, wouldn’t it?” I ask, brow furrowed.
“And cheating is beyond your moral compass?” she asks back, her tone making it obvious she thinks I’m full of shit.
Shrugging my shoulders, I shake my head. “If I have to cheat to get what I want, I don’t really deserve it, do I, Melissa?”
Giving me a quiet sigh, she shakes her head. “What do you want?”
“Dean.”
Her brow crumples in confusion. “What?”
