67 -

The taxi was driving them through the busy streets of London. The group was chatting excitedly about the night ahead, and Aubrey's enthusiasm was more than palpable.

Aubrey: "I hope we'll run into a bunch of influencers," she said, stars in her eyes.

Joan: "Try to bring one back to your bed."

Ellie, without looking up from her phone, teased Joan: "We all know you're the Don Juan here."

Joan leaned in to glance over her shoulder.

Joan: "We already know who you want to bring to your bed."

Ellie blushed slightly and shook her head to brush him off.

Ellie: "What are you talking about?" she said, clearly embarrassed.

Joan raised an eyebrow, amused.

Joan: "Keep playing innocent."

The girls burst into laughter, and Ellie rolled her eyes, trying to hide a smile as she put her phone away.

When they arrived at the venue, the crowd of photographers was waiting. As soon as the taxi doors opened, flashes went off, pointing at them. Joan was the first to get out, and immediately, the photographers started yelling "Over here!" and "This way!" without any idea of who he was.

Joan played along with a beaming smile, posing for each shot like he was used to this media frenzy. From inside the taxi, the girls watched him, laughing hysterically.

Aubrey: "He's going to remind us of this moment for the rest of his life, we're screwed."

Ellie: "Shit, he'll probably never get over it."

The small group finally entered the party, where music was blasting in every corner. Inside, Aubrey seemed to recognize every face, turning to them each time she spotted someone influential.

Aubrey: "I'm never going to recover from this either," she whispered while gripping Kate's arm, who nodded with a smile at her excitement.

Then, as they moved through the crowd, Kate spotted someone in the distance and subtly pointed in that direction.

Kate: "Finneas!"

Ellie felt a wave of familiarity comfort her as she saw her friend, who waved at them. Standing beside him was Claudia, always as elegant and radiant.

Ellie: "Finneas! Claudia! So happy to see you guys here," she said as she joined them with a smile.

After a warm hug, she introduced her friends.

Ellie: "This is Joan and Aubrey, these two are my best friends."

Joan didn't hesitate to compliment Finneas, not missing a beat.

Joan: "Claudia, seriously... you hit the jackpot with him."

Finneas laughed, amused by Joan's enthusiasm.

Finneas: "Thanks, man, you're officially my biggest fan," he said, shaking Joan's hand, looking amused.

The conversation moved on to talk about the concert and some small memories, and after a while, Ellie finally asked the question that had been on her mind.

Ellie: "And Billie? She's not here yet?"

Finneas shrugged with a smirk.

Finneas: "She's somewhere in all this chaos, she's literally the star of the night."

Minutes passed, and the lively music prompted Aubrey and Kate to hit the dance floor, causing some laughs from Ellie and Joan, who stayed on the sidelines chatting.

As they talked about the vibe of the party, a young woman with curly hair, who seemed to float effortlessly through the crowd, approached them. She flashed a charming smile at Joan, who immediately straightened up.

The young woman: "Would you like to have a drink with me?"

Joan, suddenly much less confident, started stammering.

Joan: "Uh... me? A drink?"

Ellie burst out laughing and, before Joan could say anything else, she answered for him.

Ellie: "He'd love to, right, Joan?" She gave him a wink.

Joan stared at her for a moment, slightly caught off guard, but finally nodded timidly.

Joan: "Sure... Are you sure it's okay, Ellie?"

Ellie: "Don't worry about it, enjoy yourself, I'll catch up with the girls," she replied, amused.

The curly-haired brunette gave Ellie a knowing look before handing her a small folded piece of paper. She took Joan's arm and led him into the crowd.

A bit puzzled, Ellie opened the paper and found a message: "Meet me on the 2nd floor." There was no name, just the mysterious note. Intrigued, she looked around, but no further clues seemed to be giving her an answer.

Her curiosity piqued, she made her way through the guests and climbed the stairs to the second floor. This level was quieter, with small groups of people engaged in conversation. She walked down the long corridor when a hand gently grabbed her arm, pulling her softly into a room. Surprised, her heart began to race as she was pulled against her will.

Her breath quickened as she felt a hand rest lightly on her hip. She turned around, and her heart skipped a beat. Billie, right there, face-to-face with her, eyes a piercing blue, was smiling mischievously.

