CH 3 - KATHERINE

I pull into the parking lot of my apartment with heavy eyes, tired from staring at a computer screen. My fingers are cramped from writing notes, and there's a crick in my neck that should be absent on a Saturday. But I finished my work in record time and that is what's important. Now it's time to tackle whatever Audrey and Dan have cooking in our apartment right now. I trudge up the stairs to our third-floor apartment, shove my key in the lock, and step into the mayhem.

"KATHERINE!" Audrey squeals the second I open the door. She jumps around, still in her pajamas. I glance over at Dan lounging on the couch.

"Dan, did you let her finish off the entire bottle of champagne while I was gone?" I tease.

"Oh, shush Kat, I am fine," she tells me then points to the still half full bottle on the counter.

"Mhm," I tell her looking at Dan. He gives me a what-are-you-going-to-do shrug.

"Okay, okay whatever," Audrey waves her hand through the air absentmindedly. "It is currently one o'clock, we begin birthday celebrations promptly at three."

I groan. "Drey, what the hell are we doing that we have to start that early?"

"I am very glad you asked," she giggles. "We are going to begin the celebrations with a very early dinner of steak."

"And other things I hope," I say, but she just keeps talking, too excited to stop.

"Daniel will cook the steak of course," she gives him a look that says they better be perfect or else, then goes back to smiling. "Then at six, once we are done cooking and eating, we will bring out the rest of the champagne and cheers to our girl being twenty-four! Then Kat and I will go back and get into our clothes for the evening," she said this last part while wiggling her eyebrows at me.

"What am I supposed to do during that time?"

"Oh, Daniel, you have to clean up!" Audrey explained a little too excited.

"What? Why do I have to clean up?" He whines.

"Because Dan, you have to sober up so you can drive tonight! You already agreed to be the driver so we have someone reliable!" She gives him a big smile as if she is giving him the biggest compliment, but he doesn't seem to budge, so she elbows me in the ribs. I roll my eyes at her, but go along with her plans.

"Please, Dan? Do it for my birthday?" I give him my best puppy-dog eyes.

"Oh fine." He says finally, throwing his hands in the air.

"Yay! Okay Kat, time to go do your hair and makeup!" She snatches my arm, pulling me down the hall, bypassing my door for her room. She motions for me to sit in front of her mirror— an unnecessary motion, given that she just shoves me into the chair— then busies herself picking out foundations and eyeshadows and other assortments of makeup to put on my face.

"You know I can do my own makeup," I tell her, watching as she pulls out brushes and sponges and pallets.

"Yeah, yeah, but I do it so much better!" She winks at me then begins pulling apart my braid, and throwing half of it into a bun. She curls each layer, nonstop chattering away about tabloid gossip and boys. "Oh! Speaking of boys," she yelps suddenly, setting down the iron and picking up her foundation brush. "I have a question about tonight." She wiggles her eyebrows again and smirks. I know where this was going.

"Audrey," I groan. She is always trying to hook me up with someone; blind dates, make out sessions, the works. Always nudging me towards a guy I would feel comfortable going all the way with. She never pushes me past what I am comfortable with at least. I am in no rush, though. She barrels ahead with her idea for my birthday hookup.

"I was just going to ask if maybe you and Dan would want the apartment to yourselves tonight?" That ... was not what I was expecting her to say. I raise my eyebrows at her, confused at the direction this conversation has gone. "I mean,

"What makes you think we are into each other? Besides, wouldn't that completely mess up our trio dynamic?" I scrunch my nose, chewing on the inside of my cheek. "I wouldn't want things to get weird between me and Dan."

"Babe, I don't think you're into each other, I know you are." She rolls her eyes. " But it is obviously just lusting best friends, so it wouldn't change anything, we are all too close for that. Dan has been lusting after you since high school, so I am not really worried that it will make any real difference. Just don't have sex in the kitchen." I want to stare at her with wide 'what the hell' eyes, but she has started working on my eyeshadow, so I must settle with a sigh.

