Don't Remind Me (Book 2)

-16-

"Cadenza!" I called from my room. "How's this work, again?"

She walked into my room and immediately started fussing with my shirt that we got from the boutique the other day. It was a cropped top that looked like a scarf that wrapped around my chest, neck, and right above the top of my rib cage. I was also wearing some new patched jeans, a thin body chain that sit on my hips, a flannel jacket, and my old cowboy boots. I'd done my makeup naturally, but with some winged eyeliner and a little nude lip color and eyeshadow. She finished it up by smoothing it down. "There, that should do. You look great!"

"Thanks!" I gave her a smile and turned towards the mirror to fluff my hair.

"Just making sure, you're not keeping the flannel on all night, are you?"

"No, I'm taking it off when we get to the barn. It's cold outside."

"Thank goodness." She snatched one of my lipsticks from my counter. "You look so good that it's be a shame to cover up your outfit. Can I borrow this?"

"Of course. When are we leaving?"

"Soon. If you're done you can go downstairs. I'll be done soon."

"Great." We left my room and I went downstairs while she walked over to her room. I got to the bottom of the stairs, hand on the banister, and found myself admiring the man standing at the bottom. Laurance was there in a short sleeved half buttoned white button up and blue jeans. When he saw me, he stopped buttoning the cuffs of his sleeved and stared at me. After I took a moment to hesitate on the bottom step, I walked past him into the kitchen.

After a few moments I felt him come up behind me. "You look... really good."

"Thanks. You, too." I said, refusing to look at him again. If I did, I don't think I could hold myself back. "Are your parents coming tonight?"

"Usually they would, but Kelly's tired and dad doesn't want to leave her alone, so it'll just be us three."

"Sounds good." I heard footsteps clomp down the stairs and felt Laurance step away.

"You guys ready?" Cadenza entered the kitchen wearing a pair of patchwork short-shorts and a lacy bralette along with a white cowboy hat.

"Yeah." I heard Laurance grab the keys from the key hook. 

"So who's the DD for tonight?" I asked.

"I can be." Laurance responded. "But they have a safe drive service if we end up deciding that we all want to."

"Yup, so let's go you two!" Cadenza grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door, Laurance following close behind.

-

We entered the barn, which was so big that it looked like a warehouse. String lights were strung everywhere, from across the ceilings' wooden beams to around the wooden support pillars on the sides. Simple flower filled vases were on every table surrounding the dance floor which was already filled with people of all ages dancing their asses off. Because the families were starting to file out the door, lines of people were beginning to form at the wooden bar which was near the food table. "Wow! This is great!"

"Isn't it?" Cadenza linked arms with me. "Now, I say that we get a drink, maybe some snacks, scope everything out, then wait for someone to ask us to dance, huh?"

"Lead the way!" Cadenza led me straight to the bar while Laurance swooped in to grab a table for us. 

Cadenza leaned seductively on the counter when we finally reached the bartender. "I'll take a sidecar and a club soda and this little lady will take a-" She looked at me expectantly.