Meredith Fields frowned while looking at her reflection in the antique full-length mirror. She looked like a stripper in the skimpy cobalt blue sequined dress she was wearing. Her breasts were dangerously close to being fully exposed, and the hem barely covered her butt. A daring cutout across her stomach displayed even more skin, and to top it all off, the dress was backless.

Ugh, she groaned silently.

She wasn't a fan of wearing revealing outfits. Plus, the heavy makeup she had applied made her feel even more self-conscious. But she'd wanted to go all out for the vintage-themed party she was attending that evening with her best friend, Lily Waldorf.

After all, many high-profile people would certainly be in attendance. Thanks to Lily's well-connected family, they would be partying with politicians, actors, and models tonight.

“Oh, come on! You look hot,” Lily said reassuringly after seeing Meredith scowling at herself in the mirror. She stood next to her, wearing a silver version of Meredith's dress, putting on a pair of glittery hoop earrings.

“I know,” Meredith responded confidently, then twirled on her heels and checked her reflection once more.

She had to admit, she was looking pretty good. The rich jewel tone blue of the dress really complemented her complexion.

“Are you sure you're not coming to Bali?” Lily asked as she checked her makeup one last time in the mirror.

Meredith's face fell at the reminder that she would be spending her entire summer back in Washington, D.C. She'd just completed her degree in journalism from Columbia University, and was supposed to be spending the rest of the year enjoying a well-deserved vacation. But her father had made her a very tempting offer – come back to D.C. and work for him over the summer, and he would release her trust fund early.

It had hardly been a choice at all. She could spend several years partying with that amount of money. And she figured two months would pass before she knew it.

“Yeah, I'm sure. As much as I really want to go with you, this is the first time my dad's made me an offer like this. So I think I should take him up on this before he changes his mind,” Meredith replied while rolling her eyes.

She didn't expect him to cancel the deal on her, but she supposed anything was possible. After all, she'd never imagined he would have budged an inch when it came to her trust fund. She wasn't supposed to see a penny of that money until she was thirty, but that seemed so far away. Plus, Meredith figured she'd be married with kids by then, and her carefree days of partying and drinking would be long behind her.

“Your dad's a pretty wise person,” Lily commented with a chuckle.

“He is,” Meredith responded after applying another layer of blood-red lipstick. “And he really knows how to push my buttons,” she muttered under her breath.

Yep, Benedict Percival Fields was the shrewdest person Meredith had ever known. He owned the largest newspaper company in the country. Meredith had learned the ins and outs of the industry from an early age, but she'd still wanted to earn a degree in journalism. That way no one could say she wasn't qualified to work at her father's company.

She just didn't want to waste the best years of her life slaving away at a desk job. Going straight from university to the workforce wasn't exactly how she had envisioned life after graduation. Thoughts of Bali and an easygoing summer spent partying in the sand had given her life during her final exams.

But she didn’t have a choice, did she?

“So, what's this deal of his entail?” Lily asked.

Meredith shrugged, still checking out their reflections. The two of them would surely stand out tonight in their outfits, but somehow she was starting to feel less self-conscious. The dress emphasized her curves just as much as it showed some skin, and she knew she looked good. The nervousness she felt was starting to give way to excitement.

“I don’t know the details. We haven’t talked about it yet,” she answered.

Meredith moved to take a seat on the bed and stared admiringly at Lily's waist-length, fiery red hair. Lily's tanned skin looked stunning in her silver dress. She could tell that Lily was excited for tonight's event as well.

It figured. Lily was the number one partygoer she had ever met.

“Enough about me. What about you? How are things going with your family?” Meredith asked, carefully strapping on a pair of black high heels.

Lily's expression immediately turned sour. Meredith knew she never liked to think about family matters. It wasn't because she didn't care about them. It was just because she almost never saw either of her parents.

They were too busy to even remember she existed.

And that was probably a big part of why Meredith and Lily had hit it off so well after meeting at freshman orientation. Meredith often lamented over how overbearing her parents could be. On the other hand, Lily was desperate for her parents' attention.

“Still the same as ever,” Lily responded, rolling her eyes and sighing before sitting next to Meredith on the bed. “I told them I'm going straight to Europe after my Bali trip and the only response I got was, 'Okay honey, have fun.'”

“That's it?” Meredith's eyes widened reflexively, although she wasn't surprised. In truth, she felt envious. She'd often wondered how nice it would be to have the freedom to do whatever she wanted without the fear of disappointing her parents.

“Yeah. It makes me sick.”

“Aren't you happy? I mean, at least you get to do whatever you want.”

“I don't know. Of course Bali and Europe are going to be fun. But I still don't know what I want to do with my life, unlike you. You've got things all figured out. And I know you think your parents are pushy, but at least your dad cares enough about you to push you,” Lily murmured with a sad smile on her lips.

Silence filled the room.

Meredith didn't know what to say. Because at moments like this, it was Lily who made her see just how lucky she was to have parents like hers. And deep down, she knew Lily was right. Her father was just helping her out, trying to show her the right path to achieve her goals in life.

But don't you think you've earned the right to enjoy a few months off after all these years of hitting the books? a voice whispered at the back of her mind.

Shrugging off the idea, Meredith glanced at Lily, who was back in front of the mirror again, styling her hair. She seemed to be deciding between wearing it in a high ponytail or leaving it down. Either way, she would still look hot.

“Anyway, this is the last party we'll be attending together for the next couple of months. Let's make the most out of it. I didn't call in every favor I had to get us on the VIP list for this party just to be all doom and gloom tonight,” Lily said, breaking the awkward silence.

A mischievous smile appeared on Lily's face as she turned to face her. Meredith was more than aware of where the conversation was headed, and she was dreading it.

“Who knows? Tonight might be the night you finally lose your V-card, Mer,” Lily squealed in excitement.

“Hey! Don't say that,” Meredith protested quietly, bowing her head as she felt her cheeks grow hot. Yep, she was already twenty-three but still a virgin. And she was proud of it.

“Oh, come on,” Lily groaned, stomping her foot like a kid about to throw a temper tantrum.

“I'm not a prude, and you know that, Lily! I'm just... saving it for someone special,” she said defensively, staring at the floor.

Meredith may have been born and raised in the city, but she'd always believed giving up her virginity was something to be taken seriously. She wanted it to be with someone who would make her feel breathless – someone extraordinary.Just like in the movies, she wanted it to be magical.

Lily snorted. “I know. I've seen all those romance books you read.” She shook her head, but then her expression softened.

“You've got some catching up to do, but your first time is going to be special. And tonight? Tonight is definitely special.”

Feeling amused at the 180-degree turn of their conversation, Meredith raised her head and smiled at her best friend. Lily was right. Tonight was going to be special. It was the first party they'd be attending after graduating from college, and they were ready to make the most of it.

“Whatever,” she murmured, trying to downplay the excitement that had started to engulf her. Deep down, she couldn't deny she was hoping things would turn out to be magical.

But she had a feeling this night was goin