Everything goes perfectly wrong.

I spent most the afternoon hanging out with Rachel, because Talia desperately wanted her dress to be a surprise. She piled in with the guys and we headed over to meet the girls at Stephanie's.

But due to something involving a straightening iron and a paper towel, we arrived like shock troops in a combat zone, running around desperately putting out fires. Some of them were literal. When we asked what had caused the blaze, haunted stares and "Stephanie-tastrophe" were the only response.

Needless to say, by the time the ladies came down the stairs, there was barely enough time for us to blink our way through some photos before we crammed into the limousine. Rachel and I didn't really get to see Talia's dress until we arrived at the dance.

And, of course, the limo's A/C was busted, so the ride over in the summer heat felt more like a sauna than anything. At least I had the pleasure of watching Talia's dewey cleavage.

Stepping out onto the sidewalk gave a huge relief, and granted me the pleasure of watching my gorgeous friends assemble to enter like a gang of supermodels. I caught more than one male gaze sizing up our group. More than once, I had to give each of my friends a good up-and-down, just building memories. I couldn't be sure when Talia would put her plan into action, so I wanted to cherish each moment spent with these extraordinary women.