Tonight, Not Again

Zoey
I stood in front of the mirror for at least three hours. Nothing I tried on seemed to fit. Adrienne had pulled at least a dozen dresses out of each our closets, but who was I to know what was appropriate to wear to a Hollywood party? Rob was no help at all. When I asked him what he was wearing he asked if it really mattered. Asshole.
“Maybe you want to wear something dark?” Adrienne was slumped across the pillows on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
I picked up a dark blue number I’d bought shamelessly after getting in a fight with Brett. I dropped it on the floor and found a black dress. It had always been my favorite.

…

“Are you feeling alright, love?” Rob looked askance at me as he weaved his car through the crowded L.A. streets. My stomach lurched as he slammed on the breaks to avoid crunching into an expensive Rolls Royce.
“If I was before, I certainly am not now.” I frowned and went back to thinking how horrible a night it was going to be.
I would be so out of place. For one, I was not a celebrity (I’m not talking by association either). Two, I was feeling considerably underdressed as I watched that chick from Gossip Girl traipse into the club.
“You don’t want to be here, do you?” Rob had now parked the car and was staring at me earnestly.
“I do…I just,” I grasped for words. “I’m just so incredibly nervous.” He began to laugh. “Rob! It’s not funny! Rob, seriously. These are the people I read about in tabloids and watch on the big screen—this is insane.”
As if were behind closed doors and away from the onslaught of paparazzi that had begun to crowd around the entrance, Rob pulled my face close to his and pressed a tender kiss against my lips.
“You look beautiful.”
“OK.” I was too dumbfounded to speak. He’d never kissed me for hell of it, but he sure knew how to shut a girl up. He’d never told me I was beautiful before either.
“And besides Cover Girl,” He kissed me once more and stroked my cheek. “They’re all thinking the same thing about you.”

…

“Holy fuck,” I breathed as we stepped inside the club. It had been completely taken over by whichever magazine was throwing the party. Everything sparkled.
“We don’t have to stay.” Rob’s lips lingered by my ear, teasing me. “Really. I’m only here because my agent said it’d be a good idea.”
“Can I have a drink?” I gulped for air. My throat was closing up. Rob stared at me, watching as I fidgeted with my dress and hair.
“It’s the least I could do.”

After we’d gotten our drinks, Rob whisked me off to a secluded booth in the corner. I merely clung to his arm so that I wouldn’t crumple to the ground in a heap of black cotton, hard liquor and lack of self-confidence.
We’d hardly been noticed at all, though Rob had avoided every single pair of eyes that had landed on us. He plunked down across from me and began to sip his drink. His blue eyes darted around the room and the more I watched him, the more I realized he looked more nervous than I was. Within a millisecond, his glass was empty.
“What?” He noticed me staring.
“You nervous?” I pulled the olives out of my martini and popped them into my mouth. I was starving.
“Is it obvious?” Rob ran a hand through his hair.
Wanting to change the subject, I pointed to an overly made-up, bottled blonde in the booth across the room. One of her hands was down the front of the pants of the guy she was sitting with.
“You think he’s happy?” I choked on a chunk of olive as I laughed.
“More than.” Rob grinned and shook his head in disbelief.

We made a game of guessing what everyone around us was going to be doing after another drink or two. Rob pegged a few of the girls as table dancers. We waited anxiously. Sure enough, after another cocktail, they climbed up on a nearby table and started shaking it.
“You’re good at this.” I leaned back against the vinyl seat and smiled at him. He looked so handsome in his black shirt and unshaven.
“This is how I get through these things.” He cast a sidelong glance toward the door and quickly snapped his head down.
“What?” I reached across the table and grabbed his hand. “What is it?” Rob looked up and shielded his face with one hand.
“Kate.”
Ah. The ex. I had been wondering whether or not I’d finally be able to see her. When I casually looked over in the direction of Rob’s subtle head-jerk, my jaw dropped. She was a bombshell.
“Oh,” I muttered. “Wow.” Going from Kate to Zoey certainly hadn’t been an upgrade.

Rob looked as if he was going to be sick. He quickly downed his beer and began twiddling his thumbs. I shifted glances between Rob and Kate, waiting for the earth to implode. Things between them must have been worse than Rob had let on.

Rob
“Look at me.” Zoey pointed to herself and then to me. I smiled. “Just keep your eyes here.”

Zoey took a rather large sip of her drink and plastered a cheesy smile on her face. She began to talk about topics I assumed she’d pulled out of thin air and I bit back a smile—the guy who made up Google was never something I’d heard about in normal conversation. When she saw my eyes waver, she grabbed my cheek and turned my face away from my ex-girlfriend. Then she crossed her eyes and made an absolutely goofy—but completely endearing—face. I couldn’t keep my laughter in any longer. When Zoey realized she’d accomplished her mission, which I figured was taking my mind off of Kate, she smiled triumphantly. I knew I was falling in love with her for a reason.
“Thanks for that.” I finished the last of my beer and studied her. Even in the dim lighting I knew she was blushing. “Have you ever thought of taking up with the circus?” Zoey rolled her eyes, but smiled.
Zoey had no idea that Kate had sent me a stream of texts, begging me to give her another chance. She had no idea that I’d only answered one, telling Kate I moved on. Zoey had no idea that the only reason I looked over at Kate was to see her stare at Zoey with pure…envy, hatred? Whichever it was, I was only more in love with Zoey than I had been when we walked in.
“Party on, Wayne.” Zoey held up her glass in a cheer.
“Party on, Garth.” She smiled when I quickly responded to her Wayne’s World reference.
“Dance with me.”
I obliged and let Zoey lead me to the dance floor. She was feeling something, and I hoped it wasn’t the alcohol. We began to dance—well, if you could call our ridiculous movement dancing—and Zoey couldn’t stop smiling. I loved her smile.

“Rob!” I looked over Zoey’s shoulder (as she pulled another dance move straight from 1984) and found myself staring at Kate. She was about to push past Zoey, who had since frozen stiff at the sound of another woman’s voice.
Before I could even open my mouth, Zoey took a deep breath and threw her arms around me.

Zoey
I felt Kate’s elbow in my side and in a knee-jerk response, I attacked Rob. Like an idiot. I barely had time to notice the stunned expression on his face before my lips crashed against his. As I ran my fingers through his hair, Rob fumbled with my waist. He was a little more than taken aback. But when I heard Kate mutter something beside me, I twisted slightly and caught a glimpse of her walking away. Just like that, I let go of Rob. My show had garnered several onlookers.

I sighed, adjusting my dress and hair. Rob stared at my blankly, running a hand through his already disheveled hair.
“Uh, right.” I traced my lips and watched the crowd disperse slowly. “Can we go now?”
Rob nodded and grabbed my elbow. I snatched my purse as he dragged me outside, still wearing a blank expression.
“God, I’m so embarrassed.” I exhaled deeply and looked for his car.
I turned to see Rob staring at me. Had I offended him? I cringed, but a smile slowly stretched across his perfect lips.
“Can I take you home with me?” He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pressed a kiss to my temple.
“Actually, I wouldn’t mind that at all.”