The Slam (25 page)

I loved the sound of him, the feel of him so close to me, the scent of him.

God, he smells so good… like fresh linen and spearmint toothpaste. As the day wears on, he smells of rain after a long, dry spell, somewhat earthy yet clean. And whenever I feel restless, thrashing about in bed with my windmill arms, Ender has a way of rubbing my back, soothing my nerves until I can finally relax and drift off to sleep in his arms. I feel safe there, content. It’s one of the best feelings in the world.

Just thinking of naps with Ender made me smile… naps in the middle of the day without an alarm.
Ahhh
. Bliss.

It was always blissful when I was with Ender. I had to constantly remind myself not to do something silly, like flip my hair and prance around like a romping child.

The other day I found myself skipping! Skipping and whistling a twee tune like a massive twat!

With a start, I realized that I was still smiling and had been smiling like an idiot for quite some time.

Danni and Piper sat staring at me open-mouthed.

“What?” I said. “What?”

“Houston,” Piper said gravely. “We have a problem.”

“We do?” I said, puzzled.

“
You
do,” Piper said.

“I have a quandary?” I blinked.

“Yes,” Piper answered emphatically. “Yes, you do.”

“What sort of quandary do I have?”

“Well…” Piper hedged. “I’m pretty sure you’re in love with Ender.” 

“I am?” I chewed on my bottom lip, trying to suss out my feelings.

“You are,” she said austerely.

“You really think so?”

“I do.” Piper nodded earnestly. “I really do.”

“What is this FUCKERY?” Danni exploded. “GAWD! You two are beyond exhausting!” She took a moment to catch her breath before continuing. “Look, Adelaide,” she said reproachfully. “Listen very carefully to what I’m saying. Ender is the main bitch
not
the side bitch. Cross-stitch that shit onto a pillow so you never forget! And when you have a man like Ender Hemsworth in your grasp, you must trap him.”

Now I was even more confused. “Trap him?”

“Trap him.”

I didn’t follow. “Trap him?”

“Did I stutter?” Danni muttered mutinously. “Yes for the third freaking time!”

“But why should I trap him?”

“Ahhh,” Danni said sagely. “Take a lesson from Kate Middleton. When Kate was a student at St. Andrews University, she had her eye on the royal prize. So what did she do? She strutted down the catwalk in a very revealing and transparent dress.” Danni paused for dramatic effect. “The moment Prince William clapped eyes on Kate in that see-through dress, he was trapped!”

“Trapped,” I murmured. “But I don’t want to trap Ender.”

“You don’t need to trap him.” Piper patted my arm affectionately. “But you want Ender to see you as more than just a friend.”

“She’s right!” Danni exclaimed. “You don’t want to get friend-zoned! Ugh. That would be the absolute worst! No.” She shook her head viciously. “That’s not what you want.”

“It’s not?”

“NO,” Danni hissed. “But listen, Adelaide, it doesn’t have to be that way with you and Ender. I mean, look at Kate Middleton now! And that see-through slip dress sold at an auction for 78,000 pounds! It’s a part of fashion history. It was the moment William first fell in love with Kate.” She gave a dramatic sigh. “That moment played a huge part in their royal love story, and the rest is history.”

Piper tilted her head. “So where are you going with this?”

“Adelaide can bag her very own Prince Charming.”

“How?”

“As you already know, I’m a Kappa Kappa Gamma,” Danni said with great aplomb. “My sorority sisters and I are hosting an event this Friday night and we’ll be holding date auctions to raise funds for charity. We’ve already rounded up twenty girls, but we could always use more.” She cut her gaze to me. “Adelaide, all you’ll have to do is strut down the stage in a revealing dress. There’ll be a bidding war of course, but once Ender sees you, he’s gonna fall so hard he won’t know what hit him!”

“What dress?” I stared at her dumbfounded.

“The dress I designed of course.” Danni smiled thinly.

“What?” Piper gaped at her. “Since when are you a fashion designer?”

“Since forever,” Danni said coolly. “I’ve always done it on the side. I’ve sold plenty of my designs on eBay. Humph. We’ve been roommates for months and you didn’t even know?”

