We hit 5k?! What the hell, y'all are amazing! - Daytra
•👻•
The Annual Giovanni Masquerade Ball.
A grand event for the rich, elite, upper class society. Celebrities, lawyers, entrepreneurs, top-notch doctors, professors, and most importantly, other mafias.
It's the event of the year.
And one that I usually choose to sit out on, but this year is different because I'm actually going to attend the ball. Not to drink fancy wine out of a gold-plated cup or to eat caviar that costs more than my car, but to obtain information on that godforsaken disc and finally put an end to this absolute nightmare.
I stood in front of my full-length mirror, staring at the old, short maroon halter dress that'd been tucked away in the back of my closet for the past decade. It was a bit snug now, seeing as the last time I wore it was to my first high school dance during freshman year. But it was one of the few dresses I owned. The others were dark, depressing dresses; the type of dresses you wear to funerals. I decided that they probably weren't fit for a masquerade ball.
I groaned and stalked over to my bed, plopping down on it, "Fuck. I really need a fairy godmother to pop up and make me a dress for this stupid ball." I mumbled to myself.
Just then, there was a knock at my door.
What the fuck?
My head snapped towards the door, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion, "Wait a minute..." I trailed off, stroking my chin. I had to remind myself that this was real life and fairy godmothers didn't really exist, but I had to admit, the timing of whoever was at my door was impeccable. "Come in!" I shouted.
My door slowly creaked open and Harley popped her head in, a tight-lipped smile on her face, "Hey, Vi. Are you getting ready? We only have," Harley paused and glanced down at her watch. "Seven more hours before the ball starts."
I scrunched my nose, "I'm trying to find something to wear," I mumbled, sitting up. I patted the spot beside me and Harley walked over and took a seat. "My dresses are a little outdated, though."
Harley's eyes looked me up and down before she broke out into a fit of laughter. I glared at her, flipping her the bird.
"What the hell do you have on? That looks like a dress you'd wear to your 9th grade formal." She snickered.
"No, I literally wore this to my 9th grade formal." I remarked, causing Harley to laugh even harder. After a while, I was laughing too.
She wiped an imaginary tear from her eye, "Wow, I needed that," She chuckled. "God, when was the last time we laughed until our sides hurt?"
It's been a while.
I stared down at my hands, trying not to think about it. Harley rested her head on my shoulder and exhaled, "I don't ever want to fight like that again," She whispered. "I thought I lost you for good."
For good? No matter how mad I get at Harley, she's my family; my sister. I'd never abandon her. Not now, not ever.
"I said some things I'm not proud of and I'm sorry. I never want you to think I'd leave you, okay? We're stuck together. Forever."
Harley held up her pinky and I linked it with mine, "Forever." She repeated, pecking my cheek.
We stayed there like that for a few minutes until Harley finally sprung to her feet and twirled in front of me, "Ah, we're going to a ball! I'm so excited to get you all dressed up and fancy!"
Except I didn't have anything to wear.
I glanced down at my dress again and frowned, "What am I going to do, Harls? I don't have a dress." I whined.
A lopsided smile appeared on Harley's face and I felt a knot for in my stomach.
What does she have up her sleeve?
"Why are you smiling at me like that? Stop smiling at me like that." I retorted, folding my arms across my chest.
"Like what? I'm not smiling like anything. But I do have a plan," She said while stroking her chin. "Are you ready for a little dress up?"
Oh, boy.
•👻•
Harley grabbed my wrist and tugged me down the hallway, towards a room that had remained untouched for over a year.
Dominic and Giselle's room.
Giselle was Harley and Jacob's mom. She passed away a few years ago and her death devastated the entire family and mafia. She had a large impact on everyone she graced with her presence. She was a special woman.
"Harley, why are we going into your parents' room?" I questioned her, pulling us to a stop. "Unless they kept some secret stash of fancy ball gowns, I don't understand why we're going in there."
Harley slowly turned to face me and pursed her lips, "Everyone knows my mom had a flare for the dramatic. She was the type to go to the grocery store decked out in House Of Aama." She giggled and grabbed me again, yanking me into the room.
"Okay? That still doesn't explain why we're in here?" I shivered as I stepped into Dominic and Giselle's bedroom. An eerie feeling came over me as I stood in the center of the bedroom, looking around. The curtains were drawn and everything remained relatively untouched since Dominic's death.
No one ever came in here. Except the maid once or twice a month when it was time to dust. I felt like I was standing in a sanctuary dedicated to Dominic and Giselle, traces of them covering every inch of the room.
"God, you're so awkward, Vi." Harley chuckled.
I shrugged, "Sorry. It just feels a little weird being in here," I murmured. "Are you okay?"
Harley nodded, "I'm fine, Vi. I come in here often, usually at night when everyone is sleeping. It's kind of like my personal, private time to connect with them, you know?"
I had no idea Harley still came in here. I always thought it made her uncomfortable.
"That's sweet, Harls." I smiled.
"Thanks. Now, let's not turn this beautiful day into a rainy one. Come on, let me show you this!" She chirped. Honestly, Harley was usually chipper, but I could tell that she was happier than normal today.
I followed close behind Harley as she led me into Giselle's massive walk-in closet. I almost forgot how big it was.
