"Are you sure I look okay?" I fidget with my white silk camisole for the hundredth time since getting out of the cab.
Cece pulls us to a halt and scans me from head to toe. "All I see, and I mean ever single inch of you, is Goddamn perfection. Stop stressing out."
"You mean it?" I sigh and adjust my black miniskirt. "You aren't just saying that because we're best friends and you're morally obligated, are you?"
"Puh-lease. When have I ever held back on my opinions, November Levine?" She scoffs and loops her arm through mine.
With nothing but sheer confidence, sass and the comforting clicking of her sky-high heels, Cecilia leads us through the swanky hall of the high rise apartment building.
Every inch of this place screams wealth from the sparkly chandeliers to the wallpaper that probably costs more than my life.
There isn't one spec of dirt on the decorative console tables, no shoe print on the runner that may as well be made of hundred dollar bills and zero smudges on the dozens of mirrors that line the hall.
"I can't believe real people live in places like this." I state in awe as we continue walking, or strutting in my best friend's case, down the hall.
"Well, best start believing, sister." Cece bumps her hip into mine. "It only gets more insane on the inside. Just you wait."
I don't doubt that for one second judging solely by the way the hardwood floors shine in pristine cleanliness.
"You've been here before?"
"Oh God, no! My brother has sent me a ton of pictures but that's as far as I've gotten to this level of luxury."
I hum and follow her blindly down the long hallway.
"I don't think that Greyson's friend likes having people over all that much." She adds.
Her perfectly manicured nail, that I painted an hour before we left, shoots out and clicks the penthouse button on the shining elevator.
"If this guy hates people so much why is he hosting one hell of a party?" I ask once we've stepped inside and the doors have slid to a close.
She chuckles and adjusts the neckline of her dress lower. "Knowing my brother and his annoying ability to get you to fold like a cheap deck of cards- I'm guessing it was his doing."
Speaking about her brother, from the information Cece managed to squeeze out of him, this party is set to be an absolute rager.
Apparently almost all of the New Jersey Devils and half the New York Rangers are expected to be there.
The amount of people she guesses will be attending this thing makes my anxiety peak to astronomical heights but I promised to come with her, wing-woman my little heart out and end the night beyond trashed in a strangers apartment.
But as the elevator doors slide open right into the enormous living room of this Fifth Avenue penthouse, I quickly rule out the getting 'beyond trashed' option.
This is not the time nor the place for that...
"Holy mother of-" Cecilia's words fall short while our eyes sweep across the expansive room.
The room itself is beyond classy. The floor-to-ceiling windows give us access to a view of the city lights I've only ever seen in movies. Each piece of furniture looks like it was personally selected by an expert interior designer and the pieces of artwork that hang on the walls are 100% one of a kind.
It's a real shame that the impressiveness of the room is taken away by the 60 or so amount of people scattered around.
The noise of unimportant chatter is way too loud, there are too many people standing on the dark grey couch and the thumping bass of the music is vibrating straight through the floor and into my bones.
"This is so cool!" Cece squeals like the gates to heaven just opened. In her excitement, she pulls me out of the safety of the elevator and further into the terrifying room.
"I'm so glad you agreed to come with me! Tonight is going to be the fucking bomb, Nove, I swear!"
"Lets hope so." I force out a smile so I don't dampen my best friend's mood. "I-I think I need a drink. Or two."
I might not be getting totally trashed tonight but when you're underaged and have easy access to alcohol, it'd be stupid to not take full advantage of the situation
"You, my friend, are a genius. I think the kitchen is this way." Cecilia grips my hand tightly and guides me through the throngs of gyrating people.
Everywhere I look there's either a couple swapping saliva, an overly drunk woman that seems to have lost an item of clothing or two and a group of scarily tall men having a heated discussion about some sports team or another.
It's a little intimidating being dragged through crowds of women wearing designer high heels and expensive-looking dresses when I'm just wearing my cheap miniskirt and old black strappy heels but I try to not dwell on that fact for too long.
"Fucking finally." Cece sighs when her shoes click against the marble tile of the kitchen.
I can't help but also release a sharp breath of sheer relief when I count only fifteen people instead of close to seventy.
"What's our poison tonight, Novie?"
The amount of alcohol covering every inch of the kitchen island makes my eyes widen into saucers.
"Erm..." I laugh, shaking my head. "I've never had so much choice."
Cece snickers at me and grabs a large wine glass. "I know right. Life is so much simpler when the only option is vodka out of a tablespoon."
College hasn't exactly prepared us for a classy life...
"Well I'm sure that can be arranged." A deep male voice chimes in from behind us.
I don't immediately recognise the voice but Cece clearly does as she spins around and comfortably fits into a tight hug. It's only when she pulls back and I see a mop of curly blonde hair that I know exactly who it is.
"Nova! How're you doin', babydoll?" Greyson greets with a cheesy grin and open arms.
