Undetectables

8. First time in a long time

“Brielle Graff, are you getting ready to do something fun?” Bailey questioned with a whistle.

I stood in front of the floor-length mirror, second guessing my decision to agree to go out tonight.

“Hush, I’m thinking about canceling. This isn’t a good idea.”

My sister put her hands on her hips, “Bri, you have to live a little. You’re going to go crazy locking yourself up in here every night. Do something for you,” she insisted.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. She was right. I needed to live a little. Spending every day, strictly staying alive, but not living, was killing me slowly. Destroying the person that I was before the eradication.

“You’re right. You are right. I need to live a little.”

I felt like I was trying to convince myself, more than I was agreeing with Bailey.

She smiled, “Glad we agree on something. I’m not sure how much longer I can handle the stick being in your ass.”

“Bailey. I do not have a stick in my ass!”

“I tell it like it is. Find someone to relieve your stress while you’re at it. I know I did,” she chirped.

My cheeks heated. Long gone was the little sister that played with dolls. In its place was a woman, who most definitely acted beyond her years, but nonetheless, she was growing up.

“Goddess save me,” I muttered, shaking my head.

“Are you really wearing that?” Bailey questioned.

Looking myself up and down in the mirror, “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

She rolled her eyes, “You’re going to the club, not a funeral. Hold on,” she scolded, rushing towards her room.

Returning quickly, she held out a lace teddy, equipped with a pushup bra, “This matches your mask and is going to make you look hot.”

I looked at the tiny piece of fabric, cringing slightly, “Does this cover anything?”

Bailey smiled, “That’s the point. Change!”

I grabbed it out of her hands, wondering why the hell I was humoring her. This was out of character for me. I tried to hide, not bring attention to myself, specifically my body.

Squeezing into it, I was surprised at how well it actually fit. Black lace hugged my curves beautifully and the push-up bra gave me some pretty intense cleavage. Pairing it with a pair of black ripped skinny jeans and sneakers, I felt pretty good about myself.

“Admit that I was right,” Bailey squealed as a reentered the living room.

I rolled my eyes, “I have to admit, this is....something. It does something to me.”

“A masquerade is about concealing your true identity and being the person that you want to be. You should try and be her for tonight,” she responded.

“You are wise beyond your years.”

“Have fun,” Bailey shouted with a wink, before leaving me alone in front of the mirror.

The sound of a horn blaring out front let me know that Gabriella had arrived. Grabbing a cardigan, I walked out to see another person driving the car and I instantly wanted to turn around a run back inside.

She rolled the window down, “Get in, b***h. What are you waiting for?”

I reluctantly climbed into the back seat next to her, “Who is this?” I questioned, nodding towards the driver.

“Uber? Duh, I plan to get black out drunk tonight. Maybe even find myself a hot mystery man,” she explained, wagging her brows. I breathed a sigh of relief.

The man driving kept looking at the two of us in the rear-view mirror like we were a snack. He gave me the creeps and when we pulled up to the club, I was more than ready to be out of his vehicle.

There was a line wrapped around the block full of men and women in masks.

Gabriella looked me up and down, “Damn girl, you’ve got a body under that apron.”

“Thanks, the outfit was my sister’s idea.”

“Your sister sounds like my kind of girl. She’s got great fashion sense,” she piped.

“You look great yourself. I have to ask though, how in the world do you walk in those things?”

Gabriella was wearing a skin-tight red dress that showed off her chest. Her mask matched the dress and dawned beautiful crystals around the openings of her eyes. But her heels, a pair of six-inch Louboutin's, were the show-stealer. They were shiny black with classic red bottoms and she walked flawlessly in them.

“When you’re as short as I am, you master the skill,” she winked.

We neared the doors, placing our masks on before going inside.

The club was huge, with a ballroom-style room set up for the masquerade party. The bar looked luxurious, with bright gold accents on the walls and chairs. It was stunning.

I followed Gabriella to the bar and she ordered us a round of shots. Holding hers in the air, she shouted, “To new friendships!”

I couldn’t help but to smile, grabbing the second glass from her and clanking them together, “To new friendships.” We downed our shots and she ordered another immediately after. My tolerance was through the rough, but given her size, I was nervous.

We downed another round of shots before she basically dragged me onto the dancefloor.

Club Gabriella was a totally different Gabriella than the one I worked with, and I loved it. She was fun, bubbly, and carefree.

She reminded me of myself before the world went downhill.

“I love this song!” Gabriella squealed, dancing with herself. I found her energy infectious and began dancing with her. She turned her back to me, grinding her ass against me. She was a whole vibe and I was having a blast.

Our hands laced together and I found this to be sexually intoxicating.

The two of us danced until I was out of breath.

She motioned back over to the bar, ordering a s*x on the Beach. The drink was amazing and tropical. I finished the first one, ordering another with extra coconut rum.

Behind the counter, the bartender looked surprised, but made my drink anyway. It would take me at least three more with extra rum to even get a buzz.

“You hold your alcohol well,” Gabriella shouted. The buzz had started hitting her hard. She was talking far louder than she needed to and the flush on her face wasn’t dissipating.

“I was quite the party girl back in the day.”

My best friend was the Alpha’s son, which came with perks. He would throw parties, sneaking his father’s best alcohol into the drinks. It was made to be much stronger than your regular alcohol and we frequently found ourselves drunk, unable to remember the end of the evening.

The memory brought a smile to my face. He was a good man, no matter what had happened between us. In my heart, I felt as if he made it to safety. Our pack was attacked in the middle of the night and if you didn’t die during the attack, you would be missing. I never saw another member alive.

“You are full of surprises. I lovvvvve it,” Gabriella shouted, stumbling over her words a bit.

I giggled, “Are you already drunk?”

She raised her finger and her thumb, pinching them together, before nearly falling into my lap, “Girl, let’s dance. I need to be moving.”

Grabbing my hand, she pulled me back to the dance floor. I noticed a man eyeing her as she danced. Leaning down, I whispered in her ear, “I think you’ve got an admirer.”

She licked her bottom lips, putting on a little bit of a show. Her hips swayed seductively as her hands traveled down the length of her body. Eventually, he walked over, stealing her away. I winked at her and smiled as he grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the middle of the dance floor. Gabriella glanced over her shoulder, mouthing a thank you before they disappeared into the crowd.

I decided to take the time alone to check the place out a little better. They had vip rooms on the second floor, with a balcony that overlooked the dance floor. A few men stood on the ledge, looking down at the sea of dancing people.

The lights gave everything a sort of ethereal glow. It was somehow dark and bright at the same time.

Back at the bar, I ordered something called a Zombie. I felt like the name was fitting for my life and the bartender assured me that it was delicious.

He wasn’t wrong. The s*x on the Beach was delicious but this, was fire, in a good way. It felt warm going down and for the first time in a long time, I felt a buzz.

‘He’s here,’ Aspen whispered in shock.

Before I could ask her who, I felt a tap on my shoulder.