“No,” Piper said dryly. “Why would I? This is the most we’ve ever talked the entire semester.”

“Listen,” Danni said contritely. “I know we didn’t get off to a great start, and I know you’ve never liked me, but I appreciate what you girls have done for me today… comforting me when I was at my lowest, feeding me pizza, talking trash about Mark and his blonde bitch, Brianna.” Her voice turned tearful and she pressed her lips together as if to stop them from trembling. “Bless your hearts, girls. Bless your hearts. This breakup has been so difficult and you’ve done more for me than you know.”

“There, there,” I said, rubbing her arm comfortingly. “I’m just glad that you, me, and Piper are all friends now. Sisterhood is powerful. Catfights are not.”

“You’re right.” Danni nodded meaningfully. “Sisterhood is truly powerful and now you’ve given me something to focus on. To channel all my energy.”

“Really?” I said cluelessly. “Channel your energy into what?”

“You!” Danni grinned broadly. “Adelaide, you’re my little pet project and I’m gonna make sure Ender has eyes for no one but you at the auction show.”

“But I never said I would—”

“Nyet!” Danni immediately shushed me with a wave of her hand. “Thank the God above that you have
me
to steer you in the right direction!”

Chapter Thirty-Five

ADELAIDE

“SMIZE!” Danni yelled. “You need to SMIZE, Adelaide! You’re not SMIZING!”

I stared at her with wide, questioning eyes.

What on God’s green earth is SMIZE?

“SMIZE, dammit!” Danni threw her hands in the air. “Don’t you watch ANTM?” She made a great show of looking around the sparse backstage. “Doesn’t anybody here watch ANTM? Anybody?!?”

“ANTM?” I said blankly. “What’s that?”

“ANTM,” Danni hissed. “
America’s Next Top Model!
SMIZE! Hullo? It means smile with your eyes! You need to SMIZE when you go out there, Adelaide. SMIZE and look FIERCE!”

“Oh, stop it, Danni!” Miguel chided and elbowed her aside. “You’re scaring the poor child. She looks like a deer caught in the headlights.” He shook his head slowly and tsked. “Let me explain it to you, my love. Tyra Banks is known for her Tyra-isms. And with
America's Next Top Model,
she’s brought many new words and phrases into pop culture lexicon. She’s behind ‘fierce’ and all it’s incarnations, including ‘fierceness.’ But the buzzword Tyra is most known for is ‘smize.’ Now darling, when you strut down that stage, you need to smile with your eyes. Not your mouth. But your eyes.” He paused. “Smize.”

“Seriously.” Piper rolled her eyes. “You guys are giving me a whack attack! You’ve got it ALL wrong! SMIZE is when a guy ejaculates on your face and gets cum in your eyes. It stings like the dickens, let me tell you!”

Danni grasped my shoulders and held me at arms length, leveling her gaze at me like she was my trainer and I was Rocky Balboa about to go into the boxing ring. Her face was flushed, her eyes glowering with sparks and fire as she ran through her heartfelt, impassioned speech. “Listen, kid,” she said sternly. “You can do this. I know you can, but your walk needs some work. Stop swinging those arms like an orangutan. Soften those elbows! When you strut down that stage, keep your eyes focused on something ahead of you and work that attitude. Work it, GURRL! I wanna see FIERCENESS. Walk with determination! Like a predator! A black panther! And when you get to the end of that stage, wait a beat… and then strike a pose! Lean onto one hip to achieve maximum thigh gap and SMIZE, dammit! Don’t forget to SMIZE!” She shook my shoulders violently. “Get it?”

I gave a crisp nod. “Got it.”

“Fabulous!” Miguel trilled. “Ender is gonna DIE when he sees you. DIE! You don’t just look gorgeous, Adelaide. You look GORJESSSSS! Now make
papi
proud tonight!”

“
Erhmahgerd! Erhmahgerd
!” Piper was hyperventilating. “I’m so nervous for you, Adelaide! But don’t worry!” she added briskly. “We’re all gonna be out there for you in the crowd, cheering you on and giving you moral support.”

