I expected to meet Roxanne and Anastasia at the tiny little bar across the street from our apartment building. It was one of their regular spots, and Roxanne had a not-so-secret crush on one of the bartenders there, which we all teased her about mercilessly.

What I didn't expect was for Val to basically force me into a tiny black dress, pushing my makeup bag in my hands, and to tell me to 'do it right.' She wasn't satisfied until I came out of the bathroom forty-five minutes later with my hair worn down, curled softly at the ends, and a perfect cat eyeliner (which only took me three tries to perfect...on each eye.)

She herded me out of the apartment and down the stairs, narrowly avoiding death since I was also wearing a pair of her strappy sky-high wedges, where Roxanne and Anastasia were waiting for us in similar attire. The two girls squealed when they saw me, exchanging enthusiastic hugs, and pulled us into the waiting cab.

The bar across the street was definitely not on their agenda for the night.

Instead, we headed straight into Manhattan and out of my comfort zone. My three companions were chattering loudly about the bars we were going to visit - bars plural - and I found myself already counting down the minutes before I could go home. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy going out with my friends. Music was my obsession, after all, and dancing just made it better. I just hated going to some overpriced bar, all dressed up to impress, when we could have just as much fun - if not more - at the place across the street from our apartment. And, bonus points, they let me in even when I wear yoga pants.

What's not to love?

The cab came to a halt in front of The Standard High Line, a swanky new hotel that straddled one of my absolute favorite places in New York City. I visited the High Line at least once a week, and I absolutely loved wandering the entire length of the park. The High Line was a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan's West Side. It was green, gorgeous, and an absolute oasis. I loved how unique it was to walk in a park that was above the city, and - even when it was packed with people - I could always find a spot to relax and enjoy my music in peace.

"The Standard?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Why are we at a hotel?"

Val grinned, "We're not going to the hotel. We're going to the penthouse lounge at the top of the hotel."

"And they may or may not be doing a 'Sunset Jazz' concert series every night for the month of May," Anastasia added with a knowing smirk, watching as my jaw dropped open. "And the Richard Clements Trio may or may not be performing there tonight."

I stared at my three friends, completely stunned by what they just told me.

"Are you...are you serious?" I stuttered. "Really?"

They nodded in sync, and I grabbed Val and Roxanne by the arms whilst beckoning Anastasia to follow, "Well, come on! Let's get inside!"

I don't think I could've prepared myself for what awaited me at the top of The Standard. Everyone we passed was immaculately dressed, and I found myself thanking Val internally for making me step it up a notch. We exited the elevator in silence, all four of us staring at the gorgeous room surrounding us. Jazz music was already playing, the soft notes caressing my ears like a long-lost friend, but - for once - I barely noticed it because I was so distracted by the opulence of the bar itself.

Floor-to-ceiling windows covered the walls, and pristine white couches clustered around candlelit tables overlooking the views of the city. The ceiling was covered with hundreds of circles, each reflecting the warm lights glowing throughout the room. We walked slowly toward the bar, drawn to its utter magnificence, and I felt like I was walking into a dream. The bar itself was gold with wood paneling, and a column erupted from the center of it in both red and gold, stretching out in a starburst across the ceiling. My breath caught in my chest, and I felt almost as if I'd entered the world of Jay Gatsby, dripping in gold, and the bar was a green light calling to me at the end of the dock.

"I can't believe this place," I whispered to Val, afraid that if I spoke too loud I'd shatter the illusion of perfection. "Are we really allowed to be in here?"

She smirked, "Believe it or not? We're on the list."

"What?!" I asked, my eyes wide. "How? Who do we know?"

Anastasia came up behind me, looping her arm with mine, and tugged me away from the spot I'd been glued to in my stupor. She smiled at a Val, who simply laughed at my confused expression, before pushing me toward one of the roped off sofas. An attendant smiled graciously at us, the woman impeccably dressed in a tailored off-white origami dress and delicate matching heels, before handing us a few cocktail menus.

"We didn't have anything to do with it," Roxanne said, perching on the edge of one of the elegant sofas. "Your boyfriend, however..."

They laughed as my eyes grew wide once more.

"Andrew?" I asked quietly.

Val nodded, "He messaged me earlier. Said he'd heard that we were doing girls' night, and he wanted to make sure we had a good time after what happened online."

"He did?"

I felt an explosion of warmth spread from my heart through the tips of my fingers. I couldn't believe that he would do something like that, go through so much effort just for me. It probably wasn't difficult for him to get us on the list at a place like this, but it still touched me that he made the effort.

"He planned the whole night, Cait," Val said, smiling as the waitress came back with an expensive looking bottle of champagne, 'on the house' she explained, along with four delicate champagne flutes. "And I'm starting to believe he planned a lot more than I thought he was going to."

I texted Andrew immediately, thanking him for organizing the night out for me and my friends, and he responded instantly. He told me it was nothing and that he hoped I would have a good time before encouraging me to put my phone away and enjoy the music. My hands were shaking as I typed out another thank you, unable to find the words to say anything else, before tucking my phone back in the tiny purse Val let me borrow for the evening.

