Page 87 of Recon Rendezvous

I give a little twirl as I approach the girls standing around the island in the kitchen. I'm not usually someone who likes dark colors, I prefer my bright shades or bold patterns, but my eyes immediately went to this floor length black gown, and I knew I had to have it. The strapless neckline and the structured bodice lifted the girls, letting them out to play, respectfully. I also love the slit and slight volume of the skirt. There was no way I could take an entire night with my legs restricted by a fitted skirt. Thankfully, my hair is bouncing and behaving, the hot rollers gave my dark locks gorgeous curls and volume. Smoky makeup and small diamond studs in my ears completed my look.

“You're so sweet and look at you. You all look amazing.”

They immediately jump to it, all striking poses, à laCharlie’s Angels. Gem's in a glittery white one shoulder high slit gown, those dark curls swept back into a sleek high bun. Crystals of some sort are woven throughout her hair making her sparkle from head to toe.

Mia is a total showstopper in a deep aquamarine strapless gown. Her blonde hair full and curly with a deep side part.

“Look at you and this hair. I love this color on you.” The deep blue makes her eyes pop beautifully.

Giving Sasha a spin, and I ooh and aah over her gorgeous flaming red dress. Held up by gold chain and jeweled straps, the column dress hugs every curve of her body. Coupled with her blood red lips and dark curled hair parted in the center, it’s giving bombshell.

“Alright, you guys look like Charlie's Angels. Who am I? Not Charlie but whoever the other guy is.”

They burst into laughter. “Oh no, we have to come up with a name for all four of us,” Sasha says as we all stare at each other for a full minute.

“Oh my gosh,” Mia calls out. “Are we the new Fucksmen?”

“Fuckswomen,” Gem corrects.

Sasha covers her face and giggles. “No, we have to come up with something better than that.”

“Let's think about it over drinks,” I say, tapping the island. The girls dutifully follow me to the bar where there's an ice bucket with champagne ready for us.

“Thank you so much for inviting me tonight because without you I undoubtedly would have stayed in bed the rest of the night feeling sorry for myself.”

Avoiding their eyes, I pour each of us a flute of chilled champagne.

“Yeah, since you won’t tell us what’s wrong, we’ll just brush it under the rug for tonight,” Mia says with a smile.

“And I really appreciate it. Wait, what about the Bae-Team, you know, like A-Team?”

“Four Queens?” Mia asks.

“Fab Four?” Sasha adds.

“The Covenant?” Gem squeals.

We all turn to her, and she shrugs. “Sorry, I watchedThe CraftandThe Covenantlast night. I’m in my wicca era.”

We fall into each other laughing and after we’ve finished off the bottle, I'm actually excited to get out and enjoy the city. I’ve been too busy with my job and house hunting to fully enjoy it. Who am I kidding, I’ve been to some incredible places with Xander, but those don’t count. Once I have some free time, I’m going to fall in love with this city all on my own.

Gem holds up the shot glass Mia deftly slid in front of each of us. “Cheers to a fun night with no limits.”

Cheers,we say as we clink our drinks, meeting each other's eyes before we tap our glasses to the countertop and down our shots.

After the burn wanes, I can’t stop myself from shrieking, “No Limit Soldiers!”

The howls that erupt from us chase away the last remnants of today’s dark cloud.

Climbing out of the limo, I'm surprised when we pull up to a palatial estate outside the city. It's quiet and dark in this area but beautiful, nonetheless. I assumed the event would be downtown, maybe in a hotel ballroom or event center, so going to a private estate wasn’t on my bingo card. But from the well-lit landscaped grounds and the high arching doorway with the dark wood door, it almost feels like a castle.

The girls are already dancing, the bass loud enough to greet us as we make our way to the door.

I give a little giggle, excitement flowing through me along with champagne and the shot or two of vodka. I swear these girls are bad influences. Before we can reach the oversized door, it opens, and a man dressed in a black tuxedo greets us.

He nods, welcoming us as he gestures down the long hall. There are a few people in the foyer, but I can hear his “follow me” over the strains of music as we move deeper into the house. Stepping down the three stairs into an oversized room void of furniture except for designated seating areas sporadically placed throughout the space.

Scanning the room, I guestimate about three hundred or so guests are mingling with cocktails as waiters in black vest glide through the room with trays of champagne, wine, and even some smoking cocktails. There are bars at either end of the space, along the near wall an enormous table of finger foods, while the back wall is completely comprised of glass and it looks over the manicured lawn, patio, and outdoor seating.

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