This could be more difficult than I thought.
I need a plan of attack.
I think the only way I can do this is to infiltrate first.
Making my way to the bar, I slide in next to Park. He looks me up and down with an inappropriate smile, waggling his brows. “Hey, beautiful.”
Urgh. Dirtbag.
“Hey, yourself,” I reply coyly, then turn away, ignoring him, and gesture to the bar staff.
He smiles, and I point to a soda water on the menu so Dirtbag can’t see I’m drinking virgin tonight. The bartender nods and gets to pouring my drink, then slides it across the bar to me.
Park instantly puts up his hand and winks at me. “Put it on my tab. My name’s Park. You looking to have a good time tonight with arealman, little mouse?”
I let out a small chuckle. “I just want to dance and have a fun night. Thanks for the drink.” I raise it toward him, then walk off toward Nalani. I drink my soda water, then place the empty glass on a random table. Making my way out onto the dance floor, Islide toward Nalani’s men and start dancing around them. I am letting loose, making it look like I’m having a good time. I hear Nalani giggle as she watches me through the wall of guards.
After a few songs, I smile at her and call out, “Feeling a little stifled?”
She laughs with a nod and continues to dance at the same tempo as me. “Like you wouldn’t believe!”
“Come dance with me, then. We can look ridiculous together,” I yell back over the high-energy GenZ music.
She shoves two of the guards and makes them move around the two of us. Then she reaches out, grabs me by the hands, and pulls me toward her. Her guards go to protest, but she waves them off. “Stop hovering. Let me dance with my new friend, you hounds!”
“Park wouldn’t want a stranger near you, Nalani—”
“If you don’t let her in, I will tell Park you denied me what I want. How do you think that’s going to go down?” she yells at them, and they back away a step, giving us a little space to move.
I chuckle, throwing my thumb over my shoulder and pointing to one of her men. “I could have taken ‘em.”
Nalani bursts out laughing. “Most people are terrified by my goons.”
I shrug but keep dancing. “Hey, they’re good to look at, and they keep the assholes away from trying to feel up our skirts, so that can only be a good thing, right?” I yell back at her.
She bursts out laughing as she continues to dance with me. “I’m Nalani. Thanks for saving me from the mostboringnight ever.”
I smile. “Kaia. And it looked like you were having a great time?”
“Sometimes you have to pretend to be having fun, but with you here, at least now I have someonenormalto talk to.”
We continue dancing, and I see the hurt, fear, and desperation behind her eyes.
I need to work on this carefully.
“I don’t know if you would consider me ‘normal,’ but I will be your best friend for the night if that’s what you want.”
She giggles, grabbing my hand and twirling me around.
I laugh as I dance with her. This poor girl obviously hasn’t had any fun for a while if she is talking to a stranger this quickly.
I can only hope Hurricane doesn’t burst in here and fuck this all up.
***
Nalani is a super sweet girl. I swear I’ve never danced so much in my entire life, and my pregnant belly is not liking this so much anymore. I’m sweating so bad I definitely need another drink, but I don’t want to stop the progress I’m making with her. I feel like after the last couple of hours of dancing together and chatting about girly shit, I have made good headway with Nalani.
I need to make a move.
