The curtains slowly opened.  Everyone began clapping when they saw Alex atop the Arabian.  Like clockwork, the belly dancers all took their places on each side of the carpet and picked up the palm tree leaves.  They tilted the leaves forward to form an arch over the carpet.  Alex took a deep breath and nudged the horse forward.  As she came down the center, cheers and screams erupted from her guests.  Cameras started to flash everywhere.

 

Olivia smiled proudly as she watched Alex ride down the carpet.  “God, she’s so gorgeous,” she said to Serena.

 

“Isn’t she, though?” Serena agreed.

 

When Alex arrived at the marble steps, she brought Thunder to a halt and smoothly dismounted.  Two belly dancers escorted her up to the dais while another one started leading the stallion back down the red carpet and out of the ballroom.  Alex turned around and waved at the crowd.

 

“Oh my god!” Olivia exclaimed suddenly.

 

“What is it?” Madeline asked in alarm.

 

“She needs her tiara!  It’s in her suite!” Olivia explained.

 

Madeline smiled and sighed in relief.  She handed Olivia the key card to Alex’s suite.  “Here you go, dear.”

 

Olivia returned with Alex’s tiara in record time.  She decided to go through one of the back doors of the ballroom to avoid the crowd.  Alex smiled brightly at her as she walked up the stairs.  Another round of cheering and clapping erupted as Olivia gently placed the tiara on Alex’s head.  Alex wrapped her arms tightly around Olivia’s neck and kissed her on the cheek.

 

By this time, Elliot, Kathy, Serena, and Casey had all made their way to the front of the crowd.  “That moment was so beautiful,” Kathy said.

 

Olivia started to walk back down the steps when Alex grabbed her arm and pulled her back.  “Hey, where are you going?”

 

“I need to give the key card back to your mom,” Olivia explained.

 

“Promise me you’re coming back?” Alex insisted.

 

Olivia smiled.  “I wouldn’t let you down, baby.”

 

After returning the key card to Madeline, Olivia joined their friends to watch Alex give her speech.  Rabia handed the microphone to Alex.  Alex tapped the head of the microphone and cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention.  A spotlight was focused directly on her.

 

When the crowd had quieted down, Alex began, “Hey, everyone!  I’d like to take a moment to thank you all for coming!”  She paused as more cheers, screams, and declarations of affection were thrown her way.  When the noise had settled again, she continued, “As you all know, there are two segments to my party:  costume and formal.  When it’s time for the formal segment, you can retrieve your gowns or tuxes from the wardrobe attendants and get changed in the dressing rooms reserved.  There are separate areas for guys and girls.  Last but not least, there’s plenty of food, drink, and entertainment to go around, so just let loose and enjoy yourselves!”  At the end of her speech, confetti launchers shot huge bursts of confetti into the air.  More screams erupted.

 

The DJ started playing music and the crowd dispersed to various parts of the ballroom.  Alex gave the microphone back to Rabia and motioned for Olivia to come back up on the dais.  Olivia was all too happy to comply.  Alex took a seat on her chaise and made room for Olivia to sit beside her.  “I’m so glad to have you right beside me,” Alex said gratefully.

 

“I’m happy to share this with you,” Olivia replied.

 

“When do you wanna perform our dance?” Alex asked.

 

Olivia shrugged.  “I dunno.  How about after we have some snacks?”

 

“Sounds good to me.  Ugh.  I’m getting nervous all over again.”

 

Olivia pointed to Alex’s cake, which was set up next to one of the buffet tables.  “When are you gonna cut your cake?”

 

Alex grinned and licked her lips.  “Maybe in a couple hours?  I haven’t quite decided yet.  But by then, all the major performances will be outta the way.”

 

“Did you see how many presents you had stacked up outside?  It’s insane.”

 

Alex laughed.  “I don’t know what I’m gonna do with them all.  Maybe I’ll store ’em in the guest house or something.”

 

“Or you could stack ’em in one of the empty rooms in the main house.  It’s not like you’re tight on space,” Olivia said with a chuckle.

 

“Hmm…true.  Do you think the photographer got some really good shots of you putting my tiara on?”

 

“Probably.”

 

Alex took one of Olivia’s hands into her own and rubbed her thumb over the smooth skin.  She looked into her eyes and said, “Having you crown me meant so much to me.  It’ll probably be the moment that stands out to me 30 years from now.”

 

Olivia brushed a curl back from Alex’s face and told her, “Don’t make me cry.”

 

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Alex replied.

 

“You gonna go out there and mingle with the crowd?” Olivia asked.

 

“Yeah, but not right now.  I just wanna sit here with you.”

 

“So how did you feel when you were up there on top of Thunder?”

 

Alex sighed.  “Unbelievable.  My adrenaline was pumping and I just felt on top of the world.”

 

“There was no doubt in my mind that you’d pull it off,” Olivia said with a smile.  “Highest royalty couldn’t have done it better.”

 

Alex blushed.  “Liv…”

 

“You know, being up here reminds me of Lite Brite,” Olivia joked.

 

Alex looked around and laughed.  “Yeah.  The neon colors are pretty bright up here.”

 

“You want me to get you somethin’ to eat?” Olivia offered.

 

Alex nodded.  “That’d be great.”

 

Olivia returned shortly with two plates and handed one to Alex.  “I made sure to get you lots of fondue.  I thought you’d like to sample each fountain.”

 

“Thank you,” Alex replied.  She picked up a tangerine slice covered with white chocolate.

 

Olivia picked up a dark chocolate-dipped strawberry and took a bite.  She held out the rest of the strawberry and fed it to Alex.  Alex grabbed Olivia’s finger and sucked off some chocolate that had dropped on it.  Olivia laughed.  “You’re supposed to eat the strawberry, not my finger!”

 

“What can I say, Liv?  I’ll eat anything covered in chocolate.”

 

Olivia waggled her eyebrows.  “Anything, you say?”

 

Alex gave her a gentle shove.  “Oh, Liv.  So dirty.”

 

“Would you have me any other way?” Olivia asked, giving her a lopsided grin.

 

“Not at all,” Alex replied, feeding her a strawberry in return.

 

“Some of those appetizers looked really tempting,” Olivia said.  “But I feel like I’d be eating a second dinner!  Besides, I wanna leave room for cake.”

 

“We’ll have plenty of room, babe,” Alex told her.

 

A few minutes later, the gang walked up the steps to join them.  “So I see Alex is engaging in her favorite pastime—eating,” Serena quipped.

 

Alex gave a sly smile.  “That’s not my favorite pastime by a long shot.”

 

Serena looked at Casey and said, “Doesn’t take a rocket scientist…”

 

“Casey, are those meatballs?” Alex asked, trying not to drool.

 

Casey laughed.  “Yeah.  Pretty good, too.”

 

Olivia looked at Alex and smiled.  “You don’t even have to ask, baby.”  She got up and took their empty plates to dispose of them.

 

“Hey, Rabia?” Alex asked.

 

“Yes, Alex?” Rabia answered.

 

“Can you bring some more throw pillows and rugs so my friends can sit beside me?”

 

Rabia nodded.  “Sure.  Just a moment.”

 

When Rabia returned, Casey, Serena, Elliot, and Kathy sat down comfortably around Alex’s chaise.  “So how does it feel to be treated like a princess?” Elliot asked.

 

Alex laughed.  “Pretty damn good.”

 

**************

 

Apricot couscous, chicken kabobs, baked feta with marinara, feta and lamb-stuffed grape leaves, edamame hummus, Greek shrimp bruschetta, Persian spinach and yogurt dip, spanakopita, and Moroccan meatballs were just a few of the hors d’oeuvres that graced the buffet tables.  Olivia narrowed down her options to some of the food she thought Alex would like the most.  As she was piling food on a plate, she felt someone bump her shoulder from behind.  She turned around and saw that it was Lexie. 

