Page 124 of Eleanor & Grey
“Does this look OK?” Shay asked, smoothing out the black gown that fit her perfectly. She looked freaking incredible, but that wasn’t hard for her to do. She could’ve worn a potato sack and looked like a million bucks.
“It’s amazing,” I said, stunned by her beauty. I turned back to my mirror and put on red lipstick, the finishing touch to my whole look. “And me?”
I was wearing the fanciest golden dress I’d ever seen, thanks to Shay. She took me shopping for it, and once I tried it on and noticed it sparkled alluringly when I turned, I thought it was overwhelmingly over the top, but Shay had convinced me that Hollywood was too much, which meant the dress was perfect.
We finished getting ready, slid on our high heels, and then headed over to Greyson’s. The limo was already sitting outside waiting for us, and when I saw that, a knot formed in mystomach. This was going to be the weirdest night of my life, I was certain of it.
“Do you think Chris Evans is going to be there?” Shay asked as we approached the front porch. “I need Captain America to be there. Or Chris Hemsworth, or hell, Chris Pratt. Honestly, I’m not picky. I just need a Chris.”
“Are you sure you don’t need a Landon?” I joked, mocking her first high school crush.
Her face tensed, and she made a gagging sound. “You know what’s worse than dating a boy who becomes a famous celebrity and therefore being forced to see his face everywhere? You know what’s worse than that?”
“What?”
“Nothing, nothing at all. I bet you he’s still the same ol’ Landon he was all those years ago, except with more expensive cars.”
She said the words as if she didn’t care, but I knew she was nervous. Shay picked at her fingernails when her nerves were high, and she hadn’t stopped doing so since I’d told her about the party.
We knocked on the front door, and Greyson opened it, giving us a small smile. “Hey, you two, you look amazing. I’m just finishing up my hair,” he said as he brushed gel into it to slick it back.
He wore an all-black tuxedo, and it fit him like a glove, showing off every muscle on his body and his best... well,assets.
He turned to walk away, and Shay lowered her voice. “Left cheek, right cheek, cheeks cheeks cheeks...” she whispered.
I nudged her, feeling my face blush, because yes, I had noticed his butt.
Oh, how cheeky Grey’s cheeks can be.
When he came back out, he was sliding his wallet into his back pocket with a bright smile on his face. “OK, I’m ready.”
“Wait, you’re all going?” Karla asked, coming into the living room. “Don’t tell me Madison is coming over to babysit us.”
“No,” Greyson told her, fixing the cuffs of his sleeves. “I figured you could look after your sister.”
Karla’s eyes widened, and I swore I saw her jaw hit the floor. “What? You want me to watch Lorelai?”
“Well, yes. I just don’t think it makes sense to have someone come and babysit when you’re old enough to do it. I mean, if you’re up for it,” Greyson said, cocking an eyebrow. “If not, I can call—”
“No!” Karla shot back quickly, tossing her hands into the air. She then realized her exaggerated response, lowered her arms, and cleared her throat. “I mean, it’s whatever. I’ll watch her.”
“Thanks, Karla. That means a lot to me. Have a good night. Call if you need anything,” Greyson told her.
“Yeah, OK, bye.”
As Greyson turned away from his stunned daughter, he looked at me and smiled as he mouthed,Thank you.
I nodded once, feeling as if that win was exactly what both he and his daughter needed.
Greyson led me and Shay to the limo, and he opened the door for us to climb in.
Gosh, I felt like I was going to prom—a really expensive, star-studded, high-class prom.
Greyson climbed in, and the driver shut the door for us. “OK, so, I didn’t want to freak you out, Ellie, because I know you’re an introvert by nature, but there is a red carpet we’re going to have to walk—you know, for promotional purposes. There will be a lot of people from the press there, especially with the list of celebrities Landon has invited, so I just don’t want you to be overwhelmed.”
I cringed at the thought.
Seriously my biggest nightmare.