"I can feel your eyes rolling Kat. Just think about it. I am probably going to go back with Mark tonight anyways once you're ready to head home." Mark has been Audrey's on-again-off-again boyfriend for the last few months. He's nice enough, but neither of them is ready to commit. I have known her long enough to know that she truly craves stability, but she's scared. Dan and I fill that hole for her right now.

We stay silent for a while as she finishes my makeup. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to hook up with Dan. I mean, he is incredibly hot, and is probably a great lay. Right as I'm thinking about my best friend's hands on my skin, he seems to materialize right in front of us. Heat rises into my cheeks potently enough that I am sure it is visible below Audrey's layer of foundation. He must notice because when we make eye contact in the mirror, he smirks at me; those big green eyes glittering with mischief.

"Hey you two, are you about done? I am getting pretty bored and hungry out here."

"Shush Daniel," Audrey replies, "I am creating a masterpiece here! Plus, we still have twenty minutes before three," she snarks with a hand on her hip. Dan just rolls his eyes and walks back out the door.

"Drey, I'm going to go back to my room to change."

"Okay, but don't put on your dress yet! That is for tonight only!" I wave in understanding and walk out the door. I don't even know what dress I'm going to wear tonight anyways. I strip off my clothes I slipped into for work, replacing them with a pair of black spandex, and a cut t-shirt that raises indecently high when I put my arms up.

I examine myself in my full-length mirror. I have to say, the way Audrey does my makeup really makes my features pop; neutral eyeshadow and black liquid eyeliner on top and bottom really makes my blue eyes prominent, just the right amount of contour on my cheeks to show off my high cheekbones, and mascara that makes my lashes thicker and longer than they already are. I can't help but shiver when I think about Dan seeing me like this. Damn Audrey putting that in my head.

I pad into the kitchen, and notice he has already started marinating the steaks with his back to me. I open the fridge and pull out a bottle wine, pouring myself a big glass because, why not? It is my birthday after all. I take a big gulp, sighing loudly as the clear liquid cascades smoothly down my throat. At the sound, Dan turns around and stops cold.

Audrey must have said something about tonight to him before she talked to me, because he's seen me in outfits like this with my makeup done, but tonight, tonight his gaze lingers longer, face full of mischief, green eyes full of desire and need. I hold his gaze, raising an eyebrow just enough to give off a daring look. Just then, Audrey skips in, automatically zeroing in on our tense staring, and smirks.

"Dan you better get to cooking if we want to proceed on time tonight," she says clapping at him. "Come on Kat, let's dance." She pulls me off the counter and into the living room. Holding my wine glass in one hand, I let her spin me in circles around the living room. Pop music starts streaming through the Bluetooth speakers from her phone as we dance and spin and laugh while waiting for dinner to be ready. More than once, I glance over and catch Dan's green eyes watching me move.

* * *

It is eight o'clock, the last five hours flying by in a mirage of dinner and wine and dancing like idiots in our living room. Dan and Audrey are currently sitting on the couch and I am sprawled out on my back on the carpet giggling about nothing.

"I think Kat might need some water if she's going to make it to the club tonight," Audrey laughs as I lay there.

"Hey now, I am totally fine!" I argue. "I am a little tipsy."

"A little tipsy from the two bottles of wine? Mhm, sure, Kat," Audrey mocks.

"And you can't forget the champagne before that," Dan chimes in.

"I hate you both," I roll my eyes, and sit up on the floor, making sure I do have my bearings before standing. Once satisfied with my clear head, I stand and walk with my arms stretched out to the side in a straight line to the kitchen; heel to toe.

"Kat, just because you have your arms out doesn't mean you're going in a straight line!"

"Shut up Dan!" I yell back at him. I get a glass of water and chug the whole thing. I refill and walk back into the living room plopping myself between my two best friends, a bit of the water actually sloshing over the rim. I lay my head back, closing my eyes and letting out a long sigh. We all sit in silence for a while resting before we all go change to go out for the night.

