Page 51 of Up All Night

“Okay,” she said slowly, trying to comprehend what I’d said. “I won’t go crazy or anything though.”

I smiled at that. I hadn’t thought she would. “You can get whatever you need for the night. It’s the least I can do.”

She seemed hesitant. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it’s no big deal. I can even have my mom get you an appointment at the salon she uses for the event if you’d like,” I offered. “Not that you need to go to a salon, you’re beautiful just as you are.”

She bit her lip, looking as if she was working to hide a smile. Watching me act like a bumbling fool was amusing to her. I didn’t blame her, though. If I were on the outside looking in, I’d be laughing at me, too.

“I can get myself ready, but thank you,” she said. “And thank you for buying my dress. I’ll bring back your card as soon as I get one.”

“Sounds good.”

I stood there for a beat too long before I realized it was time for me to walk away.

“Okay, well, I’ll just text you the rest of the details later,” I said, hoping to erase any awkwardness.

“That will work great.” She placed her hand on the door. “Have a good night, West.”

“You, too.” I turned, heading toward the stairs.

Her door closed behind me, and feelings of both relief and success flowed through me. The anxiety I’d felt over finding a date was gone, replaced with anticipation.

I couldn’t help whistling as I walked back down to my apartment.

I had a date for the gala. A date I was surprisingly really looking forward to.

17

Halle

We’d been to so many stores and I had tried on so many dresses that I had lost count.

“I still can’t believe you are going to some snooty rich-people party with West,andthat he gave you his credit card to buy a dress,” Kate said for the tenth time since we’d been shopping.

She did have a point, though. It was surreal trying on dresses that were worth more than my car. Not that it was hard, since my car was a sad little hunk of metal, but still.

I wanted to make sure I found the perfect dress. West had mentioned how important bringing a date was to this event for the future of his career, and I didn’t want to mess that up for him. Yeah, no pressure.

“What about this one?” I asked.

I twirled in front of the floor length mirror, the lavender dress swishing around my legs.

Kate shook her head. “You look great, but that’s not it.”

My shoulders slumped, and I let out a huff of air. “I’m never going to find a dress.”

“Yes, you are,” she said. “We just need to find the right one. A dress that is elegant but not old ladyish, sexy but not too scandalous, something that will get West’s heart pumping.”

I turned and glared. “I don’t need to get West’s heart pumping. I just need to impress his father and colleagues and future clients.” That’s all.

She waved her hand, dismissing my comment. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. You can’t tell me there isn’t a part of you that wants to have that moment where you take his breath away.”

I started walking back to the dressing room. “Yes, I can tell you I don’t want that. We are going as friends. I’m doing him a favor. This isn’t a real date.”

I could still picture him on my doorstep, all nervous and rambling. I’d had a hard time keeping my laughter in. Seeing him struggle to ask me for a favor, someone whom he hadn’t been nice to for months before we’d somehow become unlikely friends, was something I had thoroughly enjoyed.

I had been surprised he’d thought of me as an option to bring with him. Not that I should be flattered since he’d told me himself he didn’t have anyone else to ask. It must have taken a lot for him to come ask a favor of the girl he’d called inconsiderate and claimed acted as if the world revolved around me.

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