I decide on wearing a little black dress to this event tonight. The hem rests against the middle of my thighs, the thin black material clinging to all my dips and curves. Normally, parts of my body I would want to hide, but that's all changed now.
One bus ride later, I'm sitting cross-legged on the counter in Rhodes's bathroom, applying the finishing touches to my makeup while the curling iron heats up beside me. I'm applying the last dusting of eyeshadow when I hear the elevator arrive downstairs.
"You here, bub?" I hear Rhodes call out from downstairs. I grin and call back to him.
"I'm upstairs!" I hear padded footsteps climbing the stairs before Rhodes's figure appears in the mirror behind me. His warm smile greets me as he crosses the floor over to where I sit. His Danteet suit lies abandoned on the bed, leaving him in a fresh white shirt and black slacks. His hands find my hips as I bring the curling iron through my hair, careful not to burn my scalp as I do it.
"Hi," I mumble softly as he presses his lips against the back of my neck, smiling at me in the mirror. His eyes close as his lips make contact with my skin, squeezing my hips gently with his long fingers. I relax back into his body, feeling an instant wave of relief flow through me. I place the curling iron down and spin myself around on the counter, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug. Despite my added height of sitting on the counter, his body still towers over my own.
"Hey you, you alright?" Rhodes half-chuckles as he wraps his arms around my waist, returning the hug before placing a soft kiss on my cheek. I rest my head on his shoulder for a moment before I pull back, peering up at him through my thick mascara-filled lashes.
"Yeah, I'm okay, just talking with Poppy made me a bit emotional, I guess. Her relationship isn't doing too well, just makes me grateful for ours," I mumble quietly, feeling a little clingy as soon as the words fall out of my mouth. Rhodes doesn't seem to mind, though, returning a gentle smile as he tucks some loosely curled strands of hair behind my ear.
"She did the angel club too, right?" he asks curiously, keeping one of his hands on my hip as he talks to me. I nod.