*ALEX'S POV*
"She already knows," I whispered, watching Lindsay exit the kitchen. The remainder of the dinner was interesting, keeping an eye on Lindsay who was constantly squirming, and always looked uncomfortable.
I soon realised that Jess had noticed Lindsay's discomfort, as she tapped me under the table, looking at me quizzically. I tried my best to explain that Lindsay was uncomfortable next to Shannon, through my eye contact with Jess. She seemed to get the idea, and a small smirk graced her lips. She shot me a nod and a wink, signalling that she was up to something.
"Hey, Shannon, have I ever told you about that time when I took Lindsay to the movies when she was about four years old?"
Shannon shook her head, so Jess continued.
"Well, I took her to watch Puss and Boots, and when the lights dimmed and Puss came onto the screen, Lindsay shouted, "it's pussy time!" really loudly, causing the whole cinema to erupt into laughter," Jess laughed.
I almost spat out the large mouthful of lasagne I was chewing, and glanced over to see Lindsay blushing as bright as a rose.
"Mom!" she yelled, "I told you not to tell that story anymore!"
Jess just laughed, as Lindsay put her head in her hands.
"Hey, it's okay, Lindsay. I thought it was cute," Shannon giggled, patting Lindsay on the back.
Lindsay looked up at Shannon, her blush not disappearing from her face. It was obvious the discomfort and embarrassment she was feeling, and luckily the situation was interrupted by a notification on Jess' phone.
"Oooo, it's Beth, she finally texted!" Jess chirped, pulling out her phone.
"Beth?" Shannon questioned, glancing at Jess.
"Oh!" Jess realised, "Beth is my older sister. The one that I lost touch with before college. We reconnected a few years back!"
"Oh, okay," Shannon nodded, "is she in town?"
"Yes! She just messaged, inviting us to a charity banquet her NGO is organising. Extremely exclusive, and very fancy."
"When?" Lindsay asked.
"Tomorrow night," Jess responded, shocked, "she apologises for the late notice, but some tickets became available."
"Let's go! I love dressing up all fancy!" Lindsay clapped.
"And... we are confirmed!" Jess announced, sliding her phone back into her pocket.
"Now we just have to find something to wear," smiled Shannon.
"Oh shit!" Lindsay yelled, jumping up and running towards her bedroom.
~~~
*Lindsay's POV*
"Thanks for skipping classes with me, Alex. I have absolutely nothing to wear!" I panicked, as we walked through the mall.
"Hey, I've got you, Linds. We've gotta make sure you look hot tonight!" Alex responded.
"How about this cute, little black dress?" I discovered.
"We're not shopping for cute, we are shopping for sexy," Alex sang, "Oooo, this one. This one is perfect. The sapphire blue will look stunning against the tones in your hair!"
I lifted up the dress that Alex had mentioned, and it did look incredibly good held up against my body, so I decided to try it on.
The fabric was light and soft, and the design looked made for a princess. The straps laid off the shoulders, resting along my biceps, and a long slit revealed much of my toned left leg. Spinning around, this dress made me feel more than truly beautiful. I had to buy it.
"Okay," I announced, re-emerging from the changing room, "we've found me a dress, now is for you, Alex!"
"I've already got my outfit ready," she shrugged, walking towards the exit.
"What? When?" I asked, shocked. Alex was never prepared for situations like these.
"Well, I found this amazing new online store, and I just had to buy the halter jumpsuit."
"Of course you aren't wearing a dress," I rolled my eyes, nudging her jokingly.
"Here, I'll show you," she motioned, pulling out her mobile, "the company is called Verbose The Label. Apparently it was created by this influencer that decided that different sized models needed to be used for all clothing to show how it fits on certain body types. You just find your size and all the images of clothing are from models wearing your size! It just made shopping a whole lot easier. Anyway, the halter jumpsuit is definitely a statement piece. Plunged neckline, flared pants, and the best part- it's in a beautifully bright orange colour."