 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Liv!” Lexie apologized.

 

Olivia flashed a tight smile.  “It’s ok.”  I still can’t believe Alex invited you, she thought.

 

“You know, I think you and Alex make a really cute couple.  You guys have been together awhile.  And you seem to love each other so much.”

 

“Yep, we do,” Olivia responded.  I really wish you’d stop talking to me. 

 

“Your costume is really pretty,” Lexie complimented.

 

“Thanks.”  As much as she didn’t care for Lexie and was suspicious of her intentions, she wondered exactly how tight things were between her and Abbie.  Even though she knew she should refrain from mentioning Abbie at all, she wanted to get a read off Lexie to discern if Abbie had any plans to crash Alex’s party.  “So…what’s Abbie up to tonight?”

 

Lexie rolled her eyes.  “She’s not planning on sneaking in, if that’s what you’re getting at.  She told me she was hanging out with some old friends.”

 

“Was she pissed at you for coming to Alex’s party?” Olivia asked.

 

“She tried to brush it off and act like it didn’t matter, but I could tell it bothered her.  I mean…Alex and I have been friends for years, so I’m not here to offend anyone.  But Abbie would snap at me whenever I mentioned anything to do with the party.”

 

“I see,” Olivia commented dryly.  She continued down the buffet table.

 

“Liv, I know you and Abbie have had quite a few run-ins, but I want you to know that I hate Abbie’s pursuit of Alex just as much as you do.”

 

Olivia’s eyebrows jumped up and she turned back around.  “Really?”

 

Lexie nodded.  “Yeah.  I think I’ve started to fall for her but I can’t gauge how much she really likes me.  She seems so hung up on Alex sometimes.”

 

Olivia’s curiosity was definitely piqued.  “How so?”

 

“Well, we can be talking and if she sees Alex walk by, sometimes she’ll stop mid-sentence and just stare at her.  Or she’ll make some snide remark concerning Alex when we aren’t talking about anything to do with her at all.  I don’t quite know what to make of it.”

 

I know what to make of it—that stupid bitch is still obsessed with my girl and if she tries one more thing, I’ll hurt her, Olivia thought angrily.  Of course, she didn’t want to sound like a total bitch, so she just responded, “Yeah, well…she cheated on Alex so I’d be careful if I were you.  I know she’s your girl and you care about her a lot, but she’s not to be trusted.”

 

“She does have a good heart, Liv.  I know that much,” Lexie said in her defense. 

 

“Whatever you say,” Olivia muttered.

 

“Can I tell you a secret, Liv?” Lexie asked.

 

Oh, what the hell? Olivia thought.  “Sure.”

 

“Before you and Alex started dating, I used to have a little crush on you.”

 

You had what on me?  “Um…ok,” Olivia replied, not knowing what else to say.

 

“Yeah…I’d planned to talk to you at one of the parties last summer, but I kinda got preoccupied,” Lexie said with a grin.

 

“I bet,” Olivia commented dryly.  Like everyone doesn’t know your history, she thought.  She finished putting the last items on the plate and said, “Well, I gotta get this food to Alex.  Have fun at the party.”

 

“Bye,” Lexie said, watching her leave.

 

Olivia returned and handed Alex her plate.  Alex flashed Olivia a bright smile.  “Oh, wow, Liv!  Thanks!  Everything looks so good!  I hope I have room for it all.”

 

Serena smiled.  “I’m sure you will.”

 

Alex smirked at Serena and then turned to Olivia again.  “Hey, I saw you talking to Lexie,” she started.  “What were you guys talking about?”

 

Olivia recounted the conversation for Alex.  When she was finished, Alex frowned and asked, “Lexie used to have a crush on you?”

 

Olivia laughed.  “You’re not worried about the fact that Abbie still obsesses over you or might try to sneak in, but you’re concerned that Lexie had a crush on me?  Besides, you kissed her.”

 

Alex rolled her eyes.  “She kissed me first, Liv.”

