“Well, I don’t, but Kara and Kate do,” the brunette said, pointing to the two other girls in their tight outfits. Gauging their style, I would fit in perfectly tonight. “I’m Jessa, by the way.”
“It’s normally hosted elsewhere, but they managed to get it at the new hotel. We don’t know who owns it, but I’m hoping to get an introduction. Hopefully, he’s single or at least up for a sugar baby,” Kate, the smaller blonde, said.
“Well, do you want to come? My boss asked me to bring extra women, so it’s not a bunch of men.”
“This is not some escort thing, right?”
She giggled and shook her head, slapping her sparkly silver nails on my forearm. “No. I work for one of the city’s councilmen.”
“Work on your back,” the brunette teases.
“Shut up.”
As much as I didn’t want to find a rich man, I also didn’t want to be alone or be in this chaos, so I agreed. If I didn’t like their vibe, I could always separate. It wasn’t like I needed their hookup to get in. I had a VIP pass to the party tonight, but at least I didn’t have to use Mr. Keaton’s clout to get in.
“That’s great. I’d love to come.” It did feel nice not to have to show up alone.
“Good. Let’s go before it gets any crazier out there and the guys there get too drunk,” Kara said. “I’m not planning on walking in these.” She pointed to her killer heels that were not meant for the city streets. She called out to the cabbie who was just letting someone out. “Hey, are you available?”
“Yes, beautiful.” He winked at her while boldly raking his eyes up and down her body.
She ignored his obvious appraisal and said, “We’re only going here.” She showed him the address on her phone, and he nodded.
“Hop in.”
All five of us jumped into the taxi, and it took us to the five-star hotel. His eyes drifted to the rearview mirror, feverishly staring at us, I was surprised we didn’t crash. I rolled my eyes, wanting to poke him in the eyeballs, but we had a short trip.
As soon as we got out of the cab, she paid him and I offered to pay her, but she shook her head. “Girl, please. My treat. Besides, I was paying for these bitches anyway.”
“Yeah, she loves us so much,” Kate giggled, clinging to Kara’s arm.
“No, it’s just easier and we went freaking five blocks.” She shook her head and laughed. “Let’s get this party started. I need drinks and to get laid.”
I hadn’t accompanied Mr. Keaton when he walked through the plans for the hotel security, so this was my first time here. The place was gorgeous and completely immaculate. It was clearly catered to the elite, and I was grateful that I had dressed extremely well.
We were let into the VIP party, and all of us got in easily after giving our bags and coats to the check-in. No phones were allowed. I twisted my lips, wondering why that was a thing, but then I supposed that anything could be leaked to the press.
As soon as we got into the mid-size darkened ballroom overlooking Times Square, there were men and women mingling in every inch of the room. Still, the girls wasted no time in snatching my hand and dragging me over to the large bar setup.
My new friend leaned over the bar, giving the bartender a show. “We need a drink, Maurice.” She double-tapped his nametag with her long nails.
“Ladies, we have two special cocktails: the ball drop and the fireworks.”
“We’ll take the ball drop, but first we’ll do a group shot,” Kara answered for us. He shook his head and smiled, stopping to smile at me before he worked on the shots. Within a minute our four shots were laid out.
“Time for the shot, ladies,” she ordered. We all took the shot glass and, on the count of three, tossed it back. I shook my head and laughed as the liquor burned my throat. It had been along time since I’d drank, and an even longer time since I tossed back shots of tequila.
The bartender chuckled as he made several drinks and slid them across the bar. He paused directly in front of me and winked. “Enjoy, beautiful,” Maurice said, smirking at me as he slid the glass toward me. I accepted it just as he grazed his fingers across mine. The flirting couldn’t be any more obvious, and although I wasn’t interested I enjoyed the little game.
“I will.” I smiled back, giving a little bit of a flirty tilt of my shoulder. I needed to loosen up a bit, and the bartender was the way to go. He wasn’t a threat because he was working, and I wouldn’t be staying much longer. I took the drink and then turned my back to the bar to look at the guests. They might have intentions of hooking up, but I was going home with my lady bits still intact and unbeaten.
Kara’s friends left her, and then she turned to me. “Come on. Let’s meet some of these men.” She gripped my arm a little harder than I appreciated. I tugged it back.
“I’m just going to hang out here for a minute.” I lost my nerve with all the men in the room. I turned my hip to the edge of the bar and sipped on my drink.
“That’s fine, but I need to meet with some of the men. I’ll be right back.”
“Sure.”
