She was alone. Really really alone.
And when she was alone, the anxiety came back.
So she pulled out her phone and went through her contact list. Gretchen was shit at answering texts. Any of her derby friends would just talk about Pisa and right now she didn’t want to think about the loss of her friend. “Safety Date Sebastian” came up in her list, and on a whim, she texted him.
Chelsea: Hey, Safety Boy, are you going to the costume party this weekend?
Safety Date Sebastian: Kinda have to, don’t I? What with being a groomsman and all.
Chelsea: I see we are full of sarcasm today.
SDS: Sorry. Just not a big fan of parties. Kinda feel roped into this one.
Chelsea: I know how that feels! I’d rather not go at all, but Gretchen would never forgive.
SDS: Sounds like we are going to have a fine evening of clinging to the wall together.
Chelsea: Sounds like. I’m glad you are as antisocial as me.
SDS: We shall be two freakish wallflowers together.
She smiled. It didn’t help the ache of loneliness go away, or the fear of being by herself, but it was nice to know someone else was out there, listening.
Chapter Six
“Is . . . that a black eye or part of your costume?” Sebastian stared as a familiar figure roller-skated her way to his side, waving. The engagement party for Gretchen and Hunter was in full swing. Costumed partygoers lined the stately halls of Buchanan Manor, and everywhere there were banners and balloons proclaiming the upcoming nuptials of the happy couple. Waitstaff carried champagne glasses and hors d’oeuvres through the crowd, and people were all laughing and mingling and having a good time. Well, almost all. When a cheerleader and a sexy Cookie Monster hit on him the moment he walked through the door, he knew this was yet another “hookup” party. What was it about weddings that made everyone else frantic to find a partner? He’d even dressed in a low-key costume to try to avoid attention, and it wasn’t working. Which was why he was so glad to see Chelsea as she skated toward him, winding her way through the crowd as if she were born on roller-skates. It was pretty impressive to see.
And damn, she was sexy tonight, too. She was just a friend, but she was rocking her costume. A sticker-covered pink-and-purple helmet topped her curly pigtails, and her dress was a short and tiny purple skating costume with a pleated skirt that did nothing to cover her panties. She wore striped pink-and-purple stockings up to her thighs and kneepads and elbow pads, and looked every inch the part of a hot roller derby girl.
Well, except for the black eye. That was distressing.
But she grinned as she skated up to him and then turned so she could stand at his side. “Yeah, it’s a legit black eye. I ran into an elbow. Got myself a shiner.”
She sounded so casual about the abuse. It worried him, even though it wasn’t his place to bring it up. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m cool.” Chelsea’s gaze swung out over the party. “It is wall-to-wall in here tonight. I thought Hunter wasn’t social?”
“He’s not, but it seems like Gretchen is determined to let the entire world know that she loves the man.”
Chelsea looked over at him and chuckled. “She’s proud of him.”
He fought back the flare of lust at that knowing look she sent him. She was a friend, and she’d made it pretty clear that she wasn’t interested in a relationship. He wasn’t either—not really. He was still shuddering from Lisa’s ambush the other day. But her dress was slightly open in the front, revealing some enticing cleavage, and her ass was incredible in the spanky panties she wore underneath her teeny skirt. He was a guy. He couldn’t help it if he was aroused at the sight of a sexy woman, even if she’d friend-zoned him. “Nice outfit.”
“Thanks,” she said, gazing out on the crowd. “Borrowed it from a buddy.” She scanned the room and edged closer to him when a few guys gave her hot looks in passing. “I like your costume, too. What are you?”