[ Complete. Highest Ranking #3 in Chick-lit!]
"Do I have permission to grab your ass, sexy?" Hayden teased. My face wrinkled in disgust.
"Gross," I muttered. His body was pressed tightly up against my own when he began to sway us back and forth.
"Ea...
Over the last three years, I had grown quite accustomed to living on my own; so living in the Pennington mansion, with my mother, was an adjustment.
"Stand up straight, sweetheart," my mother ordered. Her face scrunched up in the way that I had always hated before she snuck a glance at herself in the reflection of the microwave.
We were currently holed up in the kitchen, and though I was sneaking tastes at the food, my mother hadn't eaten all day. The caterers had insisted that they needed room to set up what I was calling the ballroom. I wasn't quite sure what use that room had other than for parties.
"Sorry, mom," I murmured out of habit. Without warning, the woman's hands flew out and she began smoothing down the dress I was currently wearing.
My mother had arranged everything just perfectly for tonight. Not only was she dressed to the nines, but so was I. The makeup and hair artist had done a pretty good job, but she'd practically burnt my hair off in the process.
"Remember to keep your dress flat. We don't want wrinkles, dear." I nodded, gently slapping her hands away and taking a quick step backwards. I didn't even know it was possible to wrinkle a lace dress.
The dress screamed that my mother had picked it out for me. The entire thing was covered in a maroon lace that cut into a v on my upper back. Underneath the lace, there was a sleeveless maroon dress. There were small buttons trailing down the middle of my chest, and the dress fell just short of my knees.
Don't get me wrong, the dress would be lovely under normal circumstances. But given the fact that my mother had bought it, made me reconsider.
A sound from the other room caused my mother to bounce around in the expanse of the kitchen. "That must be Elias. He said he would arrive only minutes before the party..." She trailed off.
"Elias is just getting here?" I asked, half in shock and half in astonishment.
She raised her right hand just enough for her teeth to begin chattering on her newly manicured nails. I rolled my eyes, "don't bite your nails."
Her eyes widened before her hand dropped back to her side. "Thank you, honey," she simply shook her head. "Why don't we go meet Elias to help him greet the guests? You'll finally have a chance to meet your father."
