All I've Never Wanted(82)

I made a face. “Like you would ever let me out of the house like that.”

Adriana laughed, wrapping one last lock of hair around the piping-hot barrel. “That’s true. I can’t wait till the boys see you. You look gorgeous.”

“Not that I would know,” I groused. She hadn’t let me look in a mirror since we started getting ready.

“She’s right, you know.” Venice bounced over, eyeing me critically. “You look like a goddess. Carlo is going to die when he sees you.”

I blushed. “I don’t know about that,” I mumbled.

I was so grateful that Carlo was still willing to go to homecoming with me though. How embarrassing would it have been if he’d already been going with someone else? A part of me felt bad, like I was using him or something, but honestly I was pretty excited about going with him. I always felt so comfortable around him, he was easy to talk to, and he wasn’t exactly hard on the eyes.

“Done,” Adriana announced, turning off her gold-plated curling iron. She beamed down at me. “My finest work so far, I have to say.”

“Really?” I reached up to touch my hair self-consciously. My hair had always been pin-straight, except when I went to the beach and it got all wavy from the sea water. I’d never purposely curled it before.

“Really. Go on, take a look.”

Venice clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh gosh, I can’t wait.”

Eyeing them a bit suspiciously, I stood up and walked over to the mirror. My hair was the last thing we needed to do before we were completely ready, and according to the clock on the wall, the guys should be downstairs waiting already

.

I knew Adriana was a master with hair and makeup, and the dress was gorgeous—which it better be, considering how much it cost. Nothing prepared me for what I saw though.

The girl staring back in the mirror looked exactly like me, only better, if that made sense. Her glossy black hair fell in big, lush waves down her back, setting off her bronze complexion that glowed as if lit from within. Her eyes were large and smoky, fringed by mile-long lashes, and her full, pouty lips were perfectly glossed to rival Angelina Jolie’s. The beautiful Fendi dress was clingy on top and bared her shoulders, while the skirt swished elegantly around her thighs, revealing just enough leg to be sexy but not skanky. The pair of gold Jimmy Choo stilettos Adriana had lent me completed the look perfectly.

“Is this really me?” I asked, stunned.

Adriana came up next to me, an unusually gentle smile on her face. “I told you, Maya. You look beautiful.”

“Thanks,” I whispered, still a bit in shock. I smiled gratefully at her. “Thanks so much, Adri. You look gorgeous too.”

And she did, even more than usual. She was all legs in her purple satin dress, and combined with her towering silver Blahnik heels and perfect golden locks, she looked like a princess, albeit a very seductive one.

“Ooh, I can’t wait till the boys see us!” Venice grabbed our arms. “Let’s go down!”

I laughed at her excitement, but I was feeling a bit fluttery myself. I knew Carlo, Parker, and Venice’s date were waiting downstairs. I’d been surprised when Adriana told us the story about how Parker had asked her out, but I was more than happy for them. It turns out my instinct was right after all.

The three of us descended the winding staircase that led to the Perrys’ giant living room, and the butterflies increased when I saw Carlo standing at the bottom. He looked devastatingly handsome in his tux, with his hair slicked back and a smile on his face.

“Hey,” he said, upping the wattage of his smile when he saw me. His gaze flickered appreciatively over me. “You look…amazing.”

I blushed. Even though I had an inane crush on he-who-shall-not-be-named, I wasn’t blind. Carlo was on fire.

“Thanks,” I murmured.

He handed me a single, perfect white rose. “I thought it’d match your dress.”

“Thank you.” I accepted the flower, touched. It was beautiful. No guy had ever given me a flower before.

Just a gift basket…

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. No. I would not think about him. Not tonight. I deserved to have my fun.

“Are you ok?” Carlo asked quietly, as the others moved towards the front door.

I nodded, slipping my arm through the crook of his. “I’m fine. Perfect, actually.”

The concern in his face eased a bit. “Good.” He glanced in front of us, where Parker and Adriana were whispering conspiratorially to each other while Venice talked her date’s ear off.

I wonder where Roman and Zack were. Ugh, can’t I not think about him for even one second?!

“Rome and Zack are picking up their dates,” Carlo said, almost as if he’d read my mind. “They’re meeting us at the dance.”

“Oh. Ok.” My stomach fell a bit when I remembered Roman had a date too.

Not that it mattered. I wasn’t going to let that bring me down tonight. Not one bit.

* * *

Where the heck were they?

Roman scowled into the night, glaring at the limos that were pulling up, filled with couples who were not his friends.

“Roman, who are we waiting for?” the accented voice to his left asked, sounding a bit annoyed.

He turned and eyed his ‘date’ with aggravation. Objectively speaking, Solange was beautiful, as all supermodels were. The Brazilian had a thick dark hair, crystal-like blue-green eyes and a body most girls would’ve died for. She also had the personality of cardboard and was getting on his last nerve.