Roxanne passed me a glass of champagne, and we quickly made a toast - to Andrew and to friendship - before sipping on the marvelous champagne and enjoying the hors d'oeuvres the waitress brought over to our table. Everything was like a fantasy, except the handsome prince was nowhere in sight, and I allowed myself to sink further into the sofa as we laughed and enjoyed the music.

After a few hours, however, Val looked at her phone and grimaced. I caught it before Anastasia and Roxanne did, but she ignored my questioning look. Brushing it off, she picked up her freshly-filled glass of champagne and took another drink before glancing at her phone once more.

"Shit," she swore under her breath, a sound I could barely make out over the music.

I leaned toward her, "What is it? Is everything okay?"

Val hesitated, glancing at Anastasia and Roxanne before nodding, "Yeah. Everything's fine. Don't worry about it, just...drink some more champagne, okay?"

"Val," I started to say, but she lifted up the champagne flute in her hand, motioning for me to drink.

I sipped at my champagne, trying to make sure I didn't drink too much, while listening to the Richard Clements Trio play. I absolutely loved this music, which made the whole experience all the more special, so I let myself sway to the music from my seat on the sofas. My eyes drifted shut as the band riffed, and I felt myself drift away like a wave on the ocean. The rhythm beat slowly like the current, driving me toward something unseen, and I smiled happily.

That is, until the sound of glass shattering ripped me out of my thoughts.

"We need to go," Anastasia said while I helped Roxanne and Val clean up the mess.

Our waitress returned with a towel, followed by a busboy armed with a trashcan and broom, and shooed us away from the mess. Val thanked her, apologizing profusely for dropping the glass, but the woman just smiled.

"Don't we need to pay?" I asked, pointing at the bar.

Val shook her head, blushing slightly, "I tried already. Andrew took care of it, and the bartender refused to accept my money."

Roxanne pulled out her phone, staring at the screen for a few moments before Anastasia elbowed her. She tucked it away quickly, and I narrowed my eyes at the three of them after they herded me into the elevator.

"What's going on?" I demanded, planting my hands on my hips.

Anastasia hesitated, glancing between the other two, and Roxanne shrugged. Val looked torn, like she wanted to say something but wasn't sure how I'd react, so I turned to face her. She was the easiest one for me to crack, having lived with her for several months, so I knew what buttons to push.

"Val," I warned her. "What is happening? What's wrong?"

She bit her lip as the elevator dinged, signaling our arrival at the ground floor. We filed out into the hotel lobby, me walking beside Val with Roxanne and Anastasia ahead of us, and I pulled out my phone. I had a text from Andrew telling me to call him when I got a chance, but - before I could - a series of blinding lights flashed in my face through the glass windows and doors lining the front of the hotel.

One of the doormen smiled at us sympathetically, holding open the door while another doorman was outside pushing the crowd of photographers and onlookers away from the hotel door. It was like a million flashes of lightning going off at once, blinding me instantaneously, while a whole hoard of voices began shouting my name.

"Cait!"

"Over here, Cait!"

"Where's Andrew?"

"Cait! Cait!"

"Where's your dress from, Cait?"

"Can we get a smile?"

"Cait!"

Throwing my hand in front of my eyes, I stumbled against Val. She laced her fingers protectively through mine while the doorman ushered us through the crowd, the swarm of bodies shifting and pressing against us as we moved toward the street. I'd seen things like this on tv before, sure, but experiencing it was something else entirely. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and my eyes hurt from the nonstop bombardment of photographs. Instead of being flattered, I felt dirty. I was being exposed without my permission by the paparazzi, all of them hoping to get a glimpse of the girl rumored to be dating Lincoln Shepherd, or - more lucratively - a quote from her.

"Keep moving," Anastasia shouted over her shoulder, shoving her way through the crowd of photographers. "The cab is here."

I nodded, trying to watch my step as we left the sidewalk and rushed onto the street. The throng of photographers herded around us with every step, only thinning out to avoid any oncoming traffic, as Roxanne threw open the door of the cab and shoved me into the back seat. Roxanne and Val joined me in the back, each of them flanking me on either side, while Anastasia took the front seat next to the cab driver. She urged him on while he honked at the paparazzi, and both Anastasia and Val took pleasure in flipping off several of them once we were finally able to navigate our way through the herd and away from the crowd.

"What the hell was that?" I breathed after a few minutes of awkward silence. "How did they know where we were?"

Val shook her head, "I don't know. I'm assuming it was one of the staff members. Andrew planned everything, so I'm betting someone thought he was going to be there tonight and leaked it to the press hoping for some publicity for the bar."

"So they thought it was okay to call the hounds to basically attack us?!" I clenched my fists angrily, exhaling slowly to keep my anger in check.

No one responded, and we slipped into silence once more as the cab headed back toward Brooklyn. Furious that someone would sell Andrew out - sell me out - like that, I stared at the city lights as they flew past the window in a blur before remembering that my phone had buzzed several times since we left the bar. All of the unread messages were from Andrew, each more apologetic than the one before.

I grinned whilst locking my phone and tucking it back into my handbag. Roxanne smiled at me, nudging me with her elbow, and I rolled my eyes at her. Clearly she had been reading the text messages over my shoulder, and she wiggled her eyebrows at me whilst stifling a laugh.

"What are you two laughing about?" Val asked, turning her gaze away from the window.

Roxanne smiled, "Cait has another date."