Page 82 of The Dicktionary Club

Ella and Zola laughed wickedly. Katy rolled her eyes, but there was a slight smirk on her face.

‘How are you feeling about your date with Philip, Ella?’

Ella’s neck immediately turned blotchy. ‘Fine, it’s only one date. Then I can say I’ve done it. Finish the review, and my part is complete for the launch.’

‘And do you have an outfit planned?’ Zola asked.

‘I’m thinking of this black silk off-the-shoulder maxidress I have, something like that.’ She seemed distracted by her workload, but even still, Zola sensed she was uncomfortable talking about her upcoming date.

‘Sexy choice,’ Zola replied, pursing her lips.

‘It’s a fancy venue. I don’t want to go underdressed,’ Ella explained.

‘No, I like it! You would look good in anything,’ Katy chirped in.

Ella smiled warmly at Katy for the kind compliment.

‘And who knows, you might actually enjoy the date,’ she added.

Ella laughed under her breath at that.

‘And have you heard from Curtis?’ she asked Zola.

Zola felt her chest turn heavy at the mention of her fiancé’s name. She hadn’t heard a thing, and in all honesty she had expected him to reach out. Zola had no idea what Curtis was going to do. She wondered if he’d actually want to return to London. And if he did, what that would mean for her. As the silence continued she felt more nauseated by the fact she could have lost the person she was supposed to marry.

‘Radio silence,’ Zola managed. ‘He’s probably too busy on his Xbox!’

‘So .?.?.’ Ella pressed.

‘So, I’ll give him some space. Let him figure out what he wants to do. I don’t blame him either way. I’ve done a horrible thing, and I deserve this.’ Zola’s eyes seemed sorrowful as she spoke about her fiancé. ‘I just have to let him make up his mind, and we can take it from there, I guess.’

‘Well, you can stay with me for as long as you like, Zo,’ Katy reassured her.

Zola nodded hesitantly. ‘Yeah, thanks, babe.’

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ella

Friday evening had come around incredibly quickly, and I found myself pacing my living-room floor, waiting for Philip Khan to pick me up. I had already FaceTimed Zola and Katy three times, questioning my night, my outfit, and my entire existence on this earth. Truth be told, I wasn’t up for an evening of cheesy chat-up lines and his suave efforts to wine, dine and sixty-nine me. Nevertheless, as planned, I wore my silky black dress and tonged a loose wave into my long blonde hair. I added dark eyeliner and subtle makeup to my face. Despite my trepidation, I felt good. It was the first time I had been dressed up this way for a long time, and although I didn’t want to give Philip the wrong impression –that I had made all of this effort for him– at the same time, I wanted an excellent write-up for the Dicktionary Club to go live. Our launch date was fast approaching, now just a week away. And while the girls racked up the reviews, I knew Philip would be the perfect candidate for our standout feature. Most women would be intrigued by what a night with the multi-millionaire was like, and I also accepted that, from a marketing perspective, this would help sell the hell out of subscriptions to the website. So, cautiously, I flicked back my hair and waited for him to arrive.

I’m here. P x

Instantly, my heart began beating fast in my chest. I lifted my bag, phone and keys, applied another layer of gloss to my lips, then headed out into the hallway. I fastened up my bag, and as I headed down the old stone tenement staircase I watched Philip’s eyes gawp at me through the glass pane once more. I pulled open the door and smiled.

‘Hey,’ I said.

Philip looked unbelievably smart in a black tuxedo, so I was immediately glad about my dress choice.

‘Hey, yourself.’ His eyes darted down my body and eventually returned to my face. ‘You look incredible,’ he said, edging forward in an attempt to kiss my cheek.

I dodged the kiss by taking a small step towards the outside stairs and turned back to him. He was smirking.

‘Not a hugger or a kisser? Noted.’

I faced the road, feeling somewhat in control.

‘Yeah, I’m not much of either,’ I said, trying to hide my amusement. ‘Where’s the car?’ I asked.

---