The next morning I carry Bagel downstairs with me for breakfast. He's such a cute little pup, albeit wild. Last night while I was sleeping he tore one of my pillows to shreds, and I woke up to white fluff everywhere. At least it was only a pillow. I'll have to get him properly trained soon.

My mom looks up when I enter the kitchen. "Good morning sweetheart," she frowns when she sees Bagel. "What is that?"

"It's a dog. His name is Bagel. Isn't he the cutest?" I rub his head and he pants happily.

"Yes, I see," she purses her lips. "When did you get a dog?"

"Last night."

"Oh."

I sigh. "I promise I'll take care of him. You won't even know he's here."

"I really wish you would have consulted me first darling," she takes a sip of her coffee. "However he can stay. Just make sure he doesn't mess up my home."

"Thank you!" I grin and give her a smacking kiss on the cheek. Bagel starts barking and tries to wiggle out of my arms. My mother smiles at me, her smile faltering when she looks down at the dog. Nevertheless she politely pats Bagel on the head.

Today is Saturday, and tonight is the opening of the Red Room. Before that however, I have the entire day to myself. I plan on taking Bagel out to get him some doggy stuff, then taking him to the park so he can play. I dress in a green Juicy Couture jumpsuit with sneakers, twist my hair up, and grab my purse before we head out.

...

"Don't go too far!" I call out as Bagel runs off to play with some of the other dogs in the park. I don't come to Central Park often, but it really is beautiful, especially during the fall. The ground is covered in golden leaves, the air is crisp, and it's filled with people wearing jackets, hats, scarves, and mittens, holding warm mugs, jogging, or just walking around enjoying the nature around them. When I do come, I love to sit and people watch.

"Fancy seeing you here," says a familiar voice. I scowl and look up as Gabriel takes a seat on the bench next to me. I haven't seen or spoken to him since the night of the fundraiser, and seeing him brings back the unpleasant memories which makes my blood boil. Nevertheless I paste on a fake smile. 

"Hello."

"What are you doing here?"

I really don't want to make small talk. "Taking my dog out," I reply curtly.

"You have a dog? Since when?"

"Since none of your business."

"Meow. Someone's got the claws out today."

I turn to face him. "What do you want?"

He sighs. "Come on Kennedy, can't we be cordial at least?"

"I am being cordial. See? This is me, being cordial."

"Really? Because it feels like you hate me."

I do hate you. "I don't hate you. I just think we work better when you don't talk to me, I don't talk to you, and we continue on with our separate lives instead of this forced interaction."

"Alright," he holds up his hands. "I think I get it now."

About fucking time.

"I just want to say one last thing."

I hold back an exaggerated groan. "What?"

"I heard you're seeing Winston King now."

I stiffen. "You heard?"

"Well yeah. You didn't think you could actually sneak around with the son of one of the most powerful hotel tycoons there is and no one would find out."

I bristle at his usage of his words 'sneak around.' "We aren't sneaking around. And why do you care who I date?"

Gabriel stares at me. "Is it serious?"

"Well I just don't think that's any of your business is it?" I snap and start looking around the park. Where is Bagel? It's about time we head home.

"I know you don't think I care about you Kennedy, but I do. Just be careful."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Well Winston is powerful and older-"

"So? He's twenty-two for Christ's sake, not thirty. I'm not a little girl."

"I know you're not but-" he blows out a frustrated breath and runs his hand through his hair. "All I'm saying is-"

"Frankly I don't think I give a fuck what you're saying," I cup my hand around my mouth and start yelling. "Bagel! Bagel come here boy! We're leaving!"

"I just don't want to see you taken advantage of Kennedy. I know the wealth, power, and status may all seem intoxicating to you, but-"

"Oh my God, do you even hear yourself?" I laugh. "You sound like a jealous boyfriend!"

"Maybe I am," Gabriel says quietly, shocking me into silence. I shake my head.