 

“But you kissed back,” Olivia pointed out.

 

“And then I pulled away.  Remember?  We’d broken up.”

 

Olivia smiled.  “I’m just messing with you, babe.”

 

“I know, I know.  It’s just weird what Lexie said about crushing on you.”

 

“How is that weird?” Olivia asked.

 

“Well, it’s like we’re all connected—kinda like that chart on L Word.  Casey’s dating Serena.  Serena kissed Lexie, Abbie’s now dating her; I’ve kissed Lexie, and I used to date Abbie.  And Lexie crushed on you and would’ve tried to get with you as soon as she cleared her list.”

 

Casey groaned.  “Don’t remind me.  I had to watch Serena make out with that skank.”

 

“And I had to watch you make out with that jerk you used to date, so I guess we’re even,” Serena countered, mildly annoyed.

 

“But I was actually dating Derek; you just made out with a random girl,” Casey argued.

 

Serena turned to face her with her mouth open in shock.  “Ok, one, she was on the squad with me and I’ve known her for awhile, and two, that’s not the first time we made out.”

 

Casey’s expression mirrored Serena’s.  “What?  How many times have you kissed her?”

 

Serena rolled her eyes.  “It’s not like I keep tally!”

 

“So many times that you can’t even remember?” Casey asked in disbelief.

 

“Casey, I’d get tipsy sometimes at parties and make out with her.  She’s a good kisser with a nice body.  I don’t remember how many times it happened, but it wasn’t enough to make me a makeout whore.”

 

“That’s because Lexie already has that title!” Casey retorted.

 

Alex smiled and whispered to Olivia, “Who needs belly dancers when you have all the entertainment you need right here?” 

 

Olivia laughed softly.  “I know, right?”

 

“Maybe you need to act as referee, El,” Kathy suggested.

 

Elliot snorted.  “Hopefully it won’t get that bad.”

 

Serena ignored them all.  “So are you saying that if Lexie wasn’t the biggest slut in your book, I’d come in next?”

 

Casey’s cheeks flushed red with anger.  “Stop twisting my words!  I never said you were a whore!  All I wanted to know was how many times you kissed her!”

 

Serena stood up.  “And what number would catapult me into the land of whoredom?  5, 6, 10?”

 

Olivia burst out laughing.  Serena glared at her.  “I’m glad you find this fucking funny, Olivia!  Especially considering how you have more notches on your belt than I do!”

 

Olivia glared at her.  “Don’t you dare bring me into this!”

 

“Ouch,” Elliot interjected.

 

“Out of line, Serena!” Alex snapped, her face turning red.

 

“I don’t judge you, Serena.  You know that.  Let’s just drop it.  It’s Alex’s birthday and we shouldn’t argue,” Casey said.

 

“Oh, so when you’re backed into a corner, you suddenly remember it’s Alex’s birthday?  Funny how her birthday didn’t matter to you when you wanted to grill me on how many times I’d kissed a girl who doesn’t even matter to me!” Serena shouted, storming down the steps.

 

“Serena!” Casey yelled.  Serena kept going.  “Serena, wait!” Casey ordered.  Groaning loudly, she put down her plate and ran down the steps just as Serena was exiting the back of the ballroom.

 

“That doesn’t sound good,” Olivia said.  “You stay here, babe.  I’ll go make sure no one gets hurt.”  She kissed Alex on the cheek and made her exit.

 

Olivia opened the door to the bathroom to find Serena and Casey yelling at each other.  “Hey!  Cut it out, you two!” she demanded, running over and forcing her way between them.  She looked from one to the other.  “You are supposed to be in love and you’re yelling your damn lungs out at each other!”

 

“Don’t give me that holier-than-thou bullshit, Olivia!” Serena yelled.  “You and Alex have certainly had your share of fights!”

 

Olivia turned to face her.  “Oh, Serena, don’t fucking start with me again!  This is not about me!  This is about the two of you being disrespectful at my girlfriend’s party!”

