“God, I’m turning into one of those whiny women I hate.” Hope took a deep breath and gave her long hair a shake. After applying a fresh coat of lipstick, confident, sexy Hope was back. She glanced at the clock. “He better here and pick us up soon. And I swear, if one of those rags makes me a ‘fashion don’t’ with a black bar across my eyes, I’m breaking someone’s neck.”
“There’s my girl.” Lexi laughed and opened the door when she heard loud banging. “Sean, look at you.”
“Hey, Lexi,” he said, shyly tugging at the lapels of his suit and glancing over her shoulder to take a peek at Hope.
“You clean up nice,” Lexi whispered in his ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. “She’s nervous about tonight. Go tell her how gorgeous she looks.”
“Hope!” Sean boomed. “Holy hell, woman, you’re smokin’.” He let out a low whistle as his eyes raked down her body, taking in every detail of the black dress, which hugged her womanly curves.
She swatted his chest. “Laying it on a bit thick, don’t you think?”
“Fine.” Sean grinned. “How about ‘You look so good all I can think about is dragging you across the hall and worshiping your magnificent body all night long’?” He nibbled down her neck and along her shoulder.
“Better.” Hope gasped as his lips made their way up toward her ear lobe. “Much better.”
“Um, excuse me? Hi, I’m standing right here. Can you not molest her in front of me?”
Sean grinned mischievously. “Sorry, Lexi. My bad. By the way, you look hot too. All eyes are going to be on you tonight … well, I know a pair of green peepers that will be glued to you, for sure.”
Lexi shook her head and tucked a tube of lipstick in her purse. “You two gossip like old women.”
“I hear you have a mean right hook too.” Sean winked when Lexi’s mouth fell open. “Come on, ladies. We gotta hustle so we can get there before the big rush.” He propped the door open, then held out both arms to escort the two women down the hall.
“You know, I had a dream like this once or twice,” Sean snickered as they waited for the elevator.
“Keep dreaming.” Lexi let go of his arm and stepped inside the elevator, laughing. “And I definitely don’t want to hear about any of your dreams with two women that take place in elevators.”
“Those are some of my personal favorites.” His eyes darkened as he whispered something in Hope’s ear that made her giggle.
“Seriously, I’m right here!” Lexi pretended to be annoyed, but really she was happy for Hope. She was a wonderful woman who deserved every bit of the happiness she was finding with Sean. He was a good man, and he adored her. As Lexi watched them together, she knew they were the real thing. The passing glances, the little touches, the secretive smiles shared between them warmed her heart and gave her … hope. “You two are sickeningly cute.”
The bell dinged, and the doors of the elevator opened at the ground floor. When Lexi saw the car that was waiting for them, she froze in place.
“What the hell is that?”
“A limo? Technically it’s called a super limo or something like that. Or are you talking about the guy? He’s our driver. His name’s Bernard. Nice guy, except he’s a Raiders fan.” When neither of the girls budged, he shrugged. “What’s the big deal? Everyone’s in there waiting for us. We better get moving.”
Lexi’s face paled. “Who’s everyone?”
She and Vincent had spent the end of the week being all business after their incredibly intense kiss in his office and her subsequent slap to his face. Neither one of them had brought it up the next day, or any day for that matter, both acting as if it had never happened. Of course, every time Vincent walked past her, Lexi was reminded of the softness of his lips, his possessive kisses, and the strength of his body as it had wrapped around hers. The scent of his cologne now made her knees weak, taking her right back to that cool leather couch where all she could smell and feel was Vincent. That perfect moment in which they bared their hearts to one another. The moment that had so abruptly ended when Lexi reminded him that he still was with someone else.
The slap had been a reflex, the shock and surprise of being kissed mixed with Lexi’s fury that he would still be with Jade when he felt this way about her. She had waited years to hear him say those things to her, dreamed of the moment even. But in her dreams he wasn’t dating another woman, and a wretched one like Jade, at that. So for the next few days they did what they did best—pretended everything was fine, acted professional, and most importantly, ignored the big, giant, rabid, fire-breathing elephant in the room.
Sean saw Lexi tense up and gave her a sad smile. “It’s all good, Lexi. He’s not in there. Only the cool people get to ride in the limo. Anna, Erik, Elizabeth, and Mr. Dee.” His little joke made her finally smile. “Come on, your chariot awaits.”
“Good evening, ladies,” Bernard greeted them, his dark sunglasses planted firmly over his eyes as he opened the door to the stretch limo.
“Hello,” Lexi said. She stepped into the car and was warmly welcomed by the Drakes.
“Lexi, Hope, you both look lovely.” Elizabeth beamed. “I hope you don’t mind all of us riding together. This is a big night for Hunter. I wanted everyone to arrive together and make an entrance. Well, almost everyone.” Elizabeth turned to face the window to try and hide her annoyance with the one member of the family who was clearly absent from the picture. Robert reached out and wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulder, pulling her against his chest.
“That dress is amazing, Lexi,” Anna admired from beside her as she examined the exquisite detail on the crisp white strap that swept over Lexi’s shoulder. “I’m totally jealous.”
“You’re wearing Chanel, Anna. It’s not exactly a burlap sack.” With a smile on her face, Lexi sat back in her seat and tried to prepare herself to see Vincent.
The show was being held in a warehouse very close to Julian’s studio, which was convenient since his studio was where the after party would be taking place. Everything was planned out, thanks to Christina, who had done a fabulous job on the prep work. Her work ethic impressed Elizabeth—no simple task.
Even amidst the laughter and jovial mood in the car, Lexi felt a twinge of sadness. There she sat, surrounded by three loving couples all in different stages of their lives together. Robert and Elizabeth were the perfect example of longevity in a relationship. They had been together for so long, they didn’t know where one began and the other ended anymore. Anna and Erik were the picture of soul mates. So in tune with one another, words were often not necessary between them. They could convey more with a simple look or body language than words ever could. And then there were Hope and Sean. The newest couple, but the attraction between them was palpable. His eyes never left her, and she couldn’t help but smile every time she looked at him. Whether or not they knew it, they were falling in love, and it was beautiful to see.