Kiss My Sass [Books 1 & 2]

[book 2] chapter forty-two: the bachelor(ette) party

AFTER MY AWKWARD run-in with James at Penbrooke, I hadn't heard from or seen him since, not that I was complaining. Space was exactly what the both of us needed, although I wasn't sure how long that would last given tonight's festivities: the bachelor and bachelorette parties.

The parties were initially supposed to be separate events, but Brenton and Leila decided to fuse them into one big event for reasons I couldn't understand. They booked everyone a suite in a swanky hotel, and we were going to go clubbing tonight and then spend the night at the hotel. Not to mention the funky party bus they rented out for tonight. As long as I kept my distance from James, I was anticipating a fun night.

"Hurry up!" Brenton yelled as he peeked his head in my room, a clipboard in one hand and his cell phone in the other. "And don't forget your suitcase!"

I wasn't used to my twin taking initiative or being so serious about responsibility, but he was committed to making this the best bachelor party he could.

I looked in the mirror as I finished curling my hair, putting it in a half-up hairstyle. For my outfit, I decided on a black glittery one-shoulder bodycon dress that stopped a bit higher than my mid-thigh. My goal for tonight was to look hot to show James I was perfectly fine without him and wasn't spending my nights miserable and binge-watching rom-com movies. I strapped on a pair of black heels and grabbed my carry-on before going downstairs to meet Brenton. Since Alex wasn't of legal age and he didn't want to stay home with Mom, he was spending the weekend with our dad. Mom had left to drop him off a while ago, so Brenton and I wanted to use this opportunity to slip out before we could get hit with Mom's never-ending questions and concerns. Ever since her fight with Niko, our mom was like a ticking time bomb and even breathing the wrong way would set her off, so we were hoping to leave without any run-ins with her.

"The bus is here," Brenton said when he saw me. "Let's go, we're already behind schedule."

Not wanting to add more fuel to his stress, I quietly followed him out. The driver put our luggage in the side storage compartment on the party bus before escorting us in. I looked around in awe as we stepped inside.

The bus had black leather seats forming a U-shape, dark purple and blue flashing LED lights, a mini fridge loaded with booze, loud music playing, and what appeared to be a stripper pole right in the centre. My suspicions were proven when Vanessa's other bridesmaids started doing R-rated dances with the metal cylinder.

"Hey, guys!" an already drunk Niko greeted us, putting his arms over our shoulders. "This is great!"

"I don't have time for this." Brenton pushed Niko off to go consult with the driver and ensure we would reach our destination on time.

As the bus started to move, I helped Niko sit down where he was instantly swarmed by Vanessa's bridesmaids. So much for friend loyalty... Vanessa, on the other hand, was dancing with some of her other bridesmaids and Leila. I looked around to see Amber and Holden talking to each other, some of Niko's buddies from Penbrooke, and... My eyes stopped scanning when I saw James sitting in a corner. I contemplated taking the empty seat beside him, but I stopped when one of the other bridesmaids walked past me and sat down next to him.