Harley turned on the lights, "Over here," She walked me over to the back of the closet and crouched down, pulling out a humongous, black, wooden chest. There was a golden clasp on it, which she opened with ease. Once she lifted the top off the chest, I felt my breath hitch in my throat. "Behold. Giselle Santiago's secret stash of fancy ball gowns." She mocked me.
I crouched down beside Harley, examining the dresses. They were neatly folded in the chest and all I could see were layers of silk, velvet, chiffon, satin, charmeuse, and other expensive materials.
"This is insane, Harls. I can't believe Giselle had these dresses this entire time and I never knew." I said, wide eyed.
Harley smirked, "I found this chest about a year ago, not long after Jacob died. I was at a low point and I needed to feel connected to my family. It's stupid because they're just dresses, but they brought me more comfort than anyone will ever know."
I grabbed Harley's hand, "That's not stupid. That's amazing," I reassured her. "Now, I think it's time to pick our dresses, yeah?"
•👻•
After about an hour of trying on different ball gowns, I finally settled on one. I must've tried on ten different dresses before picking my favorite. Harley had just as much trouble picking hers, if not more. But at the end, we were both satisfied.
I helped Harley neatly fold the rest of the dresses and put them back in the chest, then we went back to my room to get ready.
Time seemed to fly as we prepared for the ball and by the time we were finished, we only had an hour to spare.
"Are you ready for the grand reveal?" I chuckled from inside of my en suite.
"Just get out here, dummy!" Harley called out from the other side of the door.
I rolled my eyes and opened the bathroom door, stepping out into my bedroom. Harley turned around to face me and I swear her jaw was on the floor.
"Oh. My. God! You look so beautiful, Vi!" She gasped as she put down her blush and raced over to me. She grabbed my hands and took a step back, looking me up and down.
My hair was done in a low, sleek ponytail and I wore a strapless, black, velvet dress that cut off above the knee with a long, feathery train. It was surprisingly comfortable and hugged my figure.
"The dress is perfect for you." She grinned.
I did a little spin for Harley, "Thank you, ma'am." I laughed. We were so busy talking about my dress that I didn't even get the chance to admire Harley's.
She looked absolutely breathtaking.
"My dress? Look at yours! You look glamorous." Harley blushed and glanced down at her dress. She wore a deep red gown with a slit and intricate red detailing.
The dress fit her like a glove, complimenting her curves well. Her long, dark hair was pin-straight and cascaded down her shoulders and back.
"Damn, we did good, didn't we?" I mused.
"I'd say so. We're going to take this ball by fucking storm, Vixen." She said.
I nodded in agreement.
I offered my arm to Harley, "Okay, I think we're all set. Ready to go?"
Harley linked arms with me, "Yeah, I am."
With that, we left the room.
•👻•
"He had one fucking job!" Harley screeched from the passenger seat. "This is why I do things myself instead of relying on other people because clearly other people are absolute imbeciles."
I snickered as I gripped the steering wheel, "It looks fine, Harls. It's not like anyone's going to notice."
Harley groaned and pulled out her mask again, staring at it, "No, I notice it! And it's all wrong. All I asked for was a red and gold mask with red sequence and a red feather on the left side," She hissed. "But he gave me a red and gold mask with gold sequence and no feather! There's no fucking feather, Vi! This is a masquerade ball and the masks are important!"
And I thought I had issues.
I chalked up Harley's sudden outburst to anxiousness because she wasn't the nit-picky type to freak out about small details.
"I mean, it was a last minute order and we only gave the guy a couple of hours to prepare our masks. He was probably rushing." I tried to reason with her.
Harley sighed and rested her head against the dashboard, "Easy for you to say. Yours looks amazing."
I asked for a simple black mask with black sequence. I took into account the small window of time before ordering my mask, but Harley, on the other hand, did not.
"You're overanalyzing small details. It'll be fine, okay?" I said. "Look, we're here."
I pulled up to the venue, the Four Seasons Hotel. I turned off my car and Harley and I got out. I found the nearest valet and handed him my keys, "I better not see a single scratch, mark, or dent on my car. Got it?"
The valet gulped and took the keys, getting in the car and driving away.
I grabbed my mask out of my pocketbook and put it on, tying the strings in the back.
"Where is Jay?" Harley asked as she put on her mask as well.
"Jay texted me about ten minutes ago, he's already inside," I answered. "You have the invitation, right?"
Harley nodded.
I took a deep breath and took her hand in mine, "Well, Harls, this is it. It's time for us to bring an end to this shit, once and for all. When we get inside, gather as much information as possible and be weary of your surroundings. Your safety is more important than anything else, okay?"
She nibbled on her bottom lip and a nervous look flashed across her face, but as soon as it was there, it was gone.
"We've got this. Right?" She glanced over at me for reassurance.
"'Course we do, we're kick ass women. When do we not got this?" I tried to cheer her up.
Harley cracked a smile and gave my hand a gentle squeeze, "Okay, then. You ready to do this?"
I nodded and stared at the entrance of the hotel, "Now or never."
Now or never.
•👻•
On behalf of Stripper Pole Vibes, I'd just like to say thank you so fucking much for 6.7k! I started writing this chapter about a week or two ago and in that short span of time, we went from 5k to almost 7k reads. You guys are truly amazing and thank you for all of the support. Also, please be patient with us! We try to publish as often as possible, but writers block is real and we're also all in school so things can get pretty busy. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Bye my loves 💓 - Daytra.