I was rushing as I tried to blow dry my hair.

It had already been two hours since I began getting ready. I had taken a shower and put some makeup on. Although fixing my hair was proving to be a more difficult task.

"Okay, I'm not even going to try to straighten it. Let's just leave it as it is, " I huffed and hastily changed into the dress River gave me.

When I turned to look at myself in the mirror, I took a sharp intake of breath. The dress was stunning.

It was a long, navy blue dress that tightened around my thighs before opening up like a blossoming flower at the end. It had a sweetheart neckline with silver jeweled see through stitching above it. Absolutely beautiful, to say the least.

I paired it with matching silver ankle strap heels. The longer I looked at myself, the more I felt like I was a different person. Perhaps I was.

"Blair, what is taking you so long?" River sighed as he walked into my room. He stopped when he saw me. "Oh."

His dark green eyes roamed my body; I held back a shiver. I took the chance to also examine him. He was wearing a simple suit with a navy blue tie, coincidentally matching with my dress.

A boyish grin spread across his face and I sucked in a breath. No one had looked at me the way he had before, as if I were the most enticing thing he had ever laid eyes on.

"Perfect, " River blurted and my face flushed. Realizing what he said, he hastily corrected himself. "I—I mean, the dress. I picked just the right one."

"Yeah, you did, " I murmured quietly, trying to manage my breathing. He took one last look at me before licking his lips. Quite awkwardly, he loosened his tie and gestured towards the door.

"Shall we?"

I nodded, following him out my room and down the halls. We entered a large, wide room with a very long table in the middle. It had a little less than a hundred people sitting on its chairs; they were all conversing with each other. There were a couple of people with automatic rifles around the room, outside too. Guards, I suppose.

I observed all the happy faces, men and women, and listened to how they laughed. No one would be able to predict that this was an assassination group.

"Blair!" someone called. The room became silent as everyone watched me walk over to their past leader.

"Alexander, " I smiled politely, trying to ignore the stares. "I'm so sorry that I'm late."

"You look magnificent, Blair. It was worth the wait, " Alexander answered kindly. If there weren't as many people watching me, I would've been more appreciative.

"Thank you."

He seemed to sense my discomfort and smiled lightly. Clearing his throat, he announced: "I don't like silence."

Almost instantly, the room filled with chatter again.

"Hey!" someone whispered; I turned my head at the sound of the familiar voice.

I grinned. "Blondie! What's up?"

"I've been waiting for you. Alexander has this rule, which I find extremely annoying, that basically means that we can only eat when everybody is here. Times like these make me regret not eating a snack before dinner, " he sighed and I smiled apologetically, sitting in the empty seat beside him.

"I'm sorry. I'm not really used to dressing up."

"Well, for a beginner, you look pretty good!" Cody winked, making me chuckle.

"Assassins, may I have your attention?" River said and the room once again became silent. He cleared his throat as he looked at everyone. "We have a new member today. A girl."

Whispers echoed through the room in surprise.

"Yes, I know we haven't had a female assassin in a very long time. I'm deeply sorry for that. I promised that this would be an equal organization. But we needed the right one and all we had were choices. Easy choices, but not better choices. I kept searching, though, and now, we have found her. Because I don't give up, " River raised his champagne glass. "We don't give up."

They cheered for him while I listened intently.

"So, let us make a toast, " his dark eyes locked with my bright ones. "To our lovely new member. May she change our organization for the best. To Blair."

"To Blair!" they clinked their glasses and drank the contents, the conversations returning.

"Best toast we've ever made, " Cody smiled and I chuckled. He began talking to Drake as I peeked at River. We ate the food served to us; I occasionally laughed at Cody's jokes.

Once in a while, I'd catch River's eyes on me, but I paid no attention to him. He wasn't my sweet little crush anymore.

He was my leader.