Grace's Gap Year In Australia

Grace's Gap Year In Australia- Part Seventeen

“Don’t mess with Gracie,” Beau told Hunter, slipping his arm around my waist. Not the shoulders. The waist- definitely not friend-zone territory. The thing is though, it felt warm and comfortable- certainly not wrong.

A warm smile spread across my face as I turned and saw Beau next to me. I couldn’t help but grin at him and edge closer.

“Oh yeah!” I shouted, suddenly remembering something. “Beau’s birthday party is going to be at my house, on his birthday. So it’s on Tuesday.”

Everyone had gathered round now and I could see where patches of their clothes were drying from the sun’s heat. Ari and Leon were holding each other, just like Beau and me at that time, I realised.

“Sounds great!” Ari squealed. “What can I do to help?”

“Just invite some people, please,” I beamed at her. Ari’s happiness was catching.

“What’s the attire?” she asked.

I turned to Beau questioningly.

“Party wear?” he suggested, unsure.

I rolled my eyes and elaborated for him. “Guys come in smart casual, girls come in dresses, shorts or skirts.”

Beau nodded his agreement along with everyone else.

“Do we need dates for this party?” Roxy asked, sticking out her chest again.

Sneering slightly, I said, “Dates aren’t required, but are allowed, yeah.”

Her gaze darted expectantly to Luke, only to be disappointed when she found him looking at me sheepishly.

When I turned to Beau, he was grinning at me, and when I caught sight of Jay, his expression mirrored Beau’s. Oh boy.

Whilst everyone was talking amongst themselves, I approached Ari who was finally detached from Leon.

“Hey, Ari?”

“Mm?”

“What did you mean earlier when you said ‘for now’?” I asked, studying her reaction. Her smile widened and a glint appeared in her eye.

“If you hadn’t already guessed, you have quite a few admirers,” she giggled.

“Beau?” I questioned.

“Try all the Bays brothers,” she scoffed.

“Are they all going to try and ask me to this party?”

Ari nodded slowly. “Not sure about Luke asking, he might be too shy…”

“But… I don’t know which one I feel that way about…”

“I guess it is a tough call. Okay,” she said, fidgeting. “I know you’ve just met me, but I promise I can be trusted.”

“I know,” I smiled at her. She didn’t seem like the bitchy type.

“So which brother do you feel the most attracted to?” Now she was studying my reaction.

“I don’t know. They’re all so different.”

“Okay, let me rephrase the question. Who have you had the most ‘moments’ with?”

“It’s pretty even,” I told her, begrudgingly.

“Which one would you rather kiss?” she asked, surprising me.

I considered this for a moment, but came up short of an answer. “I don’t know,” I whispered, feeling defeated.

“Okay, do you want to hear my observations as an observer?”

Nodding, I prompted her to continue.

“With Luke, you get cute. With Jay, you get fun. With Beau, you get sexy. So which do you want, cute, fun or sexy?”

Finally, I knew vaguely what I wanted.

-------Tuesday------

“Summer, go get the door, I’m just finishing my make-up!” I shouted across the upstairs landing.

I heard her heels on the stairs and Ari’s bubbly squeal from the front door.

Once I had finished my make-up, I pulled on my black stilettos and checked myself in the mirror. My dress was black lace with quarter-length sleeves and a large ‘V’ cut out of the back. It hugged my body perfectly, flaunting my hourglass figure. The dress ended just above halfway up my thighs, not allowing that annoying little flare bit you get with most tight dresses. On top of this, my hair was especially silky and shiny, swept over one shoulder and trailing to the bottom of my ribcage. With my make-up, I had gone for a striking look with lightly applied eyeliner below my eyes, enhancing their size and vivid green colour. My lipstick was a ruby red with a base of gloss over the top and my cheeks were blushed with a faint, pale brown powder. I had to say, I looked hot.

Leon’s voice travelled up the stairs, accompanied by the excited babble of Ari.

Carefully going down the stairs, I joined them to see Leon in jeans and a tight, white t-shirt, and Ari in a short, white summer dress that was made out of white lace in the pattern of flowers. They were such a beautiful couple, it was almost unbelievable.

Summer stood by the door, good hostess that she is, in a backless, blue dress that made her look like the model she was and brought out her shining, excited blue eyes.

“Shit face, you look amazing,” Summer smiled up at me.

“Thanks, Bitch. You look insanely hot. As do you, Ari.”

Ari smiled and swayed in her dress slightly. “We all look amazing!”

“Agreed,” Leon grinned. Ari hit his chest playfully and he chuckled. “So when are the rest of the people getting here?”

“Well you guys are early, so in about five minutes. Ari, come help me choose the music?” I asked from my height above her. She was already very small, but when I had heels on and she did not, she looked exactly like the Pixie Hunter called her.

“Sure!” She kissed Leon quickly and followed me into the lounge and over to the surround sound system where I had plugged in my iPod.

Within minutes, she had whipped up a playlist that would play for three hours, and then loop back to the beginning.

“I included a few slow songs for you and-” Ari began, but she was cut-off by the entrance of the Bays brothers.

“Fuck me you look hot, Gracie,” Beau said, gawking. He quickly cleared his throat. “Sorry, brain to mouth filter temporarily glitched.”

I smiled at him and looked at the other brothers. They, too, were gawking. Mission accomplished.

“Happy Birthday, Beau!” I said, pulling him into a quick hug. He clung on and rested his hands on my waist.

“Do you want your present now?” I asked, my chin resting on his shoulder.

“Depends what the present is,” Beau whispered.

“Well one present is the party,” I told him, pulling out of the hug. “And the other is a silly little thing that’s wrapped up in my bedroom.”

“I want it now please,” he beamed.

“Okay.” On the way past the twins, I hugged them both briefly and then lead Beau up the stairs. Summer eyed us curiously but was distracted by Daniel’s arrival. I caught Daniel’s awestruck expression just before I climbed the staircase.

---- Thoughts? (: