Common Ground (The Common Ground Trilogy Book 1) (14 page)

“There, that, ought, to do it…” Steph said, pulling on a few curls which were out of place.

“What do you think?” I asked, looking up at Annie who just stared back at me with emotionless eyes.

“You look absolutely beautiful,” she said in somewhat of trance. “What the hell am I going to do now?”

“I’ll take care of you in a minute,” Steph interjected. “But I can’t help but agree with you on that one Ann. Zoe, you look phenomenal.”

I looked back into the mirror at Hope, who was now sitting on Annie’s bed.

“Amazing,” was all that came out of her mouth.

As I started to stand up, Annie held my shoulder down, keeping me in place.

“What? I thought we were done!”

“There’s one more thing I want to show you,” she said coolly, releasing her hold and walking towards her closet.

She pulled out a lanky black halter dress and a pair of dressy black flats that were all way too big for her diminutive frame. The dress was absolutely gorgeous. It had a fixed halter with a ring detail at the front center. Two dream catcher shaped rings connected the two rear straps. A tiered ruffle hem completed the lovely dress. I stared in awe as she walked it over to the bed and laid it out carefully.

“What is that?”

“Call it a late birthday present,” Annie smiled widely.

“You’re kidding right? Isn’t that a little too dressy for dinner?” I asked.

“We’re going to Cristos Zoe, it’s a really fancy restaurant on the Strip. Liam told me to make sure we dressed for the occasion so I thought this would be perfect for you.”

“A fancy restaurant?” I repeated uneasily. Annie gave me a warning look, silently telling me to just go with it. I swallowed hard. “Oh, well, you didn’t have to go out and buy me a brand new dress Ann… I’m sure I could have scrounged something up here.”

“Well, I wanted to do this. I’ve never been able to share this with you before and I wanted to make sure it was perfect. Besides, I know how hard it is for you to be doing this, so I thought I’d get you a little something to show how much I love you.”

“Ann, I don’t know what to say,” I choked up.

“Don’t say anything, just go put it on!” she responded with a slight crack in her voice. “Hope, can you help her out?”

Hope’s face lit up like a Christmas tree and she leaped up from the bed and grabbed the hanger that held the dress. She carefully put a supporting hand underneath it and walked out the door towards the bathroom, which had the only other mirror in the house.

I felt slightly uncomfortable getting half naked in front of Hope, but her concentration was so focused on the dress that she didn’t even notice as I took off my shorts and cream colored blouse. After about five minutes, Hope zipped up the final side, while I stepped into the accompanying flats and gazed at my reflection in the mirror. There was a slight flirtatious feel to the dress. It had a silky feel and rose about mid thigh, which made it the shortest thing I’d ever worn before. For the first time in my life, I was wearing a beautiful piece of clothing that I actually belonged in.

“Everything okay?” Hope asked, looking at my probing reflection in the mirror.

“Yeah,” I sighed nervously. “Just never shown this much skin before.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I’ve never seen someone look so pretty. Even Steph can’t match this.”

“You’re a horrible liar,” I smiled, giving myself one last check before opening the door to the bathroom.

“Alright, I’m just not going to go tonight,” Annie said in awe, looking back at me from her makeup chair. “There’s no way I can compete with that.”

“Shut up,” Steph said, dropping a blush brush. “It’s perfect.”

“Are you guys sure? I think it’s a little revealing,” I said, gazing down at my bare, lanky legs.

“Three of us told you that you’re perfect,” Annie said. “Besides, it’s good to show some leg. Gets Damien thinking about what he wishes he could have.”

I nodded reluctantly, biting my lip.

“Anyway, give me about half an hour then we should be ready to go,” she continued. “We need to have time to walk over to the Beta House in my heels.”

Hope and I turned and left the room, closing the door behind us. Walking into the TV room, we sat down on the futon and waited, anxiously, for Annie to finish. For 45 minutes, we sat there and made small talk, trying to keep my mind at relative ease. It was nice talking to Hope as she was much more comfortable listening than talking. Even though I was the same way, it didn’t feel as overbearing and stressful to talk to her.

Annie and Steph finally emerged from her bedroom. My jaw dropped when I looked at Annie. Her golden blond hair had been curled very similar to mine, but it wasn’t as long so it rested neatly on her shoulders. Her face glowed and the clicking sound of her heels filled the silent room. She wore a very attractive olive green strapless dress that had a pleated neckline and satin banding ties along the back. Annie topped off the ensemble with a slick pair of gold colored high heels that perfectly matched her hair.

