“Whoa.” She frowns at my trench coat. “The heels are great, but is that… what you’re wearing?”
Her expression of disgust isalmostamusing. “No, it’s what I’m wearing over my dress. I wanted to be respectful on the ride over, just in case,” I explain.
“Oh.” She sounds immensely relieved. “That’s smart. Daddy always brings his driver when he travels, so he drove me here. I didn’t really have to worry about that.”
Evidently not. Amanda’s showing more skin than clothes in an ultra-small minidress. The V-neck goes to her belly button, where a small star jewel dangles, and I’m not sure the bottom half is long enough to qualify as a skirt. She looks stunningly amazing, so much so that it makes me feel kind of plain in comparison.
She takes my hand and starts leading me towards the entrance. “Everyone who’s anyone is here,” she gushes. “There are a few celebrities, and obviously Elio and Asher. Soren’s here, but Declan and Ilya never come to these things.” She gives an exaggerated eye roll. A bouncer stands in front of the door; he gives Amanda a quick glance over and waves both of us past the line. “Second floor,” he says in heavily accented English.
“Let’s get that hideous coat off you,” Amanda says as he opens the door.
A thrumming bass escapes the club like a shockwave, beating in time to my rapid pulse. The ground floor is like a different world, comprised of loud sound and sweltering body heat. It’s dark save for the strobe lights, flashes of white and violet cutting through a haze of fog machine smoke. The ceiling is high and industrial, crisscrossed with exposed beams and rigging for the light show, and the whole space throbs with music so loud I feel it in my teeth.
I gingerly shrug off my coat and hand it to an attendant. Amanda looks me over and lets out another sigh of relief.I can’thearit, but I can see it from the way her chest slowly falls and her expression relaxes.
“The party’s two floors up, follow me!” she shouts the words to be heard over the noise. “You look hot as fuck, by the way!”
I’m not sure I believe the compliment when I’m standing right next to her, but I take it nevertheless. I need all the confidence I can get.
We fight our way through a massive throng of gyrating bodies that spill from the dance floor and onto every available surface of the room—including tables and chairs. She leads me to an elevator hidden behind a velvet curtain, manned by another bouncer. Again, as soon as he sees her, he sends us straight up without asking any questions.
To my relief, the elevator is significantly quieter than the main floor, albeit ridiculously slow. Amanda takes the time to look me over with scrutinizing eyes. I pretend not to notice her critical stare roaming me and channel all my focus into standing still.
What am I doing here?
“You look super fuckable,” she decides. “Like,crazyhot. I’m kinda jealous.” She tosses her blonde waves over her shoulder.
My lips part. “You’rejealous ofme?You’re the literal incarnation of the male fantasy.”
“Yeah, but the typical and boring one.” She pops her gum. “You have the sexy smart girl look going for you.” She stares at my face. “It’s your eyes,” she decides. “Youhave really clever eyes. Hey, you should let me do your makeup next time! I’ll make them pop like crazy, promise.”
Before I’m forced to let her down gently, the elevator stops and the metal doors open with ading.
The scene that greets me is entirely different from the one on the first floor. This part of the club should be described as a lounge. Music spills through hidden speakers, but it’s much subtler and meant to encourage conversation rather than drown it out. The lighting is softer up here, honeyed golds and deep ambers that make the space feel intimate and expensive. Couches and tables are strategically set along alcoves in the walls, each one framed by sheer drapes and soft uplighting where people can sit, enjoy bottle service, and talk either pleasure or business. There is a dancefloor, but it’s small and elegant, and only a handful of people are making use of it. Overhead lights periodically change color, bathing the rest of the room in cool tones of royal blue or ruby red.
I think I recognize someTVstars milling around. I don’t have a second to be star-struck before Amanda once again takes my hand and pulls me out of the elevator. “What’s your poison?” she asks, taking me towards a bar at the back of the room. “Bottle service here takesforever,so you’re better off ordering.”
The bar is long, taking up the entire back wall, and has an eye-catching rose quartz counter. Top-shelf liquor dominates the wall behind it, with two bartenders weaving between the many guests seated, taking orders and mixing drinks.
“Oh. Um, I’ll take—”
“Red wine, right?” Elio appears beside me and Amanda, wearing a bespoke navy suit and a casual, if not slightly cool, smile. “Amanda, did you fix my calendar for next week?”
“I did that as soon as you told me what needed to be done,” she chirps.
I frown. Is now the time for them to be discussingPAtasks?
“Cool. Did you also call my dentist to reschedule—”
“Yes,andI confirmed dinner with your mom on Thursday.” Amanda bats her eyelashes at him.Damn, I really need to learn how to do that.“If you’re trying to get rid of me, just say so.”
“Okay. I’m trying to get rid of you,” Elio volleys back.
“Too bad,” she says lightly. “I’m gonna hang out with Victoria for a while. If you have shop-talk, save it for tomorrow. Tonight iscelebration time!”
Elio doesnotlook happy at being bossed around by his assistant.
“Celebration time?” he repeats. “I didn’t place very high. Are you switching teams on me, Amanda?” There’s silky, barely-veiled anger beneath his words.
