She already knew the answer, but she needed to hear it from Lily’s lips.
“Very.He’s linked to all kinds of shady dealings, right down to murder.I think he has quite a few cops on his payroll to be getting away with the kind of shit he’s been doing.Just ...be careful, Alana.”
Her heart swelled.She’d never even met her in person, but she couldn’t help but think of Lily as a friend.It was clear Lily was protective of her; she even sent the odd ex-agent to come and patrol outside the club on some nights where they’d had shady characters try and apply for membership before.She swallowed.Shady characters, yes, not murderers.
“Thanks again, Lily,” she said, hanging up the call.
She knew what she had to do, and she got straight on it.She used the email address Samuel had provided for Max and sent him an email, a polite rejection of his request to join the club.There were extensive background checks, and he didn’t quite meet the requirements, blah, blah, blah.She added her signature and pressed the send button.Thewhooshrepresented the lessening of a little stress.
****
The following night, in a midnight blue dress adorned with stars, she did her typical run through the club, stopping by tables, letting the members see her face.
“A!”Rick waved her over.
She smiled.Rick was one of her favorites.He’d gone into business with his sister, an influencer and lover of makeup, and he being a scientist, together they had made and sold their own line of cosmetics that now graced nearly every store known to man.
“How’s business?”she asked.
“It’s booming.”He grinned.“How’s business for you?”
Her smile faltered slightly.It faltered even more when Drew joined him at the table.His icy blue eyes searched her face, like he knew there was something below the surface.Even Rick’s lazy smile faltered for a moment, his eyes flicking between them like he was watching a tennis match.
“I think I’ll grab another drink,” Rick said, standing to go to the bar.
No, that couldn’t happen.She couldn’t be alone with Drew yet; she wasn’t prepared for it.She began to protest, but then Drew cut in, “Another cider for me, and Alana will take ...let’s see,” he looked at his watch, “a red wine,” he concluded, with a smile that melted her heart.It felt good to be known.But then why wouldn’t he know her?They were friends.They’d spent enough time together to learn each other’s drink preferences.She knew that after this third cider he would switch to water, as he was working tomorrow and wouldn’t want a headache.See, friends knew stuff like that about each other.She nodded her head more at her thoughts than at what he’d said.
Once Rick had left, she sat on the sofa seat, as far from him as she could get.
“What?Can’t look at me now?Alana, look at me.”
The softness of his tone and the look of seriousness were cause for concern.
“I’m sorry about the wedding ...the last thing I want is for things to be awkward.”
“It was both of our faults.”
That glimmer was back.“Because we can’t resist each other?I knew it.”
“It can’t happen again,” she said.
“Can’t or won’t?”he countered.
“Is there a difference?”she shot back.
“Yes.”
She scoffed, but then realized that with every sentence they had spoken, they had been moving toward each other, like there was some invisible pull.He reached out and stroked her dress with his pinky, such a featherlight touch she wouldn’t have been sure of it if she weren’t watching him.
“I like this.It’s like the night sky, beautiful and untouchable, a bit like its owner.”
His eyes sparkled as he spoke, like the lights in the room had decided that’s where they should be, that’s where they should shine, and she couldn’t look away, even if she wanted to.
Her breath caught in her throat.
He wasn’t supposed to say stuff like that, he wasn’t supposed to look at her like that.Jokes were fine, flirting was fine, but this ...this was new.
“Here you go,” said Rick, putting down the drinks.
