Page 8 of Forbidden Daddy

She pressed the button for the second floor, and we rode up and up, slowly. I patted down the skirt of the dress I was wearing.

“You look great,” Hannah nudged me.

I let my hands fall flat, trusting that she wouldn’t let me make a fool out of myself while out. We reached the floor, the elevator let out a smallbeep,and the doors slid open. We stepped out. Unlike the first floor where we entered, this floor was totally dark. Hannah fumbled for the light switch, and when the hall was illuminated, I jumped at what was there.

“Surprise!”chorused dozens of voices.

Standing before us was maybe my entire class, at least the people I knew and liked from my class year. Everyone was holding a drink, and someone turned the music on. I stood there, just stunned for a moment with Hannah beaming beside me.

“Oh my God!” I squealed.

I actually squealed. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me. I gave my friend a huge hug and joined the group of friends who were standing on one side of the room. I caught Julian out of the corner of my eye, and instead of his usual death glare, he raised his champagne flute and dipped his head in a toast. I smiled back, a little confused, but with butterflies rampaging through my system.

An hour and a half later, and the party was in full swing. It took up the whole floor, spanning from the library to the living room, with caterers that wandered among guests with flutes of champagne and bartenders that were on standby at the bar for special requests. I was dancing with my friend, Jess, when another of my classmates, Mark, joined us.

“Happy Birthday, Evelyn!” he said, dancing with us.

I beamed, having consumed enough champagne to keep me feeling bubbly, and moved closer to him. Jess moved away without either of us really noticing, and then it was just the two of us. I was feeling young, dumb, and more than a little drunk. I moved closer to Mark, and he placed his hands on my hips as we moved in time to the music. I caught the sly smile on Hannah’s face as I turned, and realized that she had planned this.

After I saw Hannah, my eyes caught on Julian. He was watching me with a dark glare, talking absentmindedly to the housekeeper in the corner of the room. His eyes were filled with what I could have sworn was anger as he watched me, and I finally decided I’d had enough. I was nineteen, for God’s sake! It was my birthday, and I was going to get him out of my head if it killed me. I moved even closer to Mike, and he was definitely receptive to it. He ground against me, his hands moving lower. The music was high, and the lights were low, and those eyes were boring into me from across the room. I was damned if I was going to let Julian ruin this night.

When Mike kissed me, he tasted like beer and sweat. I didn’t mind it, but there was no spark. I had no desire to go further with him. I let him continue kissing me, and I continued dancing. I lost myself in the sensation of the night, and when I finally pushed him away, his pupils were blown wide.

“Wow,” he murmured.

I smiled at him, but managed to extricate myself from his arms and went in search of more alcohol. I downed two more flutes of champagne from a passing caterer, and then I headed for the bar.

The bartender had a kind smile.

“Happy Birthday,” he said lowly, and I grinned, “What can I get you?”

“It’s my birthday, so I’m doingshots,” I purred.

“Which ones?” he asked, and I thought for a moment.

“Surprise me,” I answered, “I need to go find Han for this.”

He nodded and pulled out shot glasses, lining them up on the bar, while I wandered, sometimes stumbling, through the crowd. The music was heavy in my ears, the beat pounding in my chest, and I knew I was more than a little intoxicated. I shimmied past a few more people, before catching sight of my friend at the far end of the library. Her face looked tense, but I pushed forward, ignoring that she appeared to be having a serious conversation.

I was about to call her name when I heard some of what she was saying float above the music and towards my ears.

“What’s your problem with her? She’s my best friend!” she hissed.

“I have no problem with her, Hannah,” countered a deep voice.

“Don’t lie, Dad! She even asked about why you’re so cold towards her.”

Dad. Hannah was talking to Julian, and her voice sounded irritated.

“I’m sorry if she thinks I’m cold, but it really has nothing to do with her, or you.”

I heard my friend scoff, but I couldn’t stand it anymore. I marched up to the two of them and grabbed Hannah’s hand.

“No fighting at my birthday party!” I declared, dragging her away. “We’re doing shots!”

We left Julian behind before I could hear what he might have to say about me. My heart stung at his dismissal of me, but I ignored it, dragging my friend with me in a beeline towards the shots I’d ordered.

I downed four before Hannah had even done two. She was giving me a concerned look, even as I gestured for more shots. I did another three before Hannah grabbed my arm and stopped me ordering more. Her shots were untouched.

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