 

“My girlfriend insinuates that I’m a slut and I’m the one being disrespectful?” Serena asked nastily.

 

“I never fucking insinuated that!  When I said Lexie had the title of makeout whore, that had no bearing on you!  I meant that no matter how many times you made out with her or anyone else, you could never compare to her record!  Stop reading so much into it!  Besides, you’re the one who brought up the term ‘whore’ in the first place!”

 

“If you backpedaled any faster, you’d slam into the wall, Novak!” Serena shouted.

 

“I am not backpedaling, and don’t call me by my last name!” Casey screamed, getting in Serena’s face again. 

 

Olivia roughly pushed both of them back.  “Shut the fuck up!  Both of you are about to drive me insane!  Casey, it did sound like you meant that the only reason Serena isn’t an official makeout whore is because Lexie beat her to it, but Serena, if she insists that’s not the case, then just fucking drop it!  Shit!  Miscommunication happens a lot, words get misconstrued, and you both need to build a fucking bridge and get over it.”

 

Both fuming, Serena and Casey folded their arms and turned away from each other.  Olivia threw up her hands exasperatedly.  “Oh, come on!  This is supposed to be a fun night for all of us and you two are acting like 5-year-olds!  Now apologize to each other, let it go, and make up!”  When neither of them made any effort to move, Olivia grabbed Casey’s arm and yanked her in front of Serena. 

 

Casey almost tripped over Olivia’s feet in the process but managed to catch herself.  She roughly snatched her arm out of Olivia’s grasp and shouted, “Don’t shove me!  I don’t need your help!”

 

Olivia decided to ignore Casey’s outburst.  “Kiss her,” she ordered.

 

Serena and Casey both turned their heads to face her.  “What?” they asked in unison.

 

“Oh, so now you’re both deaf?  Casey, fucking kiss Serena!”

 

“Olivia, who are you to tell me to do anything?” Casey demanded.

 

“Do you fucking love her or not?” Olivia asked.

 

“You know how much I love her!” Casey yelled.

 

“Then I shouldn’t even have to tell you to kiss her.”

 

Serena angrily swiped at her eyes as tears began to fall.  “You’re right.  You shouldn’t have to tell her.”  She tried to leave but Olivia held her arm.

 

“Serena, you could’ve just as easily kissed me!” Casey argued.

 

“But you’re the one who hurt my feelings, Casey!” Serena protested.

 

“You misunderstood me!”

 

“You should never have questioned me about my past!  I never asked you how many times you slept with Derek or how many guys you made out with before you dated him!”

 

“Ok, Serena, I’m sorry!  I was outta line!  Now can we please stop arguing?” Casey begged, tears now streaming down her face, too.

 

“You’re only apologizing because Olivia told you to!” Serena accused.

 

“I’m apologizing because I fucking love you and I want us to be ok!”

 

“Ok, this is obviously going nowhere, so which one of your asses do I need to kick first to keep you from ruining both Alex’s birthday and your relationship?” Olivia interrupted.

 

“Shut up, Olivia!” they both yelled, their throats nearly raw.  Serena tried to leave again when this time, Casey grabbed her arm. 

 

“Sweetie, don’t leave.  Please,” Casey begged.

 

“Why should I stay?  So you can refuse to kiss me and give me another half-assed apology?” Serena retorted.

 

“It was sincere!  And I would kiss you if you’d stop yelling at me!”

 

“You guys have 5 seconds to get your tongues down each other’s throats!” Olivia yelled.

 

“Olivia…” Casey warned, glaring at her.

 

“5, 4…”

 

“Stop it, Liv!  I don’t want her to kiss me if she’s only doing it because you told her!” Serena insisted.

 

“Damn it, Serena, you know that’s ridiculous!  I kiss you all the time!  Why must you be so fucking difficult?” Casey screamed, pressing her mouth suffocatingly against Serena’s before she could protest further.  Serena tried to push her back but Casey pinned her to the countertop of the sinks and tangled a hand sharply in her hair to hold her head in place.  Sighing and giving in, Serena parted her lips to grant Casey’s desperate tongue entry.