I grabbed the phone from Alex, looking over the outfit. I wasn't going to be the only one looking damn hot tonight. The jumpsuit was the perfect alternative to the traditional cocktail dress, and I knew it would suit Alex perfectly.
~~~
We arrived at the banquet venue about an hour late, but by then the fundraiser was in full-swing, so we were able to enter unnoticed.
Shannon was looking absolutely stunning in a long, nude-coloured dress, almost like a second skin against her curves.
Suddenly, I spotted Aunty Beth as she connected with Jess in a long-awaited hug.
"Lindsay, Alex, good to see you again," she smiled, then changed her view to Shannon, "you're new!"
"Oh yeah, that's S-," Mom started.
"You must be Lindsay's date!" Beth declared, and I felt my face start to flush.
Before anyone could correct her, Alex chimed in, "yes, she is."
I stared hard at Alex, but she just smiled and acted like she hadn't just made the whole night an awkward mess.
"I guess I must be," Shannon mumbled, shooting daggers at both Alex and Mom, who were sniggering to themselves.
"I need a drink," I groaned, heading for the open bar.
"Me too!" Yelled Shannon, extracting herself from the situation so that we could flee.
"I'm sorry about Alex," I stated once we reached the bar, "that was her attempt at a lame, practical joke."
"Don't apologise, it was kind of funny," Shannon laughed.
The bartender took our orders and started making our drinks as we continued to chat.
She placed the drinks in front of us, and asked, "so how long have you two been together?"
"Uhhh," Shannon rambled.
"Almost a year now," I smiled, holding Shannon's hand with my own.
I could feel Shannon's eyes burning holes in the side of my head, but if we had to pretend to be dating, why not make it fun?
"Well, you're a very attractive couple," the bartender complimented, before serving some customers further down the bar.
"Lindsay, what was that?" Shannon asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Well, now two people think we're together, why not have a little fun with it? It's only for the night," I grinned.
The bartender returned, refilling our drinks, and queried, "how did the two of you meet?"
"Well-," I started, before being cut off.
"We met on a boat. More like a yacht actually. For a fundraiser, awfully similar to this one," Shannon replied, squeezing my hand to assure me that she would go along with it.
"Yes, a yacht," I confirmed, "she looked absolutely stunning in a short, sparkling red dress, still as beautiful tonight as she was all those months ago."
"Wow, that's an incredible story," the bartender grinned, "Anyway, I should get back to work, but you lovebirds enjoy the rest of your evening."
As she scooted over to the other end of the bar, Shannon and I looked at each other and started dying of laughter.
We had to be laughing for at least a full five minutes before we started to calm down.
It was still swarming with people at the bar trying to get drinks, so I grabbed Shannon's hand and pulled her through the crowd towards the formal dancing area.
It wasn't like a club, so I couldn't just start grinding against her, so instead, I looped my arms around her waist and commenced a slow dance.
Shannon got straight into it, and I was glad that she didn't have two left feet. Our bodies were pressed rather firmly against each other, and I could feel the warmth of her breath tickling the side of my neck.
We must of danced like that for over an hour, just being utterly relaxed, and free from the stresses of the outside world.
The banquet continued far into the night, and didn't wrap up until the early hours of the next day.
Shannon and I had reconnected with Alex and Mom, bidding a farewell to Beth, and ending the long, enjoyable night that we had taken part in.
We exited the main hall, finding our way to the lobby and towards the bathrooms. The line was a solid ten metres long, so we got comfortable and engaged in light conversation.
I took the time to focus on Shannon. Her light seemed to shine brighter than anybody else's.
All I felt when looking at her was pure lust. I wanted to wrap my hands in her dark hair, look into her bright, intoxicating eyes, and just float away with her forever.
Her body added onto her intelligence, humour, kindness, and overall, internal beauty.
I caught myself staring at her lips, completely lost in the moment. Heat flooded my body as I continued to stare.
I had never wanted to kiss a pair of lips more in my life.
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- T.J Starc