CHAPTER 1
ODETTE
I am already late and nowhere near being ready. I have to be at my niece’s birthday party in half an hour and the cab ride there at least twenty minutes if there isn’t a huge traffic.
But it’s New York City so there is traffic, every minute of every day. At least I did my makeup already and I just made some loose curls in my short brown bob. Now I have to get dressed and apply some lipstick. I always do it after I got dressed or else, I definitely will stain my dress.
I bought a beautiful dress for this occasion or maybe I just fell in love with it and I had an excuse to buy it. It looks like it’s from the 50’s or 60’s I really have no idea, I’m not that fashion enthusiast but it has some old charm, a really romantic dress.
It has an A line skirt WITH POCKETS – I love a dress with pockets – and the bodice is just perfect with its corset like features and thick shoulder straps.
Like it was made just for me, it gives my every curve I have the highlight it needs. When I look in the giant mirror in my living room, I like what I see.
I don’t have particularly big boobs but this dress makes them look like a little bigger and I don’t mind that. I just need my hot pink stilettos and little purse and of course the lipstick. Pink. I mean I’m going to a unicorn party for a two-year-old, there is no such thing is too much pink today.
It’s 11:45 and I am ready to leave my apartment. As I catch a cab, I can see I won’t make it in time, the city has fallen, so I text Olivia – my best friend. The party is for her daughter, Lili.
“Hey Liv, I’m on my way but the city is a mess, sorry. I will be there soon”
I know she will not be happy about this but what can I say, I’m not a punctual person.
“Hurry up, babe, everyone is here already”
The word ‘everyone’ makes me uneasy a little. She never told me but I’m quite sure her twin brother, my college crush will be there. Of course, he will be, I mean why wouldn’t he be?
But to be honest, he wasn’t here last year when Lili turned one. He was at some tropical destination with the actual fuck buddy of his. Real classy.
So, there is a slight chance he won’t be there. He probably playing with some bimbo in some hotel suite. Enough about him, who hopefully won’t be where I’m headed. He doesn’t even deserve the thought I just gave him.
But Lili does. She deserves all my thoughts right now. She is not my niece by blood but that doesn’t matter, she is family. She calls me aunty Odi, and I love that baby with all my heart. Her dark locks and blue eyes are no joke, she is beautiful already. Just like her mama. She will be a handful in just a couple of years I can see it in her eyes now. My little troublemaker.
Liv planned a unicorn party for Lili. She is obsessed with them already so it’s about right. We ordered a ridiculous amount of white, pink colored and unicorn shaped balloons, paper plates, cups and hats for the kids. Olivia even hired an artist who makes face paint. I’m sure everyone will look so cute with glittery makeup.
I bought Lili a book, two tulle skirt and a block set. She loves to dress up and build things. And I always buy her books, we read together all the time.
Liv is always arguing with me about buying Lili stuff, but I told her, I’m her aunty and I will spoil her rotten no matter what she says.
The drive to this brunch restaurant Olivia reserved is slow and I probably need another 15 minutes to get there. I’m certain I will be the last one to arrive, per usual. I am trying really hard but punctuality is not one my strong suits and maybe it never will be.
Finally, the cab pulls over just outside of the restaurant called Fairy Garden. This place looks like exactly as anyone could picture in in their mind. Dreamy, flowery, and adorable.
There are balloons everywhere for the birthday girl. In front of the restaurant there is a little terrace with maybe 5 tables. Every chair and every table is different but this gives the place a charm I can’t really put into words just yet.
On the front porch there are flowers and fairy lights hanging. I’m sure this place is even cuter after sunset with those lights on.
When I pull the door open, a whole new world opens up in front of me. This – not so little – restaurant is breathtaking. How come I’ve never been here before?
Flowers in the walls, on the tables, by the bar, and even there is a tree. A whole tree, INSIDE. This jungle vibe is amazing, really cozy.
I can see the others are out back, there is a garden too. I can’t stop smiling, I’m in awe.
As I head towards the garden area, Olivia notices and runs to me.
We met at freshman year of college and going strong since then. She is a beautiful woman with her long thick dark curly hair which is down to her waist. She is not the skinniest girl in town but her curves are at the right places.
And the dress she is wearing is a perfect fit for her. It’s a short lilac summer dress with a big bow on her back and she is wearing it with gold gladiator sandals. She is just gorgeous.
“Finally, Odi, where the hell were you?” – she asks me like I was late from her wedding not from a two-year-old’s unicorn party.
“I’m sorry I’m late. But I’m here now, where do you want me?”
