Uncommon (BWWM)

Chapter 6

For once, Grace is sufficiently drunk before she makes it to the club. She and Elina had stocked up on pre-mixed vodka drinks, in order to avoid spending their entire student loans at the bar in one night. It meant that the pair were able to quickly dispose of their coats in the cloakroom, and head straight to the dancefloor.

As usual, Elina looks radiant; her loose curls hiked up into a neat bun, with strategically placed strands falling around her face. Her skirt is plain black and bodycon, showcasing her stunning figure and long, honey brown legs. Grace would have been jealous, but Elina was like a sister to her, so all she could feel was pride.

Unlike her friend, Grace isn't as fond of showing her legs. It isn't that they look bad, in fact, Grace thought she had a nice body. But it's easy to fall into the trap of not feeling enough. Not slim enough, not curvy enough. Never feeling like her clothes suit her because she doesn't have the figure to suit them. Grace can count on one hand the number of skirts that she would be comfortable wearing out clubbing, but in the same breath, she feels like she has no curves at all.

She thinks she has a nice body, but who even knows what counts as 'nice' anymore.

Even without showing as much skin, Grace feels like a goddess. Her hair is in long, braids, protecting her curls from the harsh British weather. She has it in a half up style, with two strands pulled out to frame the sides of her face. On her legs, a pair of black vinyl trousers that have an attractive shine, accentuating the curve of her bottom. Her white crop top, while modest in design, is tight enough that it hugs her chest nicely, giving it a beautiful shape.

Grace dances to a song she doesn't recognise, grinning as Elina sings the words enthusiastically. She moves slowly, without thought, just letting the music move through her. She surveys the room as she always does. It might be an anxiety thing, but she likes to know exactly what's going on around her, to have seen everyone's face, to sus out the atmosphere. Her eyes zone in on the bar, where she notices a familiar head of sandy brown hair.

With wide eyes, Grace taps Elina's hip, gesturing with her head towards the figure, which is flanked by two others.

"Arthur." She says, hoping Elina can hear her, or at least read her lips, "At the bar. With Will and Richard."

"Oh shit yeah!" Elina says happily, "I didn't think they were the clubbing types."

"Me neither." Grace says, trailing off. She's perfectly content to stand there staring at Arthur's beautiful side profile, but Elina clearly has other ideas. Before she can protest, her arm is nearly yanked out of her socket as she tries to follow her friend to the bar.

"Hey guys!" Elina exclaims, hugging the three boys.

Grace didn't think it was possible, but Arthur has actually gotten more attractive since the last time she saw him. In the daytime, he dresses normally, he wears what looks nice and is appropriate for the day. But tonight, he had clearly made an effort and it's paying off. The purple dress shirt and black jeans combo have worked out in his favour.

Grace follows Elina's lead, giving each boy a wide smile and warm hug, noticing that Arthur's arms wrapped around her for the longest. She chooses to let that thought go.

"You girls want drinks?" Rich asks. He's uncharacteristically goofy, making Grace think that he might be a little drunker than she is, "They're on Arthur."

Arthur lets out an indignant sound and rolls his eyes, making the rest of the group laugh. He looks over at Grace with his hip leaning against the edge of the bar. The smirk is a familiar sight on his handsome face, and by now he must know exactly what it does to her. In fact, Grace's reaction is the same, no matter how Arthur looks at her. But for some reason, the shy, embarrassed feeling she normally feels is replaced by a simple heat. There's an expression in his eyes that she can't place. It isn't sexual, or vulgar, but it's... intimate. And she feels helpless under his gaze. She can't help but look away.