Suddenly, I feel Dan's fingertips graze the skin of my thigh before resting on the small of my back. My whole body goes warm with the feeling. I side-eye my best friend. He is kind and loyal to me and Drey. He is also hot as hell, and I haven't had a man touch me in a very long time.

"Alright," Audrey sighs out, "time to go get dressed." She gets up and starts walking back to her room. "Coming Kat?"

"Yeah, give me a minute," I respond trying not to sound too breathless, failing, and hoping she chalks it up to the wine. Thankfully, she disappears down the hall into her room. I tip my neck back. Dan seizes this opportunity to run his thumb down my jaw, sending little shivers of pleasure along my spine. I have no idea why I am reacting this much to him, I never have before, but as Dan continues to run his thumb down my neck, grazing my collarbone and dropping to my thigh, heat simmers through my blood. I wonder if he can feel the heat on my skin. He brings his mouth up to my ear.

"You better go get dressed," he whispers, sending a whole new spasm of shivers down my spine. Then all at once, he takes his hands away and chuckles, getting up off the couch. I rise too, practically sprinting into my room. Maybe tonight will be the night.

"Audrey," I yell through the apartment, "I don't know what dress to wear!" She comes skipping into my room a minute later in her underwear with a dress in hand. She holds up a tight, pale pink dress to show me.

"Damn Drey, you're not pulling your punches tonight? What should I wear?" Her pink minidress is the dress of choice when she is out for a crazy evening looking for a lay. It is interesting she chose it for a night out with Mark.

She walks over and surveys my closet with a laser-focus gaze before grinning and pulling out my black cocktail dress. She throws it on the bed with a wink at me then glides back off to her room.

"Okay, we're going dramatic tonight I see," I mutter to myself looking at the chosen dress. I roll my eyes and walk back to the mirror. I switch out my tank and spandex for a black lacey thong and a pushup bra to match. I don't usually wear them, but apparently Drey wants us to go out tonight to turn heads. Pulling the dress off the hanger I step into it shimmying it up past my hips and over my chest to let it rest on my shoulders. Open-toed or closed? I think to myself surveying my shoes. I decide to go with my red, strappy, peep-toe stilettos, knowing that they exaggerate the length of my legs.

I walk back to the mirror to see the final product. The heels stand about four inches tall and the lacing up the front clips behind my ankle. The outfit is simple; the perfect little black dress look, with thin sleeves that sit just on the edge of my shoulders making the neck line dip ever so slightly on my chest. The back to drop down near my waist, showing off all the muscles in my back. The corset is tight until it hits my waist where it loosens and flares out in a way that makes it indecent when I spin too fast, and stopping halfway down my thigh. I top it all off with red lip stick, giving my lips a full kind of pout.

Audrey walks in as I finish with my lips. Her pink dress that stops at mid-thigh, and squeezes her body as a second skin. She has curves that I could never dream of having, and this dress shows every one of them. Her wild, red hair stands out with vibrant color against the pale pink.

"Damn girl."

"I know," she responds throwing her hair over her shoulder. She looks at me again and chuckles.

"What?" I ask.

"You so want to get laid tonight," she teasing, wiggling her eyebrows at my reflection; the red stilettos and lip stick making a clear statement. I just roll my eyes, giving her a wink. We laugh and walk out towards the kitchen. Dan changed into dark khaki pants that hug the muscles in his thighs, and a white V-neck t-shirt that clings to his torso. He has a black leather jacket slung over his shoulder. I bite my bottom lip, heat rising to my face as his eyes instantly travel down my body, lingering on my bare legs.

"Let's get this show on the road," he says to us grinning. I am still feeling a little buzzed as we go down the elevator and drive across town to Oceanna's, though I'm not sure if it's from the alcohol or because a certain pair of green eyes have hardly left my body.