“Let’s go out back, Lili is playing with some of her friends from daycare” – smiles Olivia
“I can’t believe she already has friends. She is so little.” – I always get emotional when it comes to Lili.
“Who’s here?” – I ask her quietly; not sure I want to know her answer.
“You know, the usual. Poppy, Chris, Matt, some of my colleagues with their husbands and children and a few children from daycare with their parents.” – she lists the guests and there is a smirk on her face.
“And?” – I ask again.
But she doesn’t want to answer me and just rolling her eyes, and starts walking towards the garden.
“Olivia, spill, now!” – I’m louder than I wanted to be but she is impossible.
“Fine, my brother is here, and he is here with a woman called Charlotte. She is probably the actual girltoy of his.” – she’s rolling her eyes again, and she looks at me.
“Relax Odi, they probably will get bored in an hour and will going to leave for some real party.” – Liv tries to calm me down but it’s going to be hard when he’s around and the fact that he brought someone with him, is making me upset. But why?
I shouldn’t care about him being here or him being here with a woman, but I’m a fuckup and I do. The fact is, wherever he is, trouble follows, I should know.
I take a deep breath, holding Olivia’s hand, squeezing it, and walking through the door and Poppy is already rushing to us.
She is my other best friend. The wild child of the three of us. Her long blond hair is let down and she made some big waves and put a cute pink bow in it. She looks like a real-life barbie doll in her pink jumpsuit and heels.
She has the same energy as Lili and I honestly have no idea how. If she hears the word ‘party’ she is already at that party. She is the life of every gathering and I love her for it. That is for sure she is living for me too.
After we greeted each-other I try to look around but I am already scared a little. I see some of Liv’s colleagues and Matt who is talking with some guy.
I smile and wave at him from afar and he smiles back. I love Matt, he is the ultimate catch, and Olivia is a really lucky girl.
He is a tall guy with broad shoulders, dark curly hair and huge – almost – black eyes. They have been together for 8 years now and married 3 years ago.
After college they travelled a lot, around Europe. They were away for maybe a year.
Back then I lived with Poppy and she dragged me out every weekend for a party, and Olivia wasn’t there to save me.
I was exhausted every Monday and sometimes on Tuesdays too for a whole year. But it was fun, I have some amazing memories, and I love Poppy. If she weren’t there for me, I probably would be sitting on the couch every Friday and Saturday and watching some shitshow on Netflix and eating junk food.
As I looking around some more, there he is in the flesh, Lucas Colin Stark AKA Blue. My college crush, the cause of a lot of tears and sleepless nights. Next to him, or I should say ON him some bimbo in a glittery pink tulle dress, she must be Charlotte. That’s some classy lady, Blue, nice job.
She took it seriously that she is coming to a two-year-old’s unicorn party.
Fortunately, I didn’t even see Blue since Matt and Olivia’s wedding, so today should be fine.
Sadly, for me, he is more handsome – and way sexier – than he ever was. He is wearing light gray dress pants with white dress shirt – which he ‘forgot’ to button all the way up – with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow, and white sneakers.
Oh, he has a lot of tattoos on his arms, I didn’t see those before. Wow, it gives him a bad boy vibe in a dangerously sexy way. Fuck.
And the little stubble on his face is not fair to the womenkind. If he wasn’t perfect before, he is now that’s for sure. Fuck again.
Not to mention his California tanned skin, which makes his eyes pop even more. I seriously don’t understand why is he dating these kinds of girls. He could easily find a real woman who is beautiful and smart at the same time and has real values. But I guess he likes these brainless wannabe princesses. I’m sure it’s easier this way, his heart – if he has one – is not in the picture, so it’s safe.
Yeah, I read the gossip sites when there is some ‘news’ about him and there is always some actress, model or influencer in his arms. I mean they are flawless and gorgeous but these are far from a real relationship.
He is the opposite of his twin sister, at least on the inside. He has light brown hair which a little curly and a few lose locks are always wonder to his forehead. His eyes as blue as the ocean in Turks and Caicos. Those eyes were my weakness since day one. When he looks at me, I would do anything if he asked me to. Jesus Odi, stop drooling.
His mom started to call him Blue when he was a baby and it stuck. Now everyone calls him that, except if someone is angry with him, then he is LUKE or in even worst cases, LUCAS. With all caps.
I can feel he noticed me, but what I can’t see are his eyes. He is wearing sunglasses. Rude. The sun doesn’t even shine through the big trees in the garden. Whatever, he always has been a jerk, why change now. Very classy hiding behind glasses.
