We finally left the mall with the dress, and a bikini that Rachel hand-picked for me, she seemed to be in a hurry as to try and avoid the events from earlier. She was more playful, yet distant after that scenario.
We were at the car as those moments replayed at the back of my mind, curious as to what her motives are, and as to what she really seeks behind those playful eyes. I turned my head to her, she was more silent, and serious, I attempt to speak but no words came out.
"Need anything?" She asks her attention still on the road.
"I just wanted to ask about...well earlier" I say as I looked at her in all seriousness and unwavering.
"That was just a small one off thing pet, don't let it get to you." She explains as she chuckled while turning to a house filled with colorful lights.
"We're here~" she says as she goes out, I follow her soon after. Still not believing her explanation.
The party was at a large house on the outskirts of town, already buzzing with activity. Music thumped from inside, and groups of people chatted animatedly on the lawn. Rachel parked and we made our way in, navigating through the throng of partygoers.
I immediately find myself I entered, some are people in some of my classes, while others are notable faces I have encountered outside the confines of the classroom. It was as if the whole school was invited, Rachel gives me a few glances as she talks at some girls, possibly asking their feedback on the party.
It was no surprise to me that she would flirt here and there with those girls, gently holding there waist goving them seductive smiles and winks, teasing them with her irresistible charm. The pit of my stomach turns to watch her get all touchy with other girls, but then again, who am I to feel protective of her? I'm just jealous at this point.
As I leaned at the bar counter I was surprised to be caught by a familiar voice. "Oooooh~ is a lone knight taking interest at the queen?"
I turned to find Liam looking at me with a smirk, as he cleans a shot glass with a cloth. "Didn't know you were interested in these kinds of parties." He says starting to pour a drink.
"I didn't know you were a drinks master." I say completely ignoring his comment.
"Well- I volunteered, I can do what I love, go to parties and..." he leans on the counter more so that only the two of us could hear "suck into pretty good amounts of gossip." He smirks as if he knew something I didn't, well of course he would know something I don't.
I return the smirk, and raised my eyebrow. "Oh really? Any latest news on our queen then?" I ask fully turning to him this time.
"Well information has its own price Ms. Berkley~" He chuckles looking at me up and down.
I rolled my eyes at him "Veeeeery funny Liam" I say as I turned my back against him, turning my gaze back on Rachel.
"I was just kiddiiiiing take a chill pill will ya?" He says as he pours a drink in a glass and places it beside me as he whispers. "I just heard her royal highness has been struggling with her boyfriend, that's why she's being all flirty to women~"
I raise my eyebrow again and turned to him, earning my full attention. "Her royal highness is bisexual you see? It hasn't stopped her from becoming queen, but rumors go around..." he looked to the side as if choosing his words. "I don't know if it's true since I only know one side of the story, but there was a story where she cheated on her boyfriend with a girl...now I only know one side of the story but it's not my place to say to you" he explains as he continues to clean a shot glass.
"Just be careful okay? I mean you can always hang with us whenever u like" He tells me with a smile.
I nodded with a gentle smile, and as I attempted to sip on the drink, a familiar warmth of hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to them. Their sweet scent of vanilla, very irresistible and very addicting immediately reminding me of what happened between us.
"You have fun pet?~" Rachel's seductive tone sends a large amount of pleasure down my spine, as blood rushed up to my face.
"Well- yes" I say doing my best to make eye contact, not appearing flustered.
"How about you give us two shots of Tequila Liam??" She asks as she puts the drink Liam poured for me aside.
"It's on the way your highness" he says with a smile that don't quite reach his ears, feeling the tension from both of them.
Rachel leaned to my ear to whisper, feeling her breath against it, sending shivers to my spine. "you better be extra careful pet, they might be drugging your drink"
My expression shifts slightly from her statement, before I could answer back, her hand shifts to my ass making me blush in an instant as she whispers again. "Just act like I'm flirting with you pet"
I swallowed saliva stuck to my throat, my mind racing to process her words. What did she mean by 'drugging your drink'? I glanced at Liam, who was busy pouring the tequila shots, seemingly unaware of our exchange.
Rachel's hand on my ass was sending mixed signals, but I decided to play along, leaning into her touch slightly to keep up the appearance of casual flirting. She gave me a subtle nod of approval, her eyes flashing with something unreadable.
"Two shots of tequila, as requested," Liam said, sliding the glasses toward us. His smile seemed genuine, but I couldn't shake off Rachel's warning. What was she trying to tell me? I picked up one of the shots, and Rachel did the same.
"To new experiences," she said, raising her glass.
"To new experiences," I echoed, clinking my glass against hers. We downed the shots, the sharp burn of the alcohol momentarily distracting me from the underlying tension.
Rachel's eyes never left mine, even as she placed the empty shot glass back on the counter. "Let's dance," she suggested, her voice dripping with a mix of command and seduction.
I nodded, feeling a bit lightheaded from the tequila but determined to go along with her. She took my hand, leading me through the crowd toward the dance floor. The music pulsed around us, the bass reverberating in my chest.
As we started to dance, Rachel's movements were fluid and confident, drawing me in with every sway of her hips. Her hands found their way to my waist, pulling me closer until there was barely any space between us. I could feel the heat of her body, the rhythm of her movements syncing with mine.
"Relax, Joanne," she whispered in my ear, her breath hot against my skin. "Just follow my lead."
I tried to let go of my worries, focusing on the music and the way Rachel moved. Her touch was both soothing and electrifying, and despite the confusion swirling in my mind, I couldn't deny the attraction between us. Her hands roamed my back, her fingers brushing the sensitive skin of my neck.
The world around us seemed to blur, the party fading into the background as we danced together. Rachel's eyes locked onto mine, her gaze intense and unreadable. For a moment, it felt like it was just the two of us, lost in the music and the connection we shared.
"You're doing great, pet," she murmured, her lips brushing against my ear. "Just let go."
I closed my eyes, allowing myself to be swept up in the moment. Rachel's hands guided me, her touch both possessive and gentle. It was as if she was claiming me, marking me as hers in front of everyone.
When the song ended, I found myself breathless and slightly disoriented. Rachel's hands slipped from my waist, but she kept hold of my hand, leading me off the dance floor and back toward the bar. Liam gave us a knowing look as we approached.
"Enjoying yourselves?" he asked, his tone light but with an edge of curiosity.
Rachel smiled, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Absolutely," she replied, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. "But I think it's time for a little break."
Liam nodded, handing us two more drinks without us even asking. Rachel took hers with a grateful nod, but I hesitated, her earlier warning still ringing in my ears. She noticed my hesitation and leaned in close, her lips almost brushing my cheek.
"Don't worry, this one's safe," she whispered, her voice low and soothing.
I took the drink, trusting her despite my lingering doubts. As we sipped our drinks, I couldn't help but wonder about the true nature of Rachel's feelings and intentions. Her actions were contradictory, leaving me both drawn to her and wary of her at the same time.
"Come on, I'll have you meet the squad" Rachel says as she takes my hand with a smile and smirked at Liam "Thanks for the drinks Liam" she adds as we walked away from the bar area.
Her relationship with Meave's crew is DEFINITELY not okay, I could practically feel the tension crawl within my skin with their way of talking, I just hope everything will go alright during the party. I would give anything to not be within overly dramatic situations, I still have a whole school year ahead of me to see the full picture, I'd rather just enjoy this supposed fun moments for now.