Page 48 of Forbidden Billionaires, Vol. 9

I had to listen to Rory's bed springs squeak and a strange woman moaning with pleasure again all night. When I finally woke from my fitful sleep, I went straight to the mall. I needed to find the perfect outfit for tonight's party. But my efforts were proving fruitless.

"Thank God you're here, Emily. I need your help." I opened up the dressing room door for her. She was using her lunch break to help me find something to wear.

She came in and sat down on the bench. I turned around and she started laughing.

"You're not helping!" I yelled.

"I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing at the dress."

I turned toward the mirror. "Okay, fine, it's horrible. I need something sexier." I was short and it seemed like it was impossible to find a dress short enough for Rory's standards. Maybe the girls that he usually hooked up with all shopped online.

"How about this one?" Emily pulled out one of the dozens of dresses I had on the rack and handed it to me. It was black with some sheer material on the front. It actually looked pretty short.

I slipped out of the dress I was wearing and started to put on the one she handed me.

"Why are you trying on such sleazy dresses anyway?"

"Can you just zip me up?" I held my hair up out of the way. I turned around after she had zipped up my dress. "How do I look?"

"Hot."

"Really?" I looked in the mirror. Finally!

The dress hugged my ass and the hem ended just a few inches below it.

The neckline plunged insanely low, but there was some mesh that helped make it a little less inappropriate.

It was tight at my waist and somehow made my ass and breasts look even bigger.

I pulled out my list from my purse. Barely covers my breasts and legs, and definitely accentuates my ass. Check, check, and check.

"What is that?" Emily grabbed the paper out of my hands and started reading it.

"It's nothing." I tried to snatch it back from her but she sidestepped me.

"Seriously, Keira, what the hell is this?"

I sighed. "It's a list of tips that Rory gave me on how to let a guy know that you're interested in a one night stand."

Emily started laughing. "This is his advice? He sounds like such a tool."

"He's not." This time when I reached out I was able to grab the paper back. I shoved it into my bag. "He thinks I like some guy at work. He wasn't giving me advice on how to get with himself. At least, he doesn't realize it."

"From work? You work from home."

"Ugh! I know. I get flustered around him and say stupid stuff. That's why I needed his advice."

Emily smiled at me. "So, does this dress fit all the criteria?"

"Yes, it does." I knew it was slutty, but I felt so sexy in it. Maybe this dress would give me the confidence I needed around Rory.

Emily turned the tag over and whistled. "Eighty bucks for a dress?"

"It's fifty percent off."

"Still."

"It's the only one that works. I'm going to get it." I quickly took it off and put my clothes back on. If I didn't check out soon, I'd change my mind. I hated spending money. If I didn't, I wouldn't have needed a new roommate in the first place.

"Do you have shoes that'll work?" Emily asked.

"Yes." I had bought a pair of six inch heels for my one year anniversary with my most recent ex. They were still in the box because he had broken up with me before we went out to dinner to celebrate. I'm so bad at dating.

"Okay, you better check out before you change your mind then.

" Emily knew me so well. We had been roommates all four years in college and had also lived together when we first moved to the city.

She met her future husband the first day she started her new job, and they got married a year later.

Maybe that was my problem. I needed a job where I had to go into the office every day.

Just the thought of doing that made me shudder.

I couldn't write in an office. It was too stifling.

I brought the dress to the checkout counter and looked it over. I was already having reservations. It was too short. And too slutty. I turned to Emily. "Maybe I should try on..."

"You're getting it." She looked around for a salesgirl and waved her arm in the air. "We're ready to checkout!"

The woman walked over and took the dress out of my hands. "That will be forty dollars."

I reluctantly handed her my credit card. "When are you coming over tonight?" I asked Emily.

"When does the party start? I'm so excited to finally get to meet Rory."

Hmmm. "I actually don't know. When do parties usually start?"

"Just ask Rory. Stop being weird."

I grabbed the bag from the salesgirl, and Emily and I walked toward the exit. "I feel like if I was cooler I'd just know."

"Give me your cell phone."

I pulled it out of my purse and handed it to her. She quickly typed out a message and pressed send.

"Oh my God, what did you just do?!" I grabbed the phone out of her hands and stared down in horror. She had texted Rory:

"Hey roomie, when does the party start? I need to tell my date. Can't wait to put all that advice you gave me into action. Looking forward to a sexy evening." There was even a winky face emoticon at the end.

Before I could figure out something to type so that I could somehow rectify the situation, his response came.

"9."

"It starts at nine. What is wrong with you?" I asked and put my cell phone in my purse. Maybe he would just think I was drunk or something.

"What did he say back?"

"He said it starts at nine. Actually, he just typed the number nine."

"Really? Hmmm."

"Why? What does that mean?"

"I think maybe you're right. It kind of seems like he's jealous that you're bringing someone. No one just types a number unless they're pissed. He does speak in full sentences, right?"

"Yes. And I'm not bringing anyone, so he won't be jealous for long. This is working out really well. Actually, way better than I thought."

"I think you should bring a date. Making him jealous is a pretty good tactic."

"I already tried that with his friend."

"Yeah, but that was his friend. If it's a stranger, he might be more territorial."

"But where do I find a date?"

"I don't know, just bump into a stranger on the street and ask him. I have to go. I'll see you at nine."

***

I clutched my shopping bag and walked around downtown. I wasn't sure if Emily literally meant I should bump into someone or not. She hadn't answered my text. But I wasn't sure what else to do. So I wandered around looking for someone to run into.

And then I saw the perfect guy. He was handsome, but not as handsome as Rory.

It looked like he tried hard to make himself look good.

Perfectly styled hair, really white teeth, and super tan.

I quickly moved to the center of the sidewalk so that I'd be in his path.

When he stepped to the left to avoid me, I made a sharp turn left and half ran into, half shoved him.

His briefcase fell open and documents scattered all over the sidewalk.

"What the hell?" he said under his breath.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. Let me help you with those." I quickly grabbed some of the papers before they blew away.

"It's okay," he smiled. "You need to pay more attention to where you're going."

"I know, I was just thinking about what I needed to pick up for this party I'm going to. Oh! Let me make this up to you. I'm throwing this really big party tonight. Do you want to come?"

"Oh. Um. What kind of party is it?"

"It's a party for my new roommate. Like a housewarming party, but a lot crazier. There's going to be tons of people and it's going to be a blast."

"Where is it?"

"Let me write down the address." I pulled a piece of paper out of the small notebook in my purse, wrote down my address, and handed it to him.

"You're not asking me to be your date, are you?" The man suddenly looked uncomfortable.

Why do all strangers think I'm un-dateable? "No, I actually have a date," I lied. "I just thought you'd have fun."

"Oh good, because I'm..."

"It's fine. Just come if you can. I'm really sorry about running into you." I quickly walked away.