The Dress He Noticed

Sofia set down her phone and headed for the bathroom attached to her room. She flicked on the harsh mirror light, inspecting her reflection. Her black hair was still slightly wavy from the car ride; she brushed it quickly, letting it fall loose over her shoulders. Makeup: a swipe of eyeliner to intensify her dark eyes, a little mascara, and a nude lipstick that made her full mouth pop without overdoing it. She wanted to feel beautiful, desirable not for Ellie, not for the friends, but for that inner sensation that had been simmering since she arrived. For Pedro, maybe, even if she refused to admit it out loud.

For the outfit, she chose a tight black dress, short on the thighs, with a modest but flattering neckline. She'd bought it on a whim at college for a student party she'd ended up skipping. She twirled in front of the mirror: the dress hugged her curves without being vulgar, but enough to make her feel like a woman. She slipped on flat sandals, practical for walking on sand if needed, and grabbed a light denim jacket just in case.

When she came downstairs, Ellie was waiting at the bottom of the steps, leaning against the wall, phone in hand. He wore slim jeans and a white T-shirt that showed off his shoulders from his high school swim team days. He looked up and his face lit up.

"Wow, Sofia... you're... uh, hot."

She laughed softly, coming down the last steps. "Thanks, Ellie. You're not bad yourself. Ready?"

But before they could move, Pedro and Javier appeared from the living room, where they'd been sipping a last beer while watching a soccer match on TV. Pedro set his bottle down on the coffee table, his eyes sliding over Sofia with an intensity that made her shiver. He crossed his arms, one eyebrow raised.

"Isn't that a little too short?" he said in a calm voice, but with an edge of authority that sounded almost paternal.

Javier, beside him, shook his head laughing. "Leave her alone, compadre. She's nineteen, not twelve. Sofia knows what she's doing."

Sofia felt her cheeks flush, but she lifted her chin. "It's fine, Pedro. It's not that short. And I have a jacket, see." She held it up, draping it over her shoulder like a cape.

Pedro didn't smile right away. His eyes stayed on her a second too long, traveling down her bare legs before coming back up. Then he nodded slowly. "Okay. But be careful."

Javier stepped in, lighter: "Ellie, you keep an eye on her, yeah? And you answer the phone if we call. Don't come back too late midnight max, okay?"

Ellie puffed out his chest, proud of the mission. "Promise, Uncle Javier. I'll protect her like a princess."

Sofia rolled her eyes inwardly, but smiled for form's sake. They finally left, Ellie walking a little too close to her on the path leading to the road. Jonathan's villa was only a fifteen-minute walk along the coast, under the stars beginning to pierce the dark sky.

"You really look beautiful tonight, Sof," Ellie murmured on the way, his voice a little hesitant. He slid a hand into his pocket, the other accidentally or not brushing Sofia's arm. "Like... I mean, you've changed since last year. More... womanly, you know."

She glanced at him sideways, amused despite herself. His flirting was so clumsy, so obvious like when he'd given her seashells at fourteen. "Thanks, Ellie. That's sweet. But we're just friends, right? Like always."

He blushed, stammered a "Yeah, of course," and changed the subject to what music they'd be listening to at the party. Sofia felt a little guilty he was adorable, really but her mind was elsewhere, on Pedro's gaze, on that tension she'd felt in the air when he'd commented on her dress.

Jonathan's villa appeared at the end of the path: a modern glass and concrete monstrosity, lit up like a Christmas tree, with bass already pulsing through the night. Cars were parked haphazardly on the lawn, and laughter burst from the pool at the back of the garden. Jonathan greeted them at the door, drink in hand, shirtless and already a little drunk. "Ellie! Sofia! Come in, the crew's at the bar!"

Inside, it was organized chaos: electronic music vibrating the walls, strobe lights dancing across faces, and a crowd of young people packed around the makeshift bar or on the dance floor in the living room. Sofia spotted Mia almost immediately her best friend, with her pink-dyed hair and infectious energy. Mia screamed when she saw her and threw herself into her arms.

"Sof! Finally! You missed last time, it was insane! Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone oh, wait, you already know them. Carlos! Lena! Eden! Mike! Look who's here!"

The hugs came fast. Carlos, the class clown, with his perpetual grin and terrible jokes, high-fived her. "Sofia the legend! Ready to dance till dawn?" Lena, more reserved but always sharp, slipped a glass of punch into her hand. "Careful, it's strong. And tell me everything about college got a boyfriend?" Eden and Mike, inseparable as twins, dragged her toward the dance floor. "We're dancing! No excuses!"

The night took off quickly. Sofia let herself get carried away by the rhythm: dancing with Mia to a reggaeton remix, laughing out loud when Carlos imitated Jonathan hitting on a girl, sipping her punch while listening to Lena complain about her ex. Ellie stayed close to her, protective as promised, but a little clingy he tried to dance with her, his hands on her hips a little too insistent, and she gently pushed him back with a "Relax, Ellie, we're having fun!"

In the middle of the crowd, Sofia felt alive, free. But every now and then, her phone buzzed in her pocket a text from Javier: "Everything okay?" She answered quickly: "Yes, having a blast. Kisses." Then another, from Pedro: "Not too late, mija." She stared at the screen for a second, heart tightening. Mija. That word that sounded so innocent, so taboo now.