Ellie: "Billie? You're fucking crazy."

Billie: "Damn, Ellie... you're stunning," she murmured, eyeing her up and down.

Ellie felt Billie's intense gaze slide over her, and her own eyes instinctively fell to Billie's lips before drifting down to her cleavage. She blushed, unable to hide her interest.

Ellie: "Oh, wow... Billie... I didn't expect this."

Billie flashed a confident smile, more assured than ever.

Billie: "I'm not in oversized today. You like what you see?"

Ellie nodded, almost hypnotized.

Ellie: "I'm at a loss for words, you're so beautiful."

At her words, Billie blushed too but didn't lose her confidence. She locked eyes with Ellie, the tension between them growing.

Ellie: "Why are we both here alone? Not that I mind, but..."

Billie looked at her, her tone turning almost playful.

Billie: "I wanted to see you one-on-one before going back to the chaos downstairs."

Ellie burst out laughing.

Ellie: "You're running away from your own party?"

Billie stepped closer, whispering in her ear.

Billie: "Trust me, it's worth it."

Their proximity made Ellie blush, and Billie pulled back slightly, offering her hand.

Billie: "Come, sit here," she said, pointing to an armchair. "Close your eyes, I have a surprise."

Amused, Ellie obeyed, smiling.

Ellie: "Now that, I'll happily do..."

She felt Billie's hands slowly pull away, and a light weight settled on her knees. Billie's soft voice echoed near her ear.

Billie: "You can open your eyes."

On her lap was a beautifully wrapped gift. Ellie looked at Billie, surprised.

Ellie: "Oh wow, what's this for?"

Billie shrugged, her eyes sparkling.

Billie: "Just open it."

As Ellie tore off the paper, she discovered a state-of-the-art camera. She looked up, slightly embarrassed.

Ellie: "What the fuck?! Billie, you're crazy."

Billie: "I'll take that as a thank you," Billie said, laughing.

Ellie threw herself into her arms.

Ellie's heart was racing as she felt Billie's warmth pressed against her, brushing against her, pulling their bodies even closer. Billie's fingers traced a soft and intense fiery line along Ellie's arms, their proximity wrapped in almost unbearable tension.

Ellie held Billie's gaze, her eyes lingering on her lips, each movement charged with barely concealed desire. A smile spread across Billie's face, and her eyes slowly drifted from Ellie's eyes to her lips, her breath quickening slightly, as if measuring every inch that separated them.

Ellie: "Thanks again," she murmured, getting even closer, her heart pounding. "Even though I was expecting a different kind of gift."

She let her fingers slide down Billie's arm, lingering on her hand. Billie, almost electrified by the touch, responded by sliding a hand around Ellie's waist, pulling her gently against her, their bodies brushing in a way that was both tender and burning. Her face was now just a few millimeters from Ellie's, and her breath brushed against her lips.

Billie: "Maybe we could put off going back to the party, just a little bit," her eyes were fixed on Ellie's lips, both hesitant and captivated, as if she were holding herself back from giving in to the pull that was bringing them closer.

Ellie felt a rush of warmth fill her. She wanted Billie, right now, as if every second of waiting was bringing them closer to that invisible line, ready to break under the pressure of their shared desire. Her gaze drifted again to Billie's cleavage, savoring the view before returning to look into her eyes.

Ellie: "I thought we were supposed to stay just friends..." she murmured, a teasing smile on her lips, as she slid a hand to the back of Billie's neck, pulling their faces even closer, their lips almost touching.

Billie bit her lip slightly, suppressing a smile while giving in a little to the pressure of Ellie's hand on her neck. Their breaths mixed, Ellie's lips almost grazing Billie's. Then, suddenly, as if in one last act of provocation, Billie slowly pulled back, a playful smile on her lips.

Billie: "I think I'll keep that surprise for later," she let her fingers caress Ellie's cheek one last time.

Ellie stood still, burning with the sizzling tension between them. Billie took her hand with almost insolent softness, pulling her toward the door.

Billie: "Come on, let's go, they're waiting for me downstairs," she whispered with a sideways grin, as if promising more later.

Still caught in the moment, Ellie followed her, her heart still burning, the reality of the party slowly pulling them back to earth.