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Lola laughs, throwing a pillow at her froes and make them into a dress that barely covers your ass, yes, you would have been free to turn down the gift"

I tug at the he it was just a touch longer I rarely show sohers," Harlow points out and I groan

"Mia grew up in leotards; she’s pocket-sized and built like a gazelle," Lola reasons "Also? I’ina If I’m five inches taller than she is, you’ll practically be able to see my birth canal in this dress"

"You’re so stubborn"

"You’re so slutty"

I listen to the pedestrians walk along the Strip, and for what looks like a trail of colorful round dots from our view on the forty-fifth floor I’ht this We all know it’s just a iant pain in the ass and she always gets her way It sounds strange to say I’ve always loved this about her, but she knohat she wants and goes after it Lola is the same in many ways, but a bit subtler than Harlow’s in-your-face technique

Lola groans, but as expected, eventually ad a losing battle, and it takes only a few minutes for her to slip into her dress and shoes before we head downstairs

IT’S BEEN A long day We’re finished with college, have washed the dust and real life worries fro shots More than that? She loves watching everyone else drink the shots she’s ordered By the time nine thirty rolls around, I decide our level of drunk is sufficient: we’re slurring some words, but at least we can walk I can’t reh like this Lola’s cheek is resting on her crossed arhter Harlow’s head is thrown back and the sound of her giggles rises above the thu music and clear across the bar

And it’s when her head is back like this that I meet the eyes of a man across the crowded room I can’t make out every feature in the dark bar, but he’s a few years older than we are and tall, with light brown hair and dark brows over bright,as if he has no need to participate in our fun; he siuys stand beside hi in the far corner, but he doesn’t look ahen our eyes er

I can’t look away, either, and the feeling is disorienting because nor away My heart trips around insideI focus on my drink instead I don’t do eye contact well I don’t usually do conversation well, either In fact, the only muscles I never seemed to really master were the ones required for easy speech

But for so away from the hot man across the bar, my lips readily for the corner of his lip between his teeth, and , he should do that every day and to every person he meets for the rest of his life He has a di and shadows playing it up because there’s no way in hell so so si strange happen to my insides and I wonder if this is what people mean when they say theyless than solid There’s a distinct flutter of interest froood God, if his srabsme from my careful study of his face and into a crowd of bodies rocking and snaking to the rhyth from the speakers A boy like that is ay out of o find hi with everything else

WE MUST BE easing into Vegas, because after dancing and drinks, we’re in our rooht, all three of us worn-out from the commencement ceremony in the sun, the hot drive, and the alcohol we rushed into our systeh our suite has h there are two bedrooms, we’re all piled into the one Lola and Harlow are out withinof Harlow’s sleep-ly silent and still She buries herself so co ere younger if she so sleepovers There are ti for a pulse

But across the hall, a party rages

The heavy bass ofabovethe rooh, have their own little cacophony of whoops andon A ball hits a wall soh I can only identify a few unique voices in the h noise that I can’t believe the entire suite isn’t full of drunk boys tearing up a weekend in Vegas

Two a somehow both more awake and more asleep When three hits, I’as buzzkill just so I can get a few hours of sleep before our early spa appointments