"You lost that right," I whisper. "Please Gabriel, just move on. Find someone who makes you happy, because I promise you, I'm not her. And when you finally do meet that special girl, cherish her. Don't make the same mistakes you made with me."

Bagel rushes up to me and starts jumping up and down, yapping excitedly. I scoop him up and kiss his head before walking away, never looking back. 

...

"Hmmm..." Cecilia looks thoughtful for a second before snapping her fingers. "I got it. Big sex kitten curls. Your hair is perfect for it. All the guys will be drooling over you, dying for a taste."

"But they won't get it," Vienna chimes in.

"Exactly."

I laugh. "Whatever you say. And are you sure this outfit is okay? It's a lot...a lot more than I'm used to wearing."

Vienna snickers. "It's a lot more slutty than what you're used to wearing is what you meant to say."

But it is. It's a backless red halter mini dress, the hem so short it barely reaches my thigh. The right side has a slit with diamond chains connected to it that go up to my hipbone, so the entire side of my upper thigh is exposed. It doesn't help that it's skintight so I have no choice but to wear a thong.

"Kennedy don't worry," Cecilia reassures me. "This is a girls night. If any guys try to hit or force themselves on you-" she looks at Vienna. "Either of you, I'll spike their drinks, drag them to a hotel room, strip them naked, take their shit, and leave them helpless."

Vienna laughs loudly. "God I love you."

I too laugh, although with a bit of unease because I'm not sure whether Cecilia is serious or not. Knowing how crazy she is, I think she is. I'm not trying to go to jail here.

Vienna twists in the mirror, admiring herself. "Damn. This dress makes my ass look fat with a p." It's a bright red mini leather dress with thin spaghetti straps. Vienna has on a push up bra to make her boobs stand out more, her hair falling pin straight down her back with a red and grey streak. Not permanent of course. It's hair chalk.

And then there's Cecilia. Wrapped up in a super short red satin wrap dress with a plunging v-neck, her hair in its usual perfect diva curls, and possibly the highest heels known to mankind, she looks like a freaking goddess. It might be Vienna and I having to keep the guys away from her.

"And voila!" Cecilia finishes the last curl on my hair with a flourish. "Done. You look amazing."

I turn to face the mirror. Wow. My hair can be a lot to handle given how long and thick it is, yet Cecilia managed to curl it and give it even more volume all while keeping it tame and frizz free. She took some at the top and pinned it up in a pompadour. 

I stand up from her vanity. "Thank you."

"No, thank you," she grabs a bottle of champagne from her mini fridge and shakes it before popping the top off. Champagne sprays everywhere and we all cheer as she pours us three flutes.

"To girls night!" She raises her glass in toast.

"To girls night!"

...

Me: miss you. Wish you were here

I look up from my phone as our limo pulls up to the club. Holy shit. The line to get in is down the street and around the block. I can already hear the vibrations from the music inside, like a dull throb.
I've never actually been to a club opening before so I had no idea it was this insane. Vienna looks like she's in Candy-land, her face pressed against the window.

"Stick with me girls," Cecilia says while re-applying  her lipstick. She shuts her compact mirror. "This is only the beginning."

Somehow we pull up right to the front and the driver gets out to open our door. We each step out and I squint, blocking my face as we're suddenly assaulted by flashing cameras. Holy crap, there's paparazzi?!

Cecilia poses, clearly used to this. Vienna and I hang back, but she drags us up front and forces us to pose with her.

"Make sure you get my good side!" She calls out. After a few more photos we go inside. It's even more insane. All I see is red. The lights, the furniture, the decorations, everything. It's like I've stepped into a completely different universe, where everything is coated and dripping is over the top decadence. 

The bouncer checks our names off a list and we're let into the VIP section. It's more cozy and private here, with glass floors and a balcony overlooking the entirety of the club.

"Kamikaze shots!" Vienna yells, hustling us over to the bar. "Let's go, let's go!"

We do shots, scrunching our faces and laughing uncontrollably from the excitement of it all. As the alcohol begins flowing through my system I start to loosen up.