 

Olivia smiled victoriously.  “Much better.”  Casey flipped her off without breaking the kiss with Serena.

 

When they stopped kissing, they wrapped each other in a warm embrace.  “You don’t honestly think I think you’re a whore, do you?” Casey asked painfully against her ear.

 

“No.  You just really hurt me,” Serena said, holding on tight.  “But I’m sorry we fought.”

 

“I’m sorry, too,” Casey agreed.

 

“Aww,” Olivia cooed before she could stop herself.

 

They both looked at Olivia.  “Can you give us some privacy?” Serena asked.

 

Olivia grinned.  “You can have all the privacy you need,” she said, turning on her heel to leave.

 

Olivia returned to the ballroom to an anxiously waiting Elliot, Kathy, and Alex.  “So what happened?” Alex demanded.

 

“Well…they screamed at each other, cried, I told them to shut up and kiss each other or I was gonna kick their asses, and then Casey finally kissed Serena and flipped me the bird.”

 

“So are they ok?” Kathy wanted to know.

 

“Nothing a little makeup sex won’t cure,” Olivia answered with a grin.

 

“They didn’t break up or anything, did they?” Elliot asked.

 

“No.  I wasn’t going to let that happen.”

 

“I want details, Liv,” Alex demanded, popping a meatball into her mouth and chewing intently.

 

Olivia let out a deep sigh and then recounted details of everything that had happened.  When she finished, Elliot shook his head and said, “Girls are way too volatile.”

 

“No, we aren’t,” Alex argued.  “We just don’t try to be all macho like men and bottle up our emotions.”

 

“And when we wanna be affectionate, we don’t hold back,” Olivia added.  “When is the last time I saw you passionately kiss Kathy in front of all your male friends instead of just laying a little smooch on her?”

 

“Now, wait a minute.  Just because my tongue isn’t down Kathy’s throat every five seconds doesn’t mean I’m trying to act macho,” Elliot argued.  “Not everyone is a fan of PDA.  Besides, I didn’t want the guys to get all jealous because they don’t have a great girl like Kathy.”

 

Kathy, Alex, and Olivia all laughed.  “Right, Elliot,” Alex said. 

 

When Casey and Serena came back several minutes later, they were holding hands.  Alex, Olivia, Elliot, and Kathy all abruptly stopped talking.  Serena frowned and said, “Nice to see that our problems are fodder for the gossip reel.”

 

“We were just wondering if you guys were ok,” Alex said.

 

Casey smiled at Serena.  “Yeah, we’re ok.”

 

Serena looked at Olivia.  “Hey, Liv, I’m sorry about that stuff I said.”

 

Olivia nodded.  “Don’t worry about it.”

 

“I heard Liv had to play referee,” Elliot said.

 

Casey rolled her eyes.  “Don’t remind us.”

 

“Aw, come on!” Alex said.  “You know things would’ve only gotten worse if Liv hadn’t come in and forced you to stay put and talk things out.”

 

Serena smirked.  “More like kiss things out.”

 

“And you absolutely melted when Casey did kiss you,” Olivia replied.  She leaned back next to Alex on the chaise and folded her arms.  “Just like Alex here.  She cannot refuse these lips.”

 

Alex gaped at her.  “Oh, don’t even start!  All I have to do is give you the eyes and you go all goo-goo ga-ga.”

 

“Hey, you cheat with the eyes!” Olivia insisted.

 

“You cheat with yours, too!  And your chest and abs!  We’ll be in the middle of having a disagreement, and you’ll maneuver your body so your shirt comes up over your abs or you’ll purposely make your nipples hard!”

 

Olivia burst out laughing.  “Oh, please!  I can’t make my nipples hard on purpose!”

 

“Oh, I beg to differ!” Alex protested.

 

“Ladies, let’s keep this rated G for the kiddies at the party,” Elliot teased.