Right. I took a deep cleansing breath. Moral support. I needed that. Lots and lots and lots of moral support.

“You’re up next, honey!” Danni announced, her voice several octaves higher than usual. “Out, out, out! Everybody—OUT!”

In a blink of an eye, it was a sudden whirlwind of goodbyes, well wishes, and air kisses.

“Buh-bye, dah-ling!”

“Good luck!”

“Break a leg!” A pause. “Not literally! Ha ha!”

“MUAH! MUAH!”

“See you out there, Adelaide!”

And then I was left standing backstage all alone… the last girl to be auctioned off for a date at Kappa Kappa Gamma’s sorority fundraising charity event.

Bugger! This dress was unraveling faster than my nerves. It was pretty much a replica of Kate Middleton’s infamous see-through dress with Danni’s own fashion twists. Black and gold, the slip dress was studded with diamanté, lower in the cleavage, and higher in the thigh. Because the material was completely translucent, I had to wear underwear for the very first time, so Danni had insisted I splurge on this outrageous ‘haute couture’ bra and panty set from Agent Provocateur.

It was essentially three pieces of black diaphanous lace held together by thin spaghetti strings. The push-up bra was demi-padded with scalloped-edged embroidery and it made my breasts look like they were sitting on a platter. “Serve ’em up!” Danni had said.

The panties were no better—just a tiny wisp of floral lace that barely covered my pubic area, with thin strings wrapping around the sides and a G-string that rode up my butt, leaving my bum cheeks hanging out.

Why even bother wearing underwear?!?

“Naughty but deceptively nice!” Danni had said, insisting that Italian-made lingerie was a sumptuous marriage of senses bringing touch and vision together in a beautiful union. Whatever the hell that meant!

“BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!” The low bass blasted from the giant speakers, thumping in rapid repetition and vibrating my internal organs. It snapped me from my thoughts but I almost expired on the spot when I heard my intro music:
How Deep is Your Love
by Calvin Harris, featuring Disciples.

“We’ve saved the very best for last!” Danni said with an air of gravitas. “I present to you… the sexy and sultry Adelaide Vikander!”

With a final silent prayer for courage, I did a quick boob adjust and pushed through the curtains. Thankfully, I managed to spot Ender in the crowd of loud and rowdy frat boys. I kept my eyes fixed on him, holding my facial expression (fierce and smizing), careful not to trip as I was walking.

Shoulders back! Project confidence!
You’re a predatory panther!
I coached myself as I strutted down the catwalk, pumping my legs up and down with determination and attitude, letting my body bounce and jiggle as I walked.

Before long, I reached the end of the stage and waited.

A beat passed.

NOW
. The word flared up in my mind and I quickly placed a hand on my hip and struck a pose.

Phew
. Nailed it! I think.

Upon glancing down, I noticed I was severely lacking in the thigh gap department.

Danni would
not
be pleased.

Oh well, I was totally fine and happy with my thunder thighs and Danni could—

“One hundred!” came a familiar voice. A deep and low familiar voice that belonged to Ender.

At once I snapped my head up and sent him a warm smile.

But Ender wasn’t smiling back at me. He simply stared, his eyes burning across the crowded room.

Almost instantly my body reacted. My nipples grew painfully hard and the deep, dark intensity in his stare stilled my heart. I finally came to understand the term ‘eye-fucking.’

He was staring so hard I could feel him inside me.

Buried
deep
inside me.

I wet my throat, feeling a dampening heat between my thighs.

My body sparked and snapped with sensation.

My face flushed with heat.

It was so hot in here.

Goodness. His scorching-hot stare burns with the heat of a million Bunsen burners
.

“We have our first bid starting at one hundred,” Danni announced with a flourish. “For a date with the lovely Adelaide Vikander. Do we have a bid for one fifty or two hundred?”

“Two hundred!” came a not-so-familiar voice.

“Two hundred!” Danni raised her voice amidst the cacophony. Do we have a—”

“Three hundred!” Ender shouted, without taking his eyes off me.

