Shiftr Swipe Left for Love (Hope Valley BBW Online Dating App Romance #5)(9)
Saturday came, and Lauren came over to Dina’s place to get ready for the garden party. They ate a bowl of pasta each.
“I know what you’re like – drinking too fast when you’re nervous – so we’ve got to line our stomachs first!” Lauren said. “Otherwise, Connor will be putting you over his shoulder and carrying you home before the party’s even started!”
“You’re right,” Dina said with a giggle, recalling all the times she’d got way, way too drunk at parties in an attempt to hide her nerves, and then ruined any chance of meeting a guy there. “But I think I’ve learned to pace myself now I’m in my thirties!” Lauren cocked an eyebrow.
“Let’s hope so, girl,” she said.
After they’d finished eating, they began to get ready. They put on some music to get them in a party mood, alternating between Lauren’s R’n’B favorites, and Dina’s taste in light rock. Dina rubbed camellia moisturizer all over her body, making her skin impossibly soft and smooth, and then she put on a matching lacy lingerie set, in the same mint-green shade as her dress. It was beautiful and expensive, and she’d bought it during the week to give her an extra confidence boost. She slipped her dress on over the top. She still wasn’t sure about the long, floaty skirt, but she did love the way it flared over her hips, and the nipped in waist. Her bra gave her boobs a nice lift, and the low v-neckline of the dress made her cleavage look amazing. She draped her favorite wrap over her shoulders. It had belonged to her grandmother, and was made of cream filigree lace.
She joined Lauren in the bathroom to do her make-up.
“You look stunning!” Lauren said, looking at Dina’s reflection in the mirror as she applied her eyeliner.
“You’re looking pretty hot yourself,” Dina said, eyeing her friend’s voluptuous figure in her tight pink dress. Lauren loved her curvy body and it showed; she always looked sensational.
Dina applied black liner and smoky gray eye shadow to her eyelids, to emphasize the greenness of her eyes. She added mascara, then picked up her favourite lipcolor and hesitated.
“Lipstick or not?” she asked.
“Not!” Lauren said. “You’ll scare any guys off who might be thinking about kissing you.” Dina giggled.
“Fair point, I guess.”
“How about this one?” Lauren said, picking up a pot of rose-pink gloss. “It’s so pretty.”
“Ok.” Dina slicked it on. It made her lips look extra full, and she completed the effect with a rose cream blush.
“Perfect!” Lauren said, in admiration. “Your eyes look kind of wicked, but your cheeks and lips have this fresh, kind of innocent look. It’s the ideal virgin/harlot combination!”
“Hey!” Dina exclaimed, and slapped her friend’s ass playfully.
They both stepped into killer heels – Dina in nude patent courts, and Lauren in black patent sandals – and walked into the bedroom to see themselves in the full-length mirror.
“Wooh! We’re two hot ladies,” Lauren exclaimed. Dina looked at her reflection more shyly. She looked pretty ok, she allowed herself to think. Before she could object, Lauren snapped a selfie of them together. “The before shot,” she said with a cackle. “Ok, let’s have one drink before we go, so we don’t go in cold.” She pulled a small bottle of tequila out of her purse. “Do you have soda, and lime?”
“Yes!” Dina said, striding over to the kitchen. She mixed up two drinks with ice. “I actually feel quite classy right now,” she commented, as they drank them sitting on high stools by the island in the kitchen.
“Well we princesses better call ourselves a carriage, if we don’t want to be late,” Lauren said, reaching for her phone, and tapping on a taxi app.
Chapter Three
The venue for the garden party was out in the hills, a 30-minute drive from downtown Hope Valley. As the taxi passed between two high, wrought iron gates and drove onto a private tree-lined avenue, Dina’s mouth fell open.
“What is this place?” she said.
“I don’t know,” Lauren replied. “But the person who owns it sure seems to have a lot of money!” The avenue continued for maybe a quarter of a mile, before it swung to the left and a huge, elegant house came into view. The house was white, with three stories, and big marble columns on either side of the front door. It gleamed like a Grecian temple under the flawless blue sky. To the right of the house was a painted wooden sign, saying ‘Secret garden party this way’.
The girls stepped out of the taxi carefully, Dina catching up her loose skirt so it didn’t get tangled in the door, and they walked towards the sign. They were now close enough to see that there was a pathway running alongside the house. Lauren looked at Dina, her eyes full of excitement.
“Are you ready?” she asked. Dina let out a long breath.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she said. They picked their way along the path, and when they reached the end, they stopped and stared at the amazing sight that greeted them.
There was a huge garden, full of palms and magnolia trees, with tables and chairs dotted here and there. A jazz band was playing in one corner, and in the other was a vast buffet table, groaning with food. Off to one side was a cocktail bar that looked like it had been lifted out of the 1920s, and in the final corner was a mini circus show, with acrobats and jugglers and fire-eaters. All the women were in pretty dresses, while the men were in tuxedos. Every guy that Dina glanced at was ridiculously, stunningly, good looking.