 

Alex winked at Elliot and began caressing Olivia’s abs with one hand.  “Hey, it’s my party.  And there are no rules.”

 

“Is it me or did it just get 10 degrees hotter up here?” Elliot asked, fanning himself.  “Maybe I need to move closer to the ice.”

 

“Oh, it’s not just you,” Serena said, watching Alex dip her finger in some chocolate.  Olivia took the finger and slowly sucked off the sweet, sticky liquid.

 

“You know the only thing that tastes better than chocolate?” Olivia asked Alex.

 

“Do we even wanna hear the answer?” Casey asked.

 

Alex grinned.  “What?”

 

Olivia pulled Alex close and whispered in her ear, “Your pussy.  I can’t wait to get you back to that suite and make love to you all…night…long.”

 

Alex flushed red all over and her heart started racing inside her chest.  “Liv, please don’t tease me on my birthday.”

 

“Oh, sweetie, I’m so not teasing,” Olivia replied sultrily, placing a hand on Alex’s thigh.

 

Olivia’s touch almost seemed to sear through the material of Alex’s costume.  Alex closed her eyes briefly to try to calm her raging hormones.  After taking several deep breaths, she opened them again and just said, “Um…I think I need to go get some punch.”

 

Alex moved forward to get up but Olivia gently pushed her back.  “No, baby.  Your wish is my command tonight,” Olivia insisted.

 

“I know…sweetie.  It’s just…I wanna walk off some of this energy or I’m gonna go crazy here.”

 

“Can we say horny?” Serena teased.

 

Alex shot her a look and stood up.  “Don’t go there, Serena.”

 

Alex came back several minutes later with two glasses of punch after mingling some with her guests.  Olivia smiled as she accepted a glass and asked her, “Well, aren’t we Little Miss Popular tonight?”

 

Alex sat down beside her and stretched out her legs.  “Well, it’s only polite to visit a little with some of my guests.”

 

“Sign any autographs?” Elliot asked with a grin.

 

“Just a couple,” Alex responded with a wink.

 

Olivia pointed to a kid on the floor who had grabbed the crowd’s attention.  “Look at Jason trying to break dance.”

 

“He looks more like he’s humping the floor,” Serena commented.

 

Alex laughed.  “I know, right?  But I have to give him an E for effort.”

 

“Speaking of dancing, I haven’t gotten to dance with the princess yet,” Olivia said, pouting and leaning into Alex’s face.

 

Alex laughed and squeezed her cheeks together with one hand.  “You’re so cute.  Why don’t we go out there right now?”

 

Olivia jumped up and offered her hand to Alex.  “You read my mind.”

 

Everyone cleared a path so Alex and Olivia could take the floor.  Serena, Casey, Elliot, and Kathy came down to gather around them with the rest of the crowd.  When a new song began, Alex and Olivia moved in close to start dancing together.  Colorful spotlights washed over the two of them as the crowd cheered them on.  Olivia put a hand at the small of Alex’s back and began guiding their bodies to the beats.  They briefly backed away from each other, moving their arms in a snake-like fashion and doing figure-eights with their hips.  When the rhythm changed, they started to shimmy their chests back and forth at each other. 

 

“I wouldn’t have put it past Alex and Liv to have secretly choreographed this beforehand,” Casey said.

 

“Yeah, they just wanna make us believe it’s impromptu,” Elliot said with a chuckle.

 

A guy ran up next to Olivia to try to get in on the action, but Olivia put her hand in his face and pushed him out of the way without breaking her step.  People around them laughed and Alex grinned at him smugly as she wrapped her arms around Olivia’s neck.

 

“Man, she just owned you!” his friend shouted.

 

Backing up a little and leaving one hand on Olivia’s shoulder, Alex started rolling her belly.  When she let go, Olivia began whirling around her, picking up speed as she went.

