HIM
look that bad?" I say in surprise at his reaction.I look down at myself and run my hands over my dress. Then bring my eyes back to him.
"Hot damn, girl! You are killing it in that dress!" Ris shouts as she enters my room.
Luke points at Ris, not removing his eyes from me.
"What she said," he mutters in a deep voice.
"Ali, that dress looks smokin' fucking hot on you. It did well!" she boasts.
"I hope it's not too over the top and trashy," I question.
"Nope. It's, ugh," Luke stutters.
"It's fucking sexy as hell, girl!" Ris interrupts.
"And no, it's not trashy at all. Just chill out!"
I walk over to my full-length mirror. I look pretty good, and the slit fits the dress's overall concept, giving it an elegant but edgy appeal. I dig it. I turn to Luke, who is still gawking at me like a horned up teenage boy. He makes me bashful when he looks at me that way.
"How do I look, bitch?" Ris barks as she does a slow spin.
She doesn't need my nod of approval as she rocks every dress she wears. She is wearing a super short strapless black lace dress. It lays perfectly down her curves, and she has the boobs to hold it up. She has on the same shoes that I do, only silver, matching her dangly diamond earrings.
"You look stunning, Ris," I say.
She tromps out of my room after giving me her pressed lip smirk and eyebrow raise. Luke accompanies me to my bathroom for my final hair, makeup, and wardrobe check. His buttoned-up black shirt, medium gray dress pants, and black dress boots accent my outfit perfectly. I'm excited to go to this dinner with my handsome arm candy. Luke couldn't look anymore, suave.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Ris calls a town car for us. She hates Ubers because she thinks they're gross. I do not see a difference between riding in someone's vehicle that is an Uber vs. riding in a town car; it's a stranger driving an unfamiliar vehicle. She will end up in an Uber tonight regardless, as the clubs don't close until two in the morning, and town cars only run until midnight.
Luke is in front with the driver while Ris and I are in the back seat. We all could've fit back here, but it would have been a bit tight. Ris hands me a few bracelets from her clutch. One is almost like a cuff, it's so thick. I give her a weird look wondering why she is handing these to me. She points at the bruises on my arms that I received last night from Brady. I hope Luke hasn't noticed them. I wore a long-sleeved shirt today so no one would see my arms. I smile at Ris and mouth "thank you" to her. She blows me a kiss, and winks at me, then butts into the conversation that our driver and Luke are having.
I slide the single thin brackets, about eight of them, on one wrist. They shimmy down my arm due to their size and cover my bruises. The cuff fits snug on my other arm, where the largest and darkest bruises are resting. I had put what happened with Brady in the back of my mind when Luke got here, and I haven't thought about it or Brady since.
I hope dinner isn't awkward, and he doesn't try something funny like he did today at the morning meeting. I'm becoming apprehensive thinking about seeing him tonight. I pray Brady behaves himself and Ris doesn't get drunk and cause a scene. I wonder if he is bringing Troy to dinner with him. Troy is his wingman. He told me that Brady never brings a girl with him because it's a huge cock block. Therefore, he brings Troy to help him land the ladies.
Brady makes my skin crawl and thinking about him makes me feel like I need to take a shower. I wish Luke were back here next to me; my thoughts of Brady would disappear. It's still fresh in my mind, but I am trying my best to distract myself from it. Although, I do like seeing Luke's profile and gorgeous teeth while he talks and laughs from back here.
The driver slows down and pulls up in front of the restaurant. It's seven twenty-eight, we made it on time. He gets out of his vehicle to open our doors. He opens my door, and Luke opens Ris's. I thank our driver then walk around behind the car to Luke and Ris. Luke grabs hold of my hand and kisses me on my forehead.
"That's an awesome name for a steakhouse!" Luke chuckles as he looks at the building.
We are at the Carnivor Steakhouse Moderne. It is one of the finest steakhouses in Milwaukee. I have only eaten here once before, but the atmosphere and food are quite exquisite. It is said to be Wisconsin's most acclaimed fine-dining destination and consistently tops the year-end "Best Of" list. The building itself is an architect's dream, and the structure and overall concept is captivating.
We enter the steakhouse, and the hostess greets us. Ris tells her we are part of the Facade party and we follow the hostess to the Raptor Room. I take in the amazing interior design, lighting, and overall layout of the restaurant that I do not pay attention to all the people from work already here. That is until Ris's loud, obnoxious voice echoes throughout the building.
A few people are already sitting in our private dining area, but most are gathered around the bar that sits off the opening to the room, socializing with a drink in hand. It's always fun to see co-workers outside of a professional work setting. Of course, Barrett is not here yet, he's always the last one to show up. Brady walks up to us, and sure enough, Troy is right behind him.
"Good to see you again and Ali," Brady says.
He shakes Luke's hand then nods at me while looking at me up and