My body gets pulled into his side protectively. "I'm good. Thank you for inviting me."
Good isn't exactly how I would describe what I'm feeling but I'm not about to tell Greyson freaking Hastings that I'd rather be anywhere but his party.
"Well I had to win myself some brownie points somehow, don't I?" His laugh is like his sisters- soothing and effective at calming your nerves. "You look absolutely stunning, per usual."
"You say that like we've met more than three times." I remind him with my best attempt at an easy-going smile.
"Who knew your best friend was such a smartass, Cecilia? Guess we have similar taste in besties, huh?" Greyson chuckles and guides us both around to the other side of the kitchen island.
Cece swoops her eyes over the counter, searching for her go-to. I watch as she grips the bottle of Malibu and squeals happily. "Oo! There it is, that slippery little shit."
I think that's what your panties become after you've had one too many of those. I silently laugh at my own joke and continue to graze over my options.
Rum? Not a chance in hell.
Whiskey? Only if I'm a middle-aged man going through a life crisis.
Gin? A solid choice but the only one I can see is peach flavoured and I'm not looking for an allergic reaction tonight.
"Erm... Can I just have a beer?" I ask Greyson, feeling slightly embarrassed that I'm not mature enough to appreciate the amount of expensive liquor in front of me.
His face splits into a big grin. "Now we're talking! You're my kind of woman, Nova Levine!"
"Way to win over his heart, Nove." Cece chuckles.
Greyson nods in agreement. "No doubt you're going to fit in here like a missing puzzle piece!"
His hand grips a cabinet handle and pulls it open, revealing a hidden drinks fridge stocked to the brim with frosty beers.
"Let's get you two socialising, shall we?" Greyson hooks arms with both Cece and I and guides us out of the kitchen, drinks in hands, and into the living room.
The masses of people has only seemed to grow while we were in the kitchen, and with it so does my extensive list of worries.
"Relax, buttercup. The guys are gonna' adore the panties off of you, pinky promise." Grey attempts to reassure me as we approach the group of tall, scary, men I noticed earlier. "Fellas?"
I count seven pairs of eyes staring intently at my best friend before they turn to me and do the exact same thing. I gulp and grip my beer bottle tighter.
I guess alcohol is like my comfort blanket at this damn party.
"Cecilia Hastings, Nova Levine; meet the New Jersey Devils."
✩✩✩
By eleven-thirty, the party was in full swing. And I was teetering on the fine line of comfortably tipsy and way too drunk for a twenty year-old lightweight.
Cece, however, surpassed that stage a long time ago. That much is clear by the way she's leaning on a 6'3 hockey player with a nose ring to stand up straight.
"I watched your game on the TV last week." She whispers up to the man who's name I've forgotten.
He smirks down at her. "Oh yeah? What'd you think?"
"It was really super duper good!" She practically yells into his ear. "You were benched for most of it though."
I cough on the red wine in my mouth and place my hand on my chest. It's time for the wing woman to swoop in and rescue.
"You know that they have to rest their very best players, right Cecilia?" I widen my eyes at her so she get the hint to follow along.
"Yes! Yeah that is so super true, thanks Nova!"
Her arm flicks out to the side to point at me for effect but instead her fingers manage to catch the bottom of my wine glass.
The glass shakes from the force, half of the liquid sloshing out and onto my white, silk, shirt.
I don't even have to look down to know that the wine has soaked through the thin fabric and my white lacy bra is on full display. That much I can tell by the cold on my chest and the way Cece's dude's eyes are cast down and lingering.
"Oh my God! Nove, I am so fucking sorry!" Cecilia gasps, a guilt stricken grimace on her lips.
I attempt to wipe some of the red droplets off of my cleavage. "It's fine, don't worry."
It is not fine. It's red fucking wine on my white shirt.
"I'm sure it will wash right out."
No it won't. This shirt is dead to me now.
"B-But your outfit is ruined." The slight quiver of her bottom lip softens some of my anger.
"I'll survive, Cece. Really, it's okay."
"And you're all wet! We need to go clean you up-"
"No, no!" I wave her off with my hand and tilt my head subtly at the guy. "You stay here. I'll go find a bathroom and clean this up, okay? Don't worry."
Thankfully, she understands that I'm trying to give her and whats-his-face some alone time and drops the subject with a feisty, "Fine but if you're not back in twenty minutes I'm sending a search party".
I agree to her terms and quickly slip through the groups of bumping and grinding couples. I head straight past the kitchen and make my way down a less grand version of the hall downstairs.
There are too many doors leading to too many rooms, so I take my chances and knock on each and every one before checking it out.
The first door is an office, the next a laundry room. The four doors after that consist of two bedrooms that are occupied by multiple people and two bathrooms that are facing a similar fate.
My luck seems to be wearing thin until I reach the last door at the end of the hall, knock and hear no reply. The handle turns easily as I open the door and slip inside the room.
