A real laugh slips out. “Okay…Trish.”
“Alright, the taxi’s here. We need to go,” Mandy says, already halfway out the door. “Bye, Mom.”
“Bye, girls.” She waves as she watches us head toward the gray sedan idling at the curb.
As I slide into the backseat, my thoughts drift back to Kirill’s text, to the way Mandy was so sure he’d come. Now I can’t stop wondering…what if he does?
The idea makes my body grow warm.
Just like that, this night starts sounding better and better by the second.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
SLOANE
The taxibarely slows before Mandy’s out the door, heels clicking against the pavement as she grabs my hand and drags me toward the entrance, the bass thudding through the walls. The line outside stretches down the block, a blur of glittering heels, bare legs, and impatient chatter. But the second the doorman spots Mandy, his face lights up with a grin.
“Hey, kid.” He unhooks the red velvet rope without hesitation. “Go on in. No cover.”
“Thanks, Rob.” She breezes past him like this happens every weekend.
“You know the bouncer?”
She tosses a look over her shoulder. “My mom went to high school with him. He’s known me since I was in diapers.”
“Oh…”
I swear, I think Mandy knows everyone.
As we walk in, the noise inside swallows me whole. Lights flash from every angle, bodies swaying, the pounding music crashing through the large space.
Mandy doesn’t slow down. She clutches my hand and pulls me through the crowd, dodging bodies and half-drunk dancers until we reach a roped-off booth tucked in the corner. It’s just farenough from the speakers to talk, but still close enough to feel like we’re part of it.
Two girls are already there, perched on the curved red leather seat with drinks in hand, a bottle glowing with sparklers in a bucket on the table between them.
I stop at the edge, taking it all in. VIP. Bottle service. Definitely out of my budget.
But Mandy doesn’t worry about things like that. Her mom’s an accountant and her dad’s in finance. They can afford this kind of night without even thinking twice.
“Sloane, these are my girls,” Mandy yells over the beat, pulling me into the circle, her arm slung around me like I belong here.
I manage a smile as names are tossed out—Kelsey, Bella—followed by hugs, compliments, and squeals as a song they recognize comes on.
The next thing I know, a waitress appears with a tray of Jell-O shots, and the girls cheer, each grabbing one and giggling as they toss them back, while I laugh awkwardly and reach for a bottle of water instead.
I try to enjoy myself, loosely dancing to the music as I take a few sips, my eyes drifting through the packed club. And somewhere in all of it, I can’t shake the sense he might be here. That Kirill could be watching me from some dark corner.
It would be insane. Invasive. But also…kind of thrilling.
Heat runs down my spine, but I shake the thought away, biting back a smile at how ridiculous I’m being. But it doesn’t stop my hips from rolling to the beat just in case Kirill is out there somewhere, seeing the way I move.
Mandy leans in, tone pitched high with excitement. “Come on, guys! We’re going to the dance floor!”
I hesitate, but then nod, letting her take my hand again. If I’m here, I might as well have a good time.
The music gets louder as we make our way, drinks in hand, and me with my bottle of water. Mandy and her friends are already dancing together while I let my hips follow the rhythm, still getting used to the dress.
But of course, just as I start to relax, a group of guys begins circling, talking low and eyeing us like we’re next on their menu. One slides in behind Bella and says something that makes her laugh before she starts dancing with him. Another leans toward Mandy, and she answers with a flirty little wave that has him grinning like an idiot.