 

Every time Olivia made her revolutions, the fringe of her costume brushed against Alex’s exposed skin and sent shivers down her spine.  When Olivia turned her back to her, she lifted her arms above her head and shook her ass.  Oh, fuck!  Man, what this girl does to me, Alex thought as she moved right up on Olivia’s ass.  She brought her hands around and could feel the thin layer of sweat that had started to coat Olivia’s taut abs.  Moving a hand down, she caressed the smooth skin of Olivia’s exposed thigh.  Her fingertips danced dangerously close to her warm center.  Desire coursed through her body, and the diamond at the base of her throat felt oddly heavy and unnaturally warm.  I always knew this diamond was special.

 

Olivia could feel the heat pulsing between their bodies and tried her hardest not to get lost in the moment.  We’re in a ballroom, not the bedroom, she kept telling herself over and over.  She lifted her hair with one hand in an effort to get a little air.  Alex leaned in closer, and her hot breath mixed with the sweat dripping from the tendrils of hair matted at the nape of Olivia’s neck.  The smell of Alex’s perfume was almost intoxicating; it was sweet and airy, fruity and fresh, and meshed well with her natural scent.  Feeling her knees go slightly weak, she leaned back against Alex for support as they synced their belly rolls together. 

 

“Damn, they look hot,” Fin said, coming up behind Elliot.  “I don’t know whether to cheer or pop a boner.”

 

Elliot smiled at Fin.  “Cheering will be just fine.”

 

“Alex is lucky her tiara didn’t fall off,” Serena said.

 

“She’s so caught up with Liv right now that I doubt she’d care,” Casey murmured.

 

Alex and Olivia almost didn’t even notice when the song ended.  For a moment they just stood there, catching their breath and basking in the excitement from the crowd.  Finally, they joined hands and made their way back to the dais along with their friends.

 

“Nice dance,” Elliot said, grinning.

 

Alex and Olivia smiled proudly.  “We thought so,” Alex replied.  She looked down at her veil that she’d left behind.  “Damn!  I could’ve put this veil to good use out there!”

 

“Maybe it’s a good thing you forgot it,” Elliot joked.

 

“Yeah, there’s no telling what you would’ve done with that veil.  When you guys started touching each other all sensual-like, I was like ‘whoa!’” Serena exclaimed.

 

Olivia smirked.  “Yeah, Alex likes to molest me on the dance floor.”

 

Alex gaped at her.  “You were the one shaking your ass like you were in a Beyoncé video!  What was I supposed to do?”

 

Olivia laughed.  “Babe, you practically jumped my ass and shoved your hand up my skirt.”

 

“Oh, please!” Alex protested.  “You make it sound so risqué.”

 

“Alex, if that wasn’t risqué, I don’t know what was,” Elliot remarked.

 

“I think even some of the belly dancers were taking notes on some of the moves you guys had,” Kathy joked.

 

“Yep, we’re hot stuff,” Alex said, smiling and giving Olivia a high five.

 

“Man, I’m so thirsty,” Olivia said.  She picked up her glass of punch and gulped down the rest of it.

 

Alex grabbed a napkin and dabbed at Olivia’s cleavage, which was glistening with sweat.  “You’re so sexy when you sweat.”

 

“Right now I just wanna run outside and jump in the fountain,” Olivia replied.

 

“I’m tempted to run with you,” Alex said, laying her head on Olivia’s shoulder.

 

A short while later, Yasmin came over to inquire about the dance routines.  “Alex, the girls are ready to perform whenever you are.”

 

“What time is it now?” Alex asked.

 

“5 after 9,” Yasmin answered.

 

Alex looked at Olivia and then turned back to Yasmin.  “Um…give us a few to freshen up and we’ll get this show on the road.”

 

Yasmin nodded.  “Ok.”

 

Alex stood up and took Olivia’s hand.  “Come on, we have an appointment with the bathroom.”

 

Olivia waggled her eyebrows.  “Ooh, you make it sound so official.”

 

After they had left, Casey remarked, “Hmm…I wonder when they’ll be back from freshening up.”

 

Serena laughed and replied, “Probably no time soon.”