At No Time || Bruno Mars

35

Trystan halted her search and shot her a wondrous eye. "By who?"

"Neal. He asked me and Melissa if we wanted to go with him. And who are we to turn down an event like the Debonair-Vivacity gala?"

Trystan chuckled softly then sighed, "Well, looks like I really will be going solo-dolo. It's fine, though. At least I won't have to share the attention."

"Atta girl!" Angelique pointed a finger at her teasing and the two continued down the ingress of beautiful dresses that failed to catch either of their eyes.

When Trystan was ready to call it quits for the day, her keys in hand ready to drop Angelique off at her place, her companion gasped loudly and pulled a lengthy black fabric from off the rack.

"Tree, I swear if you don't get this one I'm calling off our entire friendship. It's perfect!" Angelique ogled the gown so admiringly that Trystan had to physically take it from her just so she could see what had her in such a tizzy.

"Don't you think this is a little too much?" Trystan chewed on her bottom lip, eyeing the dress warily. "It's not very . . . gala-ish." The obsidian number Angelique had all but snatched off the rack could have passed for nightclub apparel had it not been for its length. It was a wrap-around, spaghetti-strapped dress with a plunging neckline and daring slit. The silk material is was made of was smooth and definitely alluring. "You don't think its too sexy? I mean, I'm supposed to be meeting some of the head honchos from corporate around the nation."

"Girl, so?" Angelique waved her hand flippantly. "If your words don't persuade them, your legs definitely will."

"Lique!"

"What? I'm telling the truth! I can't help what goes through straight men's minds when they see a pretty girl in a bomb ass dress."

"That's not all I'm trying to be while I'm there, though–,"

"Hey!" Angelique grabbed Trystan's face between her palms. "It's one night, Tree. Loosen up!" Her brow deepened as she squeezed her friend's cheeks. "You hardly ever go out as it is, so why not stunt on 'em for the one time? It'll only be for a few hours, then you can take off this "too sexy" dress and go back to normal."

When Trystan sighed in reluctant resignation, Angelique relinquished her face. "Besides, you'll definitely need to show off for Derek."

Trystan's eyebrows crinkled as she questioned, "And why in the hell would I want to do that?"

"So you can show him all he's missing."

"Well, I don't want him, so he can't miss out on anything he won't ever get again."

Angelique rolled her eyes. "Fine. You may be over him, but there's no fun in showing that without showing him all he gave up on."

"You know you're petty, right?"

"And you know you're no fun, right? But it's okay, because we work that way. Now hush! You're getting this dress and you're going to wear this dress and you're going to like it! Now let me go find you some heels!"

Angelique scrambled off giddily to the nearest shoe section, and all Trystan could do was shake her head at her effervescent friend. Too preoccupied with her idea of "revenge," Angelique did not realize that Derek was not the man Trystan was concerned about noticing her.

After hounding Trystan will another billion shoe and jewelry ideas that landed them in the store for another two hours, they were both able to settle on each and leave.

"I'll do your hair and make-up, too. Be here at three o'clock sharp, Tree. I don't care that the gala starts at nine. If you get here at seven, I swear I'm making you do everything yourself. Oh, and I scheduled mani-pedis and waxing at two, so actually be here by one–,"