"Bartender!" I bang on the table. "Hit me again!"

Vienna knocks back another shot and starts giggling. "Yeah, this is pussy shit. Give us something real crazy." Cecilia pouts and gives him a thumbs down, causing us to dissolve into more laughter.

The bartender smirks and lifts a brow. "You sure ladies? Not a lot of people can handle the hardcore shit."

"Do we look like just anyone to you?" Cecilia asks sarcastically.

He shakes his head while grinning and whips up three more shots, sliding them over to us. "I call this the psychedelic explosion. Guaranteed to give your night a little color."

I stare at the colorful swirling liquid in the glass. Woah. This shit looks intense.

"Am I tripping balls or is the glass actually moving?" Vienna asks.

"Who cares?" Cecilia lifts her shot glass. "Cheers bitches!"

"Cheers!" We clink glasses and knock our shots back. Afterwards we tip the bartender and stumble our way over to the dance floor. No Hands comes on and Cecilia screams.

"This is my song!"

It must be everyone's song, because the dance floor gets even more packed. Our bodies are glued together as we dance, Vienna grinding her ass against me and shaking her hair. Cecilia pulls out some dollar bills from her purse and sprays them over us. I notice some club goers rushing to pick up the fallen money which just makes me laugh.

We dance for who knows how long, each song blending into the next as we twerk, shake, and grind against one another. 

"I just flipped the switch!" The girls and I scream at the top of our lungs. "I don't know nobody else that's doing this. Bodies start to drop, aye, hit the floor. Now they wanna know me since I hit the top, aye. This a Rollie not a stopwatch, shit don't ever stop!"

I don't think I'm even dancing anymore. Now I'm just going crazy along with everyone else, caught up in the hype. I blame the alcohol. Cecilia's legs give out and she goes crashing against me. I manage to catch her, but her weight pushes me back and I bump into someone else causing a chain reaction.

"I'm so sorry!" I call out, unable to control my laughter. "Oh God Cecilia! Are you okay!"

"I'm fineeee," she slurs. "Holeeeer shit! The room is spinning like a merry go round! Weeeee!" She rolls her head around, laughing like a maniac.

"What's wrong with you bitches!" Vienna yells.

We're giggling like a bunch of lunatics, all but falling over ourselves.

"Drunk I am. Sober I am not," I hold up a finger and we burst into another laughing fit. Vienna shakes her head.

"You whores cannot handle alcohol."

Cecilia scoffs. "Puh-lease! What are you, Chuck Bass? And I gotta pee!"

"I'll take her to the bathroom," Vienna says and I pass Cecilia off to her. The girl can barely stand and clings to her.

"I'll be here!" I shout over the music, getting back into the groove of dancing. They disappear, swallowed up by the crowd and I'm left alone. Which is fine. I can have fun all by myself.

Everything is going fine and dandy, and I even dance with another group of girls. Then all of a sudden a pair of hands slither around my waist and I jump, spinning around. A guy stands behind me, with messy dark hair and a mask on. He has on a black jeans, a tight black shirt, and a leather jacket. I have to admit, he seems cute.

But he's not Winston so I take a step back. I'm drunk, not stupid.

"Excuse me," I say, continuing to dance.

"You're excused," he grins and we each continue to dance while staring at each other. What the hell? This is weird. I don't even know this guy. All I can see are his eyes, which are green, his curly dark hair, and his lips. He has a square jaw with light stubble. When it starts getting too weird, I turn to go but he slides in front of me.

"Dance with me?" He questions.

"No thanks. I don't dance with strangers."

He raises a brow and I roll my eyes. "Okay fine, I don't dance with male strangers."

"Why not?"

"Because. You could be a rapist or a serial killer."

"And a woman couldn't?"

"Of course she could," I scoff. "But come on. I know you've seen this episode on Dateline before."

