Page 20 of Kandi's Crush: A BWWM Sweet Billionaire Romance

“No.”

Frustration marred his handsome face. He sighed and shook his head, resigned to letting me stew in peace. He removed his hand from between the doors.

“Text me when you get home.”

“Yeah. Okay,” I grumbled before the elevator doors closed. I made my way to my car and peeled out of the garage, my mind racing for the entire five-mile drive to my apartment.

In record time, I arrived at the complex. I pulled into a parking space and bound out of the compact sedan, slamming the door shut. Chadwick had asked me to text him when I arrived, and I did so with a huff of irritation. I briefly debated gloating about the job in Georgia. That would shut him up and force him to see me differently.

Like a petulant child, I stomped to my sublet. Arguing with Chadwick had made me late meeting the girls.

A quick, hot shower did nothing to quell my miserable attitude. I surveyed the contents of my closet before selecting the first decent outfit.

This will have to do.

Once I’d glanced at my appearance in the floor-length mirror, I trotted over to Natasha’s building. I entered her apartment without knocking and slammed the door behind me. Keely and Simone were already there, and the three were drinking without me.

“I had a long day. Please tell me you’re drinking something stiffer than wine.”

“What’s going on?” Natasha asked in concern. “Why are you in such a horrible mood?”

“I have a better question. Are you wearing that?” Simone interrupted before I could respond, scanning me from head to toe. She peered at me through two sets of thick, false eyelashes.

“Yeah. This is it.”

I looked down at my black cropped top and high-waisted geometric printed pencil skirt. Thankfully, I was wearing my black stilettos and carrying a black quilted Chanel bag. The designer shoes had been a Christmas present, and the purse was one of Auntie Marie’s cast-offs.

I glanced around at each girl and immediately felt a little underdressed. Simone wore a form-fitting white catsuit while Keely and Natasha wore short brightly colored minidresses. Layers of makeup contoured their faces. I had done little more than apply powder and lipstick in my foyer mirror.

“No. Absolutely not!” Simone decreed. I looked down at my clothes.

“What? It can’t be that bad.”

“Kandi. We’re going to a nightclub,” Natasha said. “You may want to dress more . . .”

“Revealing,” Simone supplied. “You want your titties to pop out of your blouse and your ass to burst out of your pants. Our goal is to rack up free drinks and exchange telephone numbers.” The rest of us stared at each other with our mouths agape. The insinuation that we were selling ourselves for cheap drinks offended me. Simone merely shrugged and twisted her mouth. She said, “Sorry. Not sorry.”

Still shaken from my disagreement with Chadwick, I pouted dejectedly.

“You guys go without me. I just want to chill.”

“Kandi, three weeks ago, you declared this summer would be different,” Natasha reminded me gently. “You vowed nightclub visits, dating, shopping, and weekend trips. After three weeks, you’ve had one dreadful date. Time to get out of your comfort zone, sweetie.”

Yuck. Natasha was being patronizing. She didn’t need to remind me—I remembered. Elated to have finished a challenging semester, I’d arrived at Natasha’s apartment for the usual girls’ night. We’d downed shot after shot until I was drunk. After a few drinks, I’m overly affectionate or combative. That day, I’d had bravado and tequila flowing through my veins.

“I agree. This,” Keely said, waving dramatic hands over my torso, “brings down our average. You’re beautiful and have a smoking hot body. Fortunately, you have a friend known for her style. By the way, I just hit a hundred and seventy-five thousand followers. In celebration, let me pick out something for you and post to my account.”

Without waiting for my answer, she grabbed me by the hand and led me to Natasha’s bedroom. Simone and Natasha followed behind us. A slight panic rose in my chest. I didn’t want a lot of crap on my face. Or worse, wear in an outfit that would leave me nearly naked.

My transformation from chic to full glamazonian took thirty minutes. When Natasha finished my hair, each girl sighed and gave each other high fives.

“Don’t celebrate too quickly. I’ll be the judge of this.”

I went to the walk-in closet and looked in the full-length mirror. I usually prided myself on looking appropriate and cute, and this look was miles away from my comfort zone. Natasha pinned my long, curly hair into a loose and messy bun with several tendrils running away from the topknot. The black minidress was sweet and sassy. Two straps tied in bows held up the bodice. A ruffle-edged hem accented the flouncy skirt, and the mid-thigh length combined with my stilettos made my legs go on for days. I was uncomfortable with the shortness of the dress, having worn nothing this risqué. But really . . . What was the harm in a peek of ass and thigh?

“Keely, I love it!” I admitted, still admiring my reflection. “Let’s go out and meet some guys.”

Chadwick

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