A date?
I blinked. “Oh,” I managed, smoothing down my ancient tee, which had a questionable ketchup stain on it from lunch. “Uh, hi. Come in—please.”
As I stepped aside, I suddenly became aware of the fact that I hadn’t brushed my hair since this morning and probably looked like I’d just rolled out of a three-day nap.
Aria glided in with a calm sort of confidence, as if she’d been here before. Slade nodded politely.
Club Xyst.The name snagged on something in my brain.
I’d heard of it, of course—who hadn’t? It was the kind of place that required membership and money even to sniff the VIP sections, and it supposedly offered more than just bottle service and ambiance. The fact that they workedforNik made something flutter in my chest.
Also, how did they know my real name?
Nik must’ve told them.
But Aria had said she’dheard a lot about me… What exactly had he said?
I followed them down the hallway, trailing behind the swoosh of Aria’s coat and picking up on a clinking noise from the bags that sounded like hangers. She was clearly familiar with the place, acting as though it were perfectly normal to walk into Nik’s penthouse and head to his guest room.
How often had she been here?
Slade reached the suite first, and as he stepped inside, he muttered with a chuckle, “Well, damn, that vase put up a fight, huh? You planning a jailbreak or just making a statement?”
I winced, Nik must have told them about what happened to the window. “Yeah…the vase was a big sucker. Almost dislocated my shoulder trying to lift it.”
He snorted. “Remind me not to piss you off while standing near glass.”
Aria laughed behind me. “Definitely one way to keep our boss on his toes.”
I smiled, trying to hide my blush. “Henri had someone come look at it. Apparently, it’s some kind of custom glass. Fancy and impossible to install.”
Aria and Slade exchanged an amused glance.
“Oops,” I added playfully.
We all chuckled. It eased the edge off my embarrassment.
Aria turned toward Slade, already shifting gears. “Out. We don’t have much time.”
He raised both hands in surrender and backed out like the seasoned soldier he clearly was. “Message received.”
Once the door closed behind him, Aria turned toward the bed and began opening bags. Within moments, she had several dresses hanging in the closet, with a few pairs of stunning heels lined up beneath them. My jaw actually dropped when she pulled out a white wool coat with fur cuffs and a matching collar and draped it across the edge of the bed. It was so glamorous, it looked like it could belong to a movie star.
I stared at the growing collection, trying to wrap my brain around it. “It’s all beautiful,” I said softly. “But…I don’t understand. Why are you here? What is all this?”
Aria gave me one of those knowing looks. She seemed to knowexactlywhat was about to happen. “Let’s just say you can’t gowrong with Chanel,” she said, pulling out another outfit and nodding approvingly.
I blinked at her. “Chanel?”
“Go shower, Lacey,” she said, gently steering me toward the bathroom. “Clean up. You’ve got a date.”
That word again.
Date.
It echoed inside me. My stomach flipped, and I suddenly could barely feel my feet.
A date.