“Well, if you think I look perfect, what does that make you?” I gasped.

“Zoe, it’s no comparison. Besides, the important thing is that we look great together. The guys won’t know what hit ‘em!” she gleefully exclaimed.

“So true,” Steph added. “I guess we should get back downstairs Hope and let these two vixens get out of here and hit the town.”

Hope stood up on command and sauntered over towards Steph’s side, looking miserable. Her emotions had changed so much over the course of the afternoon that it was practically impossible to decipher exactly how she was feeling.

“What do you two have lined up for tonight?” I asked.

“We’ve got a few movies and a pizza downstairs calling our names,” Steph sighed. “We definitely won’t be on the same level as you two tonight.”

“I’ve got an idea, why don’t you go in my place Steph, and I’ll stay back and watch the movie with Hope!” I joked.

Annie shot me a gaze that would have burned through lead.

“Calm down, I was just kidding,” I carefully said.

“Alright, have fun tonight and good luck!” Steph said to me and she gave us both a hug. Hope did the same and followed her out of the front door.

“Ready?” Annie said while we grabbed our purses from the front table by the door.

“I guess so.”

Taking a deep breath, I followed Annie out of the apartment and into the stunning Las Vegas evening.

Chapter 7: Double Date

The fraternity house had a completely different feel during my second visit. The dark, black lit atmosphere had been replaced by an elegance normally seen in mansions. We stood on a beautiful ash colored marble floor between two solid ivory columns, while an enormous chandelier lit up the foyer. A wide staircase, covered with rich brown colored carpet extended up and out in front of us, leading to what I could only assume were the bedrooms. Annie pulled me to the left and we entered their living area, which was just as extravagant. The walls were a beautiful cream white and were full of framed composite pictures and hundreds of plaques. There were numerous black leather sofas set up in a box formation in the middle of the room, with a huge granite topped coffee table in between them. A stunning traditional bronze pendant hung down directly above the table, giving the room it’s only light. A stunning crystal vase, which held a bouquet of vanilla orchids rested on top of the table, adding to the majesty of the house. Bookshelves were scattered along the walls and were full of hundreds of books that had been compiled over the years. While Annie looked expectantly for Liam, I stood mesmerized by the spectacular layout of the Beta house.

Without warning, Annie tugged my arm and pulled me back towards the foyer. I looked around and saw Liam striding down the stairs, accompanied by a very tall and familiar looking guy.  My eyes lingered on my date for a moment before they froze on Liam. It was the first time I’d ever seen him wearing something besides a rugged t-shirt and khaki shorts. He sported a perfectly fit pair of black slacks and shiny, laced up black shoes. A creaseless white shirt was tucked into his pants, while a solid green tie that matched Annie’s dress was hanging from his neck. Even his hair had been gelled up just enough to make it less shaggy looking and more aesthetically pleasing. My heart skipped a few beats while I tried to accept seeing him so cleaned up. Slowly, and with a lot of effort, I turned to look at his friend, who decided to go uncomfortably casual. He was wearing a pair of very saggy and torn jeans with a short sleeved black fraternity shirt, with B-A-D spelled out on the front in white. As the reality of how foolish I would look standing next to him in my elegant dress, I glared over at Annie disapprovingly, only to find her floating towards Liam.

“Hey guys,” Liam said, pulling Annie in and kissing her briefly on the lips, which made my stomach churn. “Zoe, this is my buddy Damien Peterson.”

“We’ve met before,” Damien boomed in a voice deeper than Mark’s, “at the toga party.  I pointed you guys towards the kitchen, right?”

My mind replayed the party in a flash and Damien’s face instantly popped into my head. The wild blue eyes, the oversized and pointy nose, the hundreds of freckles and the strawberry-blond hair were all too distinct to forget. He was even easier to remember because he was one of the few guys that actually towered over me.

“Um, yeah,” I said uneasily, extending a hand out. The way he stared back at me was identical to the first time I saw him.

Instead of shaking my hand, he pulled me into his thin chest and gave me a surprisingly strong hug. The overly powerful scent of cinnamon filled the air and I pushed away from him almost instantly, gasping for breath. He wasn’t very big or muscular, but just from the hug, I could tell he was as strong as an ox. His extremely thin face was pulled into a huge smile, revealing sparkling white teeth that matched Liam’s.

