anna
i feel ethan's eyes linger on me for a second as i bend down and pick up the bracelet i dropped from my slightly shaky hands.
his eyes avert immediately as i stand back up straight, and i laugh. "your eyes, ethan— they're awfully nosy."
"the dress is... nice," he blushes, clearly embarrassed. "sorry. that was weird of me to do."
i laugh. "it is nice, isn't it? it's definitely me, but i feel like your mom would like it too."
there's an event at the club tonight, and lisa invited me, surprisingly. i'm sure ethan had to tell her to, but she did nonetheless.
the dress i'm wearing is a peacock blue, thigh length spaghetti strap cocktail dress. cameron made me borrow it since she said the v-line neck would fit me well.
and ethan seems to like it.
"you should go get ready," i sigh, sitting down next to him on my bed as i test out what shoes i want to wear.
"pfft," he scoffs. "i can get ready in 10 minutes. this is not my first rodeo, an. i'm here for your emotional support."
i laugh, but he's right. i've been nervous all day.
"which shoes?" i ask, my right foot in a pair of basic block heels, and my left in a pair of white wedge sandals that still manage go with the dress.
he gives me a knowing look, a smirk threatening his lips. "anna... you knew which ones you were going to pick before you even asked me..."
"so?" i push further, holding up each foot. "which one?"
"obviously the white ones. you don't wear heels, and those aren't actually heels."
"you're right," i nod. "and why don't i wear heels?"
"what is this? a quiz show?"
"why don't i wear heels?" i ask, playfully threatening with narrowed eyes.
"they make you 'too tall'. your words, not mine," he answers, hands surrendered. "although being 5'8" in heels isn't necessarily that tall."
"it is when you're 5'10."
"i'm six foot!" he argues.
"barely," i snort.
"okay now that's not funny," he warns, sneaking up behind me.
i give him a playful smile. "not funny?" i mocks. "ethan, you might just be the size of my great grandmother. she's about 90 years old and 5'6. did you know that—"
he suddenly picks me up by my waist, and i squeal as he throws me onto my bed. he looms over me with a small smile as i wait for his next move.
"short guys are cool too, e! there's nothing wrong with being short."
"i'm not short!" he argues, trying to stop a laugh from sneaking out.
i reach up and pulls his head down, immediately pressing my lips against his. of course, they taste like mint chapstick.
"did you get me all riled up just so i would kiss you?" he asks, pulling away.
i smirk. "maybe a little. i figured it was the only way without sounding needy."
"never needy," ethan whispers, leaning back down.
just before we kiss again, he pulls back.
"what now?" i whine, squirming under him a little bit.
"tell me i'm tall."
i laugh. "you're medium height."
"no..." he says, starting to stand back up straight. "that's not what i told you to say, isn't it?"
i contemplate a little bit. "fine... you're.... tall."
smiling, he leans back down to give me the promised kiss.
"you are though," i mumble, rubbing my thumb on his cheek. "like, six foot is impressive. most of the guys i've met here are shorties. not that there's anything wrong with that, of course."
"guess how tall liam is," he demands.
"how tall?" i laugh.
"5'2," ethan whispers.
"no he's not," i giggle again. "maybe 5'11."
"fine, fine. but he's shorter than me."
"why're we talking about height?" i eventually ask, eyebrows raised. "it's probably the least important thing in a relationship."
"you brought it up, an."
"fine," i smile, then zip my lips with an imaginary key and throw it across the room.
at that moment, the alarm on his phone rings, signaling that he has to leave and get ready.
"okay," he breathes out. "i'll see you in 10. i'll ask my mom if you, grayson, and i can drive separate."
"bye," i pout.
he gives me a small wave and slips back out the window.
sighing, i wait in the living room for twenty more minutes until i hear a knock at my door.
confused, i stand up to answer it.
ethan stands outside my door, dressed nicely in a white button up, the sleeves rolled up slightly, and dark grey pants.
"hi," i immediately smile, hiding behind the door a little bit. "you came to get me at my door?"
he furrows his eyebrows. "of course. who doesn't?"
liam. liam didn't.
"never mind," i say quietly, a small smile still on my face. "are we driving separate?"
he rolls his eyes. "if separate means grayson and cameron are in the car, then yes."
"cameron doesn't know, right?"
"wouldn't surprise me if she did," ethan let's out a sigh. "she seems to know everything all the time."
laughing, i follow him out the door and to his black bmw. surprisingly, the front seat is open. i thought i'd have to sit in the back.
"hey why're you guys sitting back there?" i ask, turning my head as i buckle my seatbelt.
"ethan made us," cameron says dryly. "my legs are cramped back here. couldn't we have taken my car?"
"nope," ethan replies, buckling his seatbelt and shifting the gear into reverse.
at the end of the street, he runs a stop sign.
"ethan, you're the worst driver," grayson notes.
"no i'm not! i'm doing fine. that stop sign was new, anyway."
"it been here for 20 years. have you just been running past it for 2 of those? that guy at the dmv should've never passed you. you took the test four times."
"is really anyone a good driver, though?" ethan ponders. "i mean, anna, are you a good driver?"
he turns to me for a second, giving me a look that tells him i have to agree with him.
"actually," i smirk. "i was the top student in drivers ed and got my license the first time. but... we all have our faults."
cameron laughs loudly and ethan shoots me a narrowed look.
we pull into the ranch parking lot and i take in the valet and decorations. ethan drives past the guy parking cars, showing off his hanging badge from the rear view mirror. the valet guy smiles, and ethan heads off to the back, where the dolan family parks.
people flood in the doors, everyone dressed up in fancy attire. suddenly i feel like i should've worn the black heels.
we get out of the car, and i compliment grayson's watch, and cameron's bracelet, and ethan's belt.
"louis vuitton? aren't you fancy," i mutter, nudging his shoulder playfully as we walk in side by side.
"shut up," he responds with a laugh, nodding to the guy holding the door open for everyone.
"clearly you lied to me about how fancy this event was. what's even going on, anyway?"
"we're honoring members who pay a lot of money," cameron yawns, checking her phone. "if we don't make it seem like a big deal, they'll stop donating."
"ah," i nod. "so why am i here then?"
"to show my mom that you're... country club," grayson finishes.
"but i'm not."
"you're going to have to be for tonight, an."