“We have a bid for three hundred!” Danni was talking a mile a minute yet it seemed she couldn’t talk fast enough. “Do we have a bid for—”

“Three thousand!”

Three thousand? THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS?!?

A hush fell across the room and everyone turned to look at the
three thousand dollar
mystery bidder. I found myself squinting to get a better look at him.

Wait a minute! I recognized him. It was Byron from the Sigma Chi party… the guy I’d met in the basement. The guy who had introduced himself as Pubes. He looked different now. And then I realized what it was! Byron had shaved off his tight curls; he was sporting a clipper-cut buzz hairstyle, much like Justin Timberlake.

A jovial smile spread across my face and I gave Byron a cheery wave.

He waved back.

“Three thousand dollars!” Danni said fervently. “Wow! That is now the highest bid of the night. Do we have a—”

“Five thousand!” Face like thunder, Ender’s ominous voice carried across the room.

What?!?
I stared at him open-mouthed.

He stood staring back at me, a tight muscle working in his jaw.

“Okay, then.” Danni gave a shrill laugh. “Five thousand dollars. Do we have—”

“Ten thousand!” Byron cut in.

My jaw slackened and my eyes almost bulged out of their sockets.

“Ten thousand dollars!” Danni’s voice was strained around the edges but she was giggling and giddy with excitement. “For a date with the vivacious and voluptuous Miss Vikander.”

Voluptuous?
I glanced down at my chest.
I guess she’s right. This bra is doing wonders for my bosom. They look about two cups bigger!

“Now.” Danni raised her voice over the boisterous noise. “Do we have a bid for fifteen—”

“Twenty thousand.” Ender’s voice was dangerously deadly and that tight muscle was now working furiously in his jaw.

“Hooo Wheee!” Danni’s laugh pitched higher. She sounded manic and half-crazed at this point. There was a tenacious air of hysteria in her voice as she added, “Twenty thousand dollars. Do we have a—”

“One hundred thousand dollars.” Byron’s voice was calm, collected. Cool as a cucumber in a bowl of Tabasco sauce.

Instantly, the entire room fell silent.

So silent you could almost hear an Adderall pill drop.

When Danni finally found her voice, she said with attempted bravado, “Ladies and gentlemen, the current bid stands at one hundred thousand dollars. A pause. “Going once… going twice… SOLD to Byron Waldorf Astor!”

I blinked. The Waldorf Astoria was the name of several luxury hotels around the world. And the Astor family was considered America’s first aristocrats. They came from old money. Once known as the landlords of New York, the Astors have been wealthy for innumerable generations.

If Byron was an Astor, one hundred grand must be chump change for him. No wonder he hadn’t spared a thought while he was bidding on me.

Though I was beyond flattered, I didn’t spare any more thoughts on Byron.

My thoughts drifted to Ender. And only Ender.

Meanwhile, Danni was still up on stage, clearly flushed, frantic, and exhilarated. “Wow!” she exclaimed breathlessly. “This has been an
ah-ma-zing
evening. Thanks to all y’alls generous donations, Kappa Kappa Gamma has raised one hundred thousand, nine hundred and fifty dollars for Canines With A Cause. They’re an
ah-ma-zing
charity that rescues dogs from high-kill shelters, training them to become specialized service dogs for our combat veterans with PTSD.” Her voice became tearful and wobbly. “They help our veterans find hope and healing through canine companionship. So I want to thank all my sorority sisters for making this night possible. And I especially want to thank all the lovely ladies who so generously offered themselves up for…”

Danni droned on and on, but I was no longer listening.

The crowd was beginning to thin out. Miguel and Piper were jumping up and down, waving at me from a corner, hooting and hollering. But I couldn’t see them very clearly, nor could I hear what they were saying.

Everything was just a soft echoing noise and they looked like a blob of energy, pulsating at the end of a tunnel.

Blinking rapidly to clear my vision, I cast my gaze around the room, desperately looking for him.

My stomach plummeted and my heart shriveled to the size of a lentil.

Ender was nowhere in sight.