Chapter 4 Champagne and Fairytales

Arya's POV

"And then he drove you home?!" Julia squealed "After you spilled whisky all over him?"

"Yes ma'am." I nodded, seated in front of my best friend's vanity as she curled my hair, running her through the events from the other night.

"Damn girl, don't let that man go." She said in a warning tone.

"Jules, please," I laughed. "Is everything a fairytale to you?"

"If he saves your ass from a scary man and drives you home after you ruined an outfit that probably costs more than what you earn in a month, then yeah baby, it's a fairytale."

I rolled my eyes at her. She was probably right, but every bit of attraction I felt towards Kayden had vanished into thin air after he humiliated me at his place the other night.

I didn't know why he was nice to me but I bet there was something attached. Men like him couldn't be trusted.

"Okay. Time for the main event." Jules sang, clapping her hands.

She had slayed my hair and makeup to perfection as usual.

She walked over to her wardrobe and brought out two large branded boxes.

"As promised, here you go." She said, handing me a box.

I opened the box and gasped immediately as I saw the dress.

"Oh my gosh," I gushed. "This is so pretty."

"I know right! I already took a peek when it came, I couldn't wait." Julia confessed as she put hers on.

"This must have cost a whole lot." I said, putting it on.

The dress clung to my frame perfectly. The black fabric shimmered subtly, hugging my waist before flowing down to floor length. A deep slit ran along the side, exposing the smooth skin of my thighs.

The top of the dress was built like a corset, snatching my waist and accentuating my boobs. It was paired with a stunning silver neck piece and matching earrings. I was mesmerised. I had never looked this good.

"Damn, girl," Julia said, twirling me around, her eyes sparkling. "Who gave you permission to look this good?"

"Excuse you?" I shot back, giving her an exaggerated once over. "You look absolutely lethal in that dress."

Julia's gown was emerald green, matching her green eyes. The silky fabric clung to her curves perfectly before trailing behind her like liquid jade.

From the front, it was elegant and deceptively modest but when she turned, the dress dipped low, very low, exposing her toned back and her spine tattoo, trailing all the way down to her waist.

"Okay, what's the idea for tonight?" I asked, sitting on the bed as Jules fastened the strap of my heels.

"Well it's kinda like a charity thing." She explained. "Nolan's best friend's dad is some big shot apparently."

"Oh," I tilted my head. "Who is he?"

She groaned, rolling her eyes. "Girl, same thing I asked. He flat out refused to tell me. He said I'll 'meet him there.'" She made air quotes.

"Hm," I narrowed my eyes. "Weird."

"I know right? I'm just gonna focus on trying not to embarrass myself."

"Oh," I raised a brow. "You two are like...serious now?"

"Well..." She said slowly, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she sat down beside me. "He hasn't actually asked me out yet, but I think he likes me."

"No shit Sherlock." I said in an unsurprised tone. "You bet your ass he does. No man spends this much money to buy a dress for a girl and her friend, if he doesn't."

She laughed, smacking my arm lightly. "Well, when you put it like that..."

Her phone rang, interrupting our conversation. I glanced at the clock. It was already past eight pm. I could feel the anxiety creeping through slowly.

"It's here!" Julia squealed, throwing her hands in the air excitedly.

"What's here?" I asked, confused.

"The limo, duh."

"Uh...sorry what now?"

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" She screamed, bolting through the door without sparing me another glance.

I stood outside Julia's apartment gawking at the sleek black limousine parked by the curb.

"You're kidding," I murmured to myself.

The chauffeur opened the door for Julia and I got in after her, immediately welcoming the scent of pure luxurious leather.

The seats were plush, soft lights lined the ceiling, radiating a soft glow that made me feel like I was in a fairy tale.

I didn't realise the car had started moving till I saw the street lights blur past us through the tinted windows. The car moved so silently it felt like I was floating.

Julia and I kept sharing excited glances, it felt surreal.

There was an assortment of snacks spread out, with water and champagne sitting in ice. Julia helped herself to some chocolate truffles while I just had water to push down the nerves that were trying to choke me.

Soon, the car slowed, signifying that we had arrived. I took a deep breath, making a move to open the door but the chauffeur beat me to it.

"Thank you." I muttered shyly, stepping out of the car with Julia following behind me.

I immediately became hyper-aware of my surroundings.

Some people lingered around the entrance, laughing and engaging in different conversations.

There were cameras everywhere, flashing violently and repeatedly as guests walked the red carpet. They all looked so elegant and expensive.

I felt like a fake.

"Relax." Julia smiled, lifting my chin, no doubt sensing my nervousness. "We're way hotter."

I returned a smile, believing her words. She held my hand in comfort, squeezing it tightly as we stared at each other in silence.

"Where's he?" I breathed out, finally breaking the silence.

"Jules!" A voice called from behind us.

"Nolan!" Julia beamed hugging the man as they exchanged kisses on their cheeks.

"Thrilled you could make it." He said, throwing a seductive smile at her.

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "As if not."

They leaned in slowly, like they were about to kiss.

"Ahem..." I let out a fake cough, catching their attention.

"This is Arya," Jules said as she straightened herself, gesturing at me. "Arya, Nolan."

She stepped aside for us to meet.

My eyes widened in surprise as he came into full view. It was the same guy. The guy from the restaurant the other day, Kayden's friend.

"It's you." We both said at the same time, our expressions mirroring each other's shock.

"Uh... you guys know each other?" Julia asked, confused.

"No."

"Yes."

We spoke at the same time as Julia laughed. "Okay what is going on?"

"He's the guy from the restaurant the other night. Kayden's friend." I explained as she mouthed an 'oh'.

"And you're the girl from the club. Yeah I remember you now." He said grinning at me.

I knew I had seen his face somewhere before the restaurant. He was the guy Julia was making out with. I couldn't help but laugh a little, finding the situation rather unexpected.

"Wait...you're the girl from the club," He repeated, like he had just realised something.

"Yeah, we heard you the first time." I said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You and Kayden... ohhhh damn." He laughed, nodding in realisation. "That's what that was about huh? What has he done wrong this time?"

I mentally facepalmed myself, knowing that he had put two and two together.

"Okay it's high time I met this Kayden person." Julia said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah sure, let's go in shall we?" Nolan replied, leading us in through the crowd and into the hall.

My breath caught in my throat the moment we walked in.