“We’re going to have a hell of a time tonight,” Damien bellowed, extending his malicious smile even further.

“We can’t wait!” Annie cheered, wrapping her arms around Liam’s waist.

“Zoe, have you been to Atlantis yet?” Liam asked, as we all headed out the front door.

“No.”

“We’ve only been to the Strip once,” Annie chimed in, “but we were so far south, we didn’t really get to see anything. And the hotel wasn’t even open yet.”

“Oh, that’s right. Well, you guys are going to love it. And everything is on me tonight, so enjoy yourselves.”

“Wow, sounds great,” I scoffed with a slight eye roll which thankfully went undetected by Annie.

As Damien closed the door behind us, the perfect orange-red glaze across the sky from the setting sun calmed my building anxiety. My eyes slowly traveled away from the majestic sunset towards the largest truck I’d ever seen in my life parked in front of the house.

“Bet you’ve never seen one that big before, have you?” Damien whispered in my ear while he threw an arm over my shoulder.

“Um, no, I haven’t,” I shot back with a fake smile, throwing his arm off my shoulder.

“Nice, I like a girl who plays hard to get. Much more fun that way,” he smiled sleazily.

Damien and Annie walked around to the other side of the hulking black truck, where I watched hopefully for Annie to take a seat in the back. Sadly, she leaped up into the front seat while Damien slid into the back.

“Need a boost?” Liam joked, opening the massive back door on the drivers’ side.

I stood in stunned silence, caught off guard by Liam’s sudden display of class. After a moment, I shook it off and leaped up into the massive cab, heaving the door closed behind me. While I settled in, Annie, who had been watching us from the front, turned her gaze forward instantly the moment our eyes met.

The cab was so long; I could have lied flat out and slept comfortably without having to bend my knees. Six of his massive fraternity brothers could have easily fit inside, with three up front and three in the back. It had all black leather upholstery, and, according to Liam, was fitted with a brand new, surround sound stereo. The bed of the truck extended out almost double the length of the cab. His rear window had their fraternity decal, with the Greek letters hovering over skull and crossbones, which had to have been their logo.

Timidly, I pulled the seatbelt over my shoulder and held on for dear life. Annie instantly slid over into Liam’s extended arm, while Damien sat a safe distance away from me, gawking from the corner of his eye. I took a few deep breaths before Liam’s lead foot slammed on the gas and we sped away from the fraternity house.

While we flew down an unfamiliar back road towards town, I started to notice the bright lights of the Strip creep up over the rapidly darkening horizon. Even without having visited it, I knew that it was going to be a sight to see.  Each and every night, the sky illuminated high above the city from the millions of lights that made Vegas world-famous. I couldn’t help but feel a little excited when the thought of finally going to the Strip began to sink in. The new dress, shoes, makeover and my best friend helped outweigh the moronic company.

I recognized some of the smaller hotels that lined the southern part of the Strip as we approached. Instead of turning left like Annie and I did to go to the water park, Liam made a right turn that placed us on the wildest street I’d ever seen. The nighttime Las Vegas was everything I’d imagined, and more. It was even more awesome than the TV and magazines ever showed. The bright neon lights, the glitz, the glamour, it was all there, connected to the most luxurious looking hotels.  I’d seen massive hotels before, but never so many in one place and with so many bright lights.

“So, this is the real Vegas?” Annie asked in awe, staring out of Liam’s window. “Unbelievable, isn’t it Zoe?”

“Yeah,” I said faintly, not able to pull my gaze from the mesmerizing lights.

“Look at these freaks,” Damien chuckled, referring to the thousands of people walking the streets.

It was probably the most diverse group of people I’d ever seen in my life. Men, women, young, old, prostitutes and even cross dressers were lining the sidewalks. Some people were even walking along with huge alcoholic beverages, sipping them without a care in the world.

We continued to drive and I easily made out a high number of bachelorette parties walking the Strip. The soon-to-be brides all had veils pinned to their heads, escorted by their loud and drunk entourages. When we drove by, Damien poked his head out of the window and gave a loud whistle towards a smaller group of girls. Instead of being insulted, everyone in the group held up their drinks and screamed their approval.

“Man I love this town,” he said, pulling his head back in.