He smirks and my heart starts beating fast. It's the alcohol. It has to be. It's impaired my judgement. Why else would I be attracted to someone who isn't Winston? Especially when I can't even fully see their face. Where the hell are Cecilia and Vienna? They're supposed to be here with me for exact situations like this!

I give the guy a tight smile. "I should go."

"Or you could stay," he murmurs, moving even closer to me. My body is frozen, my mind screaming at me to abort. "We could get to know each other," he brushes a hand along my thigh. I stare at him with wide eyes as he leans in to kiss me. His lips touch mine, and that's when my body springs into action. I push him away.

"I'm seeing someone," I blurt.

I expect the guy to become upset, or even continue to insist on 'getting to know me' but the corner of his mouth just tilts up. "Oh? Is it serious?"

"I-I don't know," I stutter. "But I'm sorry, I can't do this."

Before he can reply I rush off. Guilt swirls in my stomach, making me feel sick. Nothing happened between us, our lips only touched for a split second but I still feel horrible and dirty, like I cheated.

I burst into the bathroom and rush into a stall, where I bend over the toilet and puke. I barely even have the energy to stand and slump down to the floor, resting my head against the toilet. How did such an amazing night turn to shit so fast?

There's a knock on my stall. "Kennedy," Vienna's voice sounds from the other side. "You okay? I saw you rush inside."

No. No I am not okay. Flushing the toilet I use the walls for support and push myself to stand. Then I unlock the stall and step outside.

"Woah. You look like shit."

"I feel like shit," I hold my hand to my head. "Can we go home now? Where's Cecilia?"

"Passed out in the limo. I came back inside to get you."

"How are you not drunk and incoherent right now?"

Vienna laughs. "Trust me, I am. But since I'm the more experienced drinker out of all of us, I can handle my alcohol," she frowns. "The hangover will still be a bitch though."

"Ugh. Don't remind me."

...

The limo ride home is silent. Cecilia is snoring softly next to me, while my mind is swirling with tonight's events. I have to tell Winston. Even if nothing happened, it still feels wrong not to say anything. I pull out my phone.

Me: you up?

Winston: yeah, just working. How was the Red Room?

Me: it was fun. Cecilia got trashed. I don't feel too amazing myself

Winston: you really can't handle alcohol can you?

Me: no, it appears I can't...

Me: I have to tell you something

Winston: What is it?

I bite my lip. Here goes nothing.

Me: I just want you to know nothing happened. I stopped it before anything could

Winston: okay...that's a little worrying

Me: there was a guy.

When Winston doesn't type anything back I plunge forward.

Me: I think he was hitting on me. He asked me to dance and I said no. He kept on insisting but I turned him down. Then he kissed me. But it was only for like a split second! I pushed him off me, I swear. But I still feel terrible I let it get that far...

Me: Winston? You there?

Fuck. Why did I tell him? I'm such an idiot. He's pissed. When five minutes pass and I get no response I tip my head back against the seat, tears stinging my eyes. Fuck fuck fuck.

We pull up to my place first. Cecilia is still fast asleep and Vienna turns to me with a grin on her face. "Home sweet home! Tonight was-" her face falls. "What's wrong?"

I furiously swipe at my eyes. "Nothing. I'm just tired."

It sounds like bullshit, even to me. Vienna narrows her eyes. "Really? You couldn't come up with a better lie?"

I'm not in the mood to deal with her pushiness right now. "Goodnight," I get out and slam the door, hurrying into the building. I just want this horrible night to end. Why did I even say anything? It's not like I did anything wrong, but admitting it to Winston makes it seem like I did. And why the fuck am I crying? It's the damn alcohol, turning me into an emotional mess.

Without thinking I whip out my phone and call Winston. It rings and rings but he doesn't pick up. I call him two more times before screaming and throwing my phone. I'm freaking out here. What if he breaks things off with me?

I shake my head. No. I'm overreacting. Sleep. I just need to sleep. Tomorrow I'll have a clear head and I'll be able to deal with this.

...