"Stay still before you end up looking like a 1990's hooker," Mariana said, holding my head in place as she yanked another hair from my eyebrow.

"Tell me again why I agreed to do this?" I muttered, regretting my decision to let Mariana give me a makeover.

"Because you wanted to look nice for my brother," she smirked, causing my face to heat.

I couldn't deny the truth in Mariana's words. I conceded to letting her make me up for the party, but I would be lying if I said that Jake wasn't on my mind when I agreed. He'd hardly seen me outside of sweatpants and oversized t-shirts, and I figured it would be a nice change.  

But I was rethinking my decision after being stuck in a chair for half the day. My skin was raw and red, swollen with irritation. Mariana hid the inflammation beneath a pound of makeup. After three hours of waxing, tweezing, and exfoliating, I officially knew what being a plucked chicken felt like. By the time Mariana was finished glamming me up, I was annoyed and hungry.

"Are we nearly done?" I asked, no longer trying to hide my exasperation. 

"Almost... just adding the finishing touches," Mariana said. She grabbed a can of setting spray and nearly choked us to death by the amount she applied to my hair. "Okay, what do you think?"

She spun me around in my chair so I could see my reflection. I gasped as I stared at myself in the mirror, hardly able to believe that it was really me. The woman gaping back from the glass looked incredible. She was beautiful, dressed like a model, and not at all like the plain and unflattering woman who was usually looking back at me. 

The dress that Mariana put me in was amazing. I don't even remember buying the V-neck cocktail dress, but I'm certainly glad that I did because the shade of red looked great against my bronzed skin. The bodice was made of lace that wove in and out in delicate patterns to create a floral design. The soft fabric flowed down my legs, the satin pleats falling just above my knees.  At my waist, a crimson sash was pulled into a bow, emphasizing my curves in all the right places.

My dark locks flowed in curled tendrils to the middle of my back, pinned out of my face with sparkling barrettes. She had colored my lids with black eyeliner that made my hazelnut eyes pop. They were made to look even bigger by fake lashes. Red matte tinted my lips, making them look full and luscious.

Mariana had seriously outdone herself.

"I look..." I mumbled, struggling to find the words.

"Amazing!" Mariana finished with an excited squeal.

Mariana spritzed a fancy perfume at my collarbone for one final touch before leading me from the bathroom.

I wasn't one for heels, but I had to admit that the open-toed shoe made my scarlet pedicure pop. Still, I could hardly walk in the black wedges Mariana had let me borrow. It was hard to navigate the stairs and I clung to Mariana's hand the entire time, terrified that I might fall.

When we arrived downstairs, Jake was pacing impatiently. Despite his apparent irritation that we were running late, he looked handsome, dressed in dark slacks and a tan blazer. His hair was freshly cut and slicked to the side, and he had trimmed his face so that only a dark goatee was visible.

Mariana handed me a silver clutch. "Okay, we are ready to party!" she cheered in excitement.

"About damn time," Jake muttered, looking at his watch. "What took so..."

Jake's voice trailed off as his eyes met mine. He took me in from head to toe, his mouth dropping open like he was a cartoon character. His reaction made Mariana giggle. I felt heat creep into my cheeks, but I couldn't help the satisfaction I felt at his awestruck gaze. I found myself standing a little taller now, a little pep in my step as I maneuvered my way out the door in my pumps.

I smiled as Jake opened the truck door for me. He helped me into the backseat, allowing his hand to slip discretely up my skirt to pinch my butt check. Jake winked at me, and I repressed a playful giggle.

Mariana and I sat in the back of the pickup as Jake drove toward the station.

I could feel Jake's intense gaze in the rearview mirror, watching me. The familiar fire danced in his irises. I knew he wanted to rip the beautiful dress off of me. The idea made my panties moist. I had to cross my legs to maintain my composure.  

For a moment I was afraid that Mariana might notice our unmistakable chemistry, but she was oblivious, lost in a world of Instagram selfies, as she complained about the lighting.

When we arrived at the firehouse, we walked into a world of festivity and liveliness. The smell of delicious food greeted us at the door. My mouth began watering as dozens of trays of lobster puffs and bacon-wrapped shrimp passed before me. If the party was half as good as the food smelled, I was sure to have a great time. 

The outside of the building was brought to life by thousands of Christmas bulbs, stapled over every door and window. Inside was even more magical, with large wreaths decorating the front of each firetruck, and bright candles lighting the room with a luminescent glow. Couples huddled in groups, drinking and laughing at unknown jokes. Children chased one another through the firehouse, trying to climb the fire pole or play in the large red trucks. 

But what really caught my eye was the Christmas tree positioned in the corner of the room. It was by far the largest one that I had ever seen. The tree was at least four times as tall as I was, with the peak extending to the very top of the lofty building. It towered over us all, casting the most majestic hues of red and blue throughout the room as the twinkle lights flickered. It was mesmerizing.

"Hey, Jake," a deep voice said, pulling my attention away from the tree. Dwayne appeared, looking handsome in navy dress pants and a suit vest. He and Jake shook hands, and he wrapped me in his warm embrace. "Cat, how have you been?"

"Great," I replied with a smile, realizing just how true the response was.

"Dwayne, you remember my sister." Jake gestured to Mariana who, to my complete surprise, blushed. I didn't think there was anything that could embarrass her.

"Of course I do," Dwayne said, his smile widening as he kissed her hand the way I'd only seen men in movies do. "How long has it been since you visited, Mariana? A year?"

"Something like that," Mariana said with a flirtatious giggle.

I smirked and glanced toward Jake, who rolled his eyes.