After driving on the Strip for no more than five minutes, we made a right turn into Atlantis, which was perfectly stunning from the outside. The hotel was one huge tower that must have extended upwards of fifty stories, with nothing but ocean blue glass windows covering the exterior. An enormous statue of the Greek god Poseidon holding his renowned trident stood at the entrance to the hotel, and also acted as the trademark sign to the rest of the Strip. There were thousands of exotic plants scattered along the driveway path up to the casino, and many more waterfalls, lagoons and small ponds were scattered about. Everything appeared to sparkle from under the moon and the bright lights that emanated from the hotel. As we approached the casino entrance, a young parking valet opened my door. The four of us climbed out as Liam gave the valet his keys.

“Welcome ladies to your first Vegas hotel, pretty cool huh?” Liam said, interlocking his hand with Annie’s.

“This place is unreal!” she exclaimed, looking around in wonder, her mouth slightly agape.

A stale air scent invaded my nostrils the moment we entered and the sound of coins colliding together from the thousands of slot machines rang in my ears.  Everything inside the hotel was associated with this world of Atlantis. The walls had murals of numerous Greek gods, with Poseidon being the most prominent. The carpet was a sky blue, with golden wave designs flowing all around the floor. Mermaids were painted onto the smooth felt casino gaming tables, which were hosted by men and women in exquisite tuxedos. Even the reception desk in the lobby had a built-in fish tank with every type of exotic fish you could imagine. The hotel truly was spectacular.

After 10 minutes of wandering through the casino, we finally arrived at the restaurant.

“Talbott, reservation for four,” Liam said in a domineering tone to the penguin suited host.

“Ah yes, Mr. Talbott, nice to see you again. Right this way please.”

My cheeks blushed in embarrassment while the four of us walked through the restaurant towards our reserved table. Everyone in the restaurant was dressed formally, except for my date. Suddenly, a massive hand grabbed hold of mine and Damien appeared directly at my side.

“What the hell are you doing?” I snapped, pulling my hand away from his sweaty palm.

A couple of people dropped their utensils around us at my sudden eruption.

“Just trying to find my limits,” he grinned, completely unfazed by my outburst.

“Don’t touch me again. That’s your limit.”

My eyes then focused on Annie’s beautiful curls that waved a few feet in front of my face until we were seated at a standard table, with two chairs on each side. Annie sat across from me with Liam next to her, while Damien quickly collapsed into the seat next to mine. I looked out and noticed that the people who had been staring slowly returned their focus to their own tables.

“Have you been here before sweetie?” Annie asked in wonder, staring around at the beautiful scenery. “That host seemed to know you.”

“Yeah, one of the guys in the house won some radio contest and got us a free dinner the night this place opened,” Liam said with an air of arrogance. “We’ve been here a few times since then. The food practically melts in your mouth it’s so good.”

“Seriously dude,” Damien added from somewhere behind his leather bound menu. “I could eat here every day if it weren’t so damn expensive.”

“Remember, you guys get whatever you want tonight, the bill is on me,” Liam smirked.

“Isn’t he the best?” Annie gleefully cried, leaned over and gave him another, more passionate kiss.

“Some of us would like to keep our appetites,” I muttered under my breath.

“What’s that?” Liam said, pulling away from Annie instantly.

“Oh, nothing, just reading the menu,” I replied with a smirk of my own.

I looked over at Annie whose smile had been replaced with a full frown. She didn’t seem very pleased with my remark. Her penetrating gaze lingered on me for an extra few seconds before she disappeared behind the menu.

My stomach let out a massive growl when an older bus boy put two baskets of bread on our table, accompanied by four glasses of water.

“Would you care for something to drink?” he said politely.

“Sure, the two of us,” he said, putting his arm back over Annie’s shoulder, “will take a bottle of your house red.”

The bus boy nodded and proceeded to me.

“I’m fine with water,” I said with a smile.

He finally turned to Damien. “For you sir?”

“I’ll take whatever lager you’ve got on tap,” he said from behind the menu.

The bus boy finished jotting down a few notes then turned and walked away. Strangely, he didn’t bother checking any ID’s before leaving when it was clear we were all underage. After another few minutes, he brought back our drinks and uncorked the bottle of wine and poured a small amount in Liam’s glass. Liam picked it up, sniffed it, shook it around for a second then took a sip. He looked up and nodded at the bus boy, who then proceeded to fill Liam’s and Annie’s glasses. Once he was done, a thickset woman approached our table wearing well fit black slacks and a black long sleeve, button up shirt.