Page 79

Stefania
Istepped toward the closet, fumbling with the laces on my new boots, which were so fucking hard to get on. I thought maybe I should have gone with something different, something a little more classic and easier to put on. But no, I’d chosen the ridiculously long laces and the buckles and whatever the hell else they had going on. I pulled so hard to get the laces half done so I could at least walk in the boots that I lost my balance and ended up sprawling onto the bed. “Fuck!”
“You good over there?” Miriam called from some place outside the main bedroom, the bathroom maybe. Miriam, my loyal drummer and absolute best band mate in the entire world, who’d been looking after me like a baby while I could barely see Grayson. Bless her.
“Yeah, good. Just doing a bit of yoga here on the bed,” I yelled back.
“Stef! I can see you!”
“Whatever! I’m just so fucking annoyed. And frustrated. And annoyed.”
“I think I heard you say that like, maybe ten times in the last half hour since I got here.”
“It just fucking sucks. Think about all the sex I’m missing out on because some fuck stick wants to…I don’t even fucking know what he wants. Couldn’t give two fucks about it, either.”
“Fair enough. Lack of sex is bad for your health.”
“Exactly!”
“Bad for my ears too, the way you’re swearing up a storm about it.”
I huffed out a breath, aggravated. “I’m being a big whiny baby, aren’t I?”
“You sure are, but I still love you. How does this look?” She came into the room, moving to stand in front of the full-length mirror, modeling her outfit. Fishnets, denim shorts, vintage black band t-shirt, studded leather jacket, choppy asymmetrical bob, heavy black eyeliner, pale pink lips.
“Hot as fuck, ready to pull in charity dollars. What about me?”
Black leather mini skirt, fishnet top, fingerless lace gloves, half-laced Dr. Martens, blue hair in a French braid, smudgy smoky eye makeup, silver chains and chokers—everything to catch Grayson’s eye. Poor guy. Lol.
“Very much the same.”
“Perfect. I’ll get these laces done up and we can go.”
I plonked down on the bed, tugging at the laces, and started ranting again. “You know what really, really fucking annoys me? Like, just sticks in my craw so bad?”
“What’s that?” Miriam asked, raising an eyebrow.
“That if it weren’t for this hacker guy, I’d be at Grayson’s right now, having some pre party sex, hanging out with him all night. Just…being together. But we can’t.”
Miriam walked over to me and laid a hand on my shoulder, her eyes filled with sympathy. “It really does suck. I’m sorry for you.”
I drew a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, because there was no fucking way I wanted to be crying when I saw Grayson tonight.
My phone beeped. “Andrew’s here. Let’s go.”
We stepped out of my apartment just in time to see my across the hall neighbor, Scarlett, coming from hers.
“Holy shit, Scarlett, you’re a smoke show! Hot date?”
She wore a tight black dress that showed off her cleavage and long legs. Her glossy dark hair was in a sleek ponytail, and her strappy black heels made her look ready to conquer the world.
Scarlett laughed. “Thanks very much. It’s a date, yes, but I don’t know about hot. My friend set it up, so I have no idea what I’m in for.”
“So if I hear loud banging noises tonight, I’ll know who to blame.” I gave her a wink as we headed down the stairs.
She laughed again and held the downstairs door open for us. “Yeah, I can’t see that happening. Have fun at your party!”
“Thanks!” I called back as we hurried out the door, straight into the limo.