"Jake, let's go get a drink," I murmured, pulling the sleeve of his blazer so Mariana could have some privacy. She gave me a grateful look, and I smiled. It was clear that Mariana had a thing for Dwayne, and it would be a bit of a mood killer if her older brother was hovering nearby.

We stood at the bar, waiting for refills of our Manhattans when a group of Jake's coworkers started chatting with him. One of the men noticed me and let out a deep whistle.

"Oh, who is this gorgeous creature?" he asked in a thick accent.

The statement wasn't said creepily but in a playful, complimentary fashion. Regardless, I still felt my face heat as the man smiled at me.

"Guys, this is Catalina. She's a... friend," Jake said.

Jake took a sip of his drink, careful to avoid my eyes. He didn't lie about us being friends. It was technically the truth, given our arrangement. But I couldn't help the sting I felt at being labeled a "friend" after all this time. Things felt so natural with Jake that there were times when I forgot about our agreement. His words were a painful reminder that, no matter how well things went between us, we would never move past the sexual portion of our relationship.

"Catalina... didn't you own the house that burned down on Hardwick Street a few months back?" the man asked, snapping me out of my own thoughts.

I felt my stomach clench at the memory. "That's me," I confirmed.

I took a deep pull from my straw as the man began describing the fire to the coworkers who hadn't been there. I fought the urge to cry as he depicted the ferocious heat of the flames and the way they'd spread so quickly.

"It was one of the worst ones we've had in a while," the man said. "I'm surprised anyone made it out alive, honestly."

The images I'd been trying to repress came flooding back, and I began biting my fingernails anxiously. Jake's eyes found mine, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.

He must have sensed the panic I was feeling because he interrupted the man and suggested a game of beer pong, which he readily agreed to.

"Cat, come join us. Please," Jake said.

I let out a sigh. Between reliving the worst moments of my life, to Jake's declaration about our friendship, I was irritated.

But did I have any right to be upset? Jake had been straightforward about our status from the very beginning. He said he couldn't handle commitment, and I entered into this companionship with him anyway, knowing we would never be more than what we are now. Still, it hurt to hear the truth aloud.

After an internal back and forth, I realized that I shouldn't allow a simple word to ruin my night. I came to this party to have a good time, and I wasn't getting derailed from that goal because of some guy. So I followed Jake to the other side of the room where the tables were set up to play the game.

I quickly learned that I wasn't very good at beer pong. I suppose it was a game many people mastered during college, but I had never been one for parties or any event that required social interaction. I was a book worm, and it showed. But the environment of the firehouse was friendly and lighthearted, and rather than feeling self-conscious about my lack of dexterity, I was able to laugh at myself as I missed time and time again.

Between the cocktails and our beer pong losses, Jake and I were really starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. By the end of the night, we had ingested enough drinks to make us both delirious. It was one of the few times I was able to see Jake carefree and truly enjoying life. I liked that version of him and didn't want to see him disappear again.

As with all fun things, they eventually come to an end. As the party began disbursing, we searched the room for Mariana and found her huddled in a dark corner with Dwayne.

The two had hit it off immediately and had spent the entire night laughing and dancing in each other's arms. At one point, I even saw them kissing beneath a mistletoe. I found their puppy love sweet, but Jake looked annoyed at the idea that they were getting so cozy.

"Mariana, are you ready?" Jake asked rudely, interrupting a joke Dwayne was telling. Jake tried to hand the car keys to Mariana since we were both too wasted to drive, but she refused them.

"Actually... I won't be going back to your house tonight," she said, unable to look Jake in the eye.

"What do you mean?" Jake asked.

I wanted to kick his foot- could he not read the signs, or was he just that in denial?

"I'm going back to Dwayne's place, instead," Mariana murmured, her cheeks turning scarlet.

"Oh." Jake was at a loss for words. An uncomfortable silence stretched on until I finally spoke up.

"That's okay, we'll call a Lyft," I said, already tapping the app on my phone. Jake looked like he wanted to argue, but I pulled him away before he could ruin Mariana's night. "You two have fun!" I called over my shoulder.

Mariana and Dwayne gave me an appreciative smile before interlocking hands and leaving the station.

"What the hell are they thinking," Jake grumbled. "That's my baby sister and my best friend, and they're about to... Oh god!"

He began clawing at his eyes, trying to get the mental image out of his mind. The sight was comical.

"Mariana and Dwayne are adults. In the short time that I've known them, I haven't seen either of them smile as much as they did tonight. No matter who they are to you, they deserve a shot at love just like anyone else. Don't you want them to be happy?"

"Of course I do," Jake said, looking contrite. "But do they have to find happiness like that?"

I laughed, earning a dirty look from Jake.

"Don't be silly. Your sister is twenty-five years old. You don't think she's been sexual with anyone before?"

Jake grimaced and covered his ears. "Cat, stop! I don't want to think about that. Can we just change the subject, please?"

"Well, the good news is, we will have the house to ourselves tonight," I murmured.

Even with the calming effects of the alcohol, I felt self-conscious at my vain attempt at flirting. But my words served their purpose, for Jake's mood shifted immediately, and his face seemed to light up.

"Yeah, I guess we do," he said, his sexy half-smile causing my heart to flutter. He placed his hands on the small of my back and pulled me toward him. "So... where's that damn car?"

I glanced at my phone. "It should be here any minute now."

"Good," he murmured, pressing his lips to the base of my neck. "Because I don't think my supervisor would approve of my lack of professionalism if I took you on one of the fire trucks right now."

Thank you for reading! If you are enjoying this story so far, don't forget to vote! :)

© Dawn Norwell