The main lights are shut off but there's just enough brightness coming in from the floor to ceiling windows, lights out on the attached balcony and the nightstand lamp that I can make out enough of the room to navigate my way through it.
I try to not gawk too long at the plasma TV hanging on the wall, the mini living room in the far corner and the biggest bed I've ever seen in my life.
What I instead focus on is the adorable dog sprawled out on the mattress of the ginormous bed.
The red-ish colour of his fur is unlike any dog I've seen before and the deep blue of his eyes is almost too striking. Hypnotising almost.
The puppy's tail wags and head tilts to the side in confusion, but thankfully it doesn't bark at me.
"Some guard dog you are, huh?" I say to it sweetly and edge cautiously closer. "Is this your room, puppy dog?"
It somehow manages to smile up me as I come to stand in front of it. My eyes cast down to the gold tag on his collar. "You are just the sweetest, Stanley."
That's the most hockey-player pet name I have ever heard. But it's adorable so I don't scoff too loudly.
"Think you could show me where the bathroom is?"
Stanley hops off the bed and runs circles around my body. He stops after a few laps and trots to the other side of the room, stopping in front of a white door I hadn't noticed before.
"You might just be the smartest dog in the world." I praise and let Stanley and I into the bathroom.
Usually I wouldn't be an advocate for letting pets go to the restroom with you, but A) this pet isn't mine. And B) I'm not actually going to use the toilet.
I'm just going to... strip my shirt off and wash it in the sink. Nope, that's might be weirder.
"Let's hope we don't get caught, hey, Stan?" I chuckle to him and slide the lock on the door across.
The lights turn on automatically when we step inside and reveal a glass waterfall shower that spans across a whole wall. By the window is a free-standing bathtub big enough to fit five or so people.
Every inch of the floor is covered in dark granite tiles that matches perfectly with the counters and mini-vanity.
"Holy shit." I whistle. "I guess this is how the other half lives."
Stanley sets himself down on the fluffy bathmat and continues to smile encouragingly at me.
I try to ignore the fact that there's a dog watching me as I untuck my soaked shirt from my skirt and pull it over my head.
Just as I suspected, the fabric is completely sheer and stained with expensive red wine. Yay me.
My hair sticks slightly to my chest while I walk to the sink. I just try to not shiver from the goddamn freezing temperature of this room.
"Your owner is smart enough to have a customised toilet seat but not smart enough to own a heater, huh?" I rant to Stanley and drop my shirt into the sink.
Mere seconds after I've turned the hot tap on, the water is close to boiling and my poor top is submerged into, fancy, soapy water.
My reflection in the mirror above the sink taunts me as I scrub gently at my shirt in nothing but my skimpy skirt and white lacy bra.
"This is so not how I saw my night playing out."
The dog whimpers in response to my self-pity and rests his head against the floor.
I leave my shirt to soak in the water for a little and decide to do what most rational and bored women would do. Snoop.
My hands have a mind of their own as they open up the cupboards under the sink and search for any items hinting another person lives here.
I see no supply of pads or tampons, no makeup or hair appliances. I also note that there is only one comb, one tub of hair gel, one toothbrush and one towel hanging on the rack by the shower.
"Interesting." I hum.
My curiosity gets the better of me and I decide to peak out into the bedroom to see if one side of the bed looks more slept in than the other.
But as my fingers graze the lock, it doesn't budge.
I try again. It still doesn't move.
I wriggle around the handle frantically. But I stay locked in this luxury bathroom with a strangers dog and my shirt soaking in the sink.
"No, no, no, no." I bang my head against the door as if that will change the unfortunate situation I've found myself in.
"This is just my fucking luck, Stanley." I sink to the floor beside the puppy and rest my head against the large bath. "I'm going to be found dead, half-naked, in a strangers en suite."
He lifts his head and drops it onto my lap as if he's lost the will to live. "Me too, buddy. Me freaking too."
We mope around on the floor together; me questioning every decision I've ever made that has lead me here and Stanley? From the way he's licking his lips I'm assuming he's thinking about eating me alive.
I somehow think that dying by an adorable dog would be a far less tragic death than the death I've been cursed to by this bathroom.
|✩✩✩|
Hey guys! How's everyone doing?
Glad to be back to writing and hopefully will get back to consistent uploads for you all❤️
I know its been a while since the last chapter so please go back and refresh yourself or ask me questions to help your understanding!
I only realised halfway through this that it was getting too long to squeeze Logan's POV in😭 so i guess we'll continue onto the next chapter huh?
Although do we really think I'll let Nova die in Logan's en suite bathroom with his dog?
... well i can be pretty evil
Anywhosel!! Drop any questions you have about the story here so I can clear anything up for y'all!
As always, please vote n all that jazz! AND CHECK OUT MY OTHER STORIES PLZ AND THNX SM
I also updated Breaking the ice a couple days ago so catch up with that❤️
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Stay safe angels🤍
All my love,
Ellie