Elena sets Harper up

“Harper,” Elena calls out, her eyes twinkling as she gestures for her to join them. “Come meet our host properly.”

Harper can’t shake the feeling that she’s being tested as Andrew extends a hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” he says.

“Good things, I hope,” Harper replies with an awkward laugh.

“The best.” His focus remains on Elena. “I’ve got someone I want you to meet.”

Harper looks to Elena, but her best friend is paying her no mind. “Someone you want me to meet?” she says.

Elena takes her by the hand. “Let’s go over to the pool! We need to take advantage of the amenities, don’t you think?” Somehow the crowd seems to part around her and Andrew, as if it understands that what they’re doing is more important. When they arrive poolside Andrew greets another man around the same age. Harper now feels very short. Elena’s stilettos make her a good six inches taller. “Is this Jacob?” Elena asks.

Jacob smiles first at Andrew, then at Elena, and only last directs his attention to Harper. He nods. “Good to meet you,” he says.

“I’d think so,” Elena laughs.

Andrew throws an arm over his friend’s shoulders with an easy grace. “Jacob here has just been dumped. Not his fault, she was stealing from him and got angry when he called her out for it. Elena mentioned she had a friend who might cheer him up. And I agree, Harper, you’re just perfect, look at you.”

Elena smiles. “More perfect every day,” she says. There was something underneath those words that Harper couldn’t quite hear.

Harper felt a warmth run up her chest and hoped that the cutout over her chest didn’t expose her. “Oh,” she says.

“Fancy a swim?” asks Jacob.

The flush grows to cover what feels to Harper like her entire body as she realizes her mistake. They had come all this way to a pool party and she had never thought for a second about what she would wear for the pool itself. “I don’t have a suit,” she says, trying to smile despite herself.

Elena places a hand on her arm. “That’s fine, just wear your underwear.” She’s already kicking off her heels and touching the zipper at the base of her neck. Harper gawks, amazed at her speed. She leans in close to her friend.

“But,” Harper says. She glances down at her dress. The one Elena picked out! “I can’t wear a bra with this dress.” More importantly, she hadn’t worn a bra with the dress.

Elena raises an arm to point at something on the other side of the pool. “Doesn’t seem to bother her,” she said. Harper turns to see a woman completely naked and half-submerged in the water. The exhibitionist is surrounded by men and women who cannot stop staring at her.

“Oh my God!” Harper says, turning her eyes away.

“Relax,” Elena laughs. “You’ve got nothing to be afraid of!” She sheds her dress in an easy motion. It falls down around her ankles like a butterfly coming out of a chrysalis. Contrary to her advice, she is wearing both bra and panties, and makes no signs that she’ll be as liberal as the other guest.

Harper stiffens. “You’re kidding,” she hisses.

Elena rolls her eyes. “Oh, fine, spoil sport. Andy, do you have anything Harper can wear?”

Andrew considers her carefully. Harper tries to remember that he needs to inspect her body if he’s going to offer her a swimsuit, though she can only imagine why he would have a women’s bikini on hand. So far as she knows, the famous Mr. Langford isn’t married. “Maybe. There’s a ton of stuff in my guest room, go take a look.”

“Jacob, why don’t you be a dear and show Harper the place?” says Elena as she sidles up beside Andrew, clinging to his arm.