Julie staggered, laughed a little wildly when Alex caught her and squeezed his hand on her ass.
Elizabeth trailed behind, a miserably queasy fifth wheel.
“You live here by yourself,” she managed.
“Plenty of room for company.” He unlocked the front door, gestured. “Ladies first.”
And he gave Elizabeth’s ass a teasing pat as she walked in.
She wanted to tell him he had a beautiful home, but the fact was everything was too bright, too new, too modern. All hard edges, shiny surfaces and glossy leather. A bright red bar, a huge black leather sofa and an enormous wall-screen TV dominated the living room, when the wide glass doors and windows leading to a terrace should have been the key point.
“Oh my God, I love this.” Julie immediately flopped onto the sofa, stretched out. “It’s like decadent.”
“That’s the idea, baby.” He picked up a remote, clicked, and pounding music filled the room. “I’ll fix you a drink.”
“Can you make Cosmos?” Julie asked him. “I just love Cosmos.”
“I’ll hook you up.”
“Maybe I could have some water?” Elizabeth asked.
“Oh, Liz, don’t be such a buzzkill.”
“I’m a little dehydrated.” And God, God, she neededmore air. “Is it all right if I look outside?” She walked toward the terrace doors.
“Sure.Mi casa es su casa.”
“I want to dance!”
As Julie lurched up, began to bump and grind, Elizabeth pulled open the doors and escaped. She imagined the view was wonderful, but everything blurred as she hobbled to the rail, leaned on it.
What were they doing? What were they thinking? This was a mistake. A stupid, reckless mistake. They had to go. She had to convince Julie to leave.
But even over the music, she could hear Julie’s Cosmo-slurred laughter.
Maybe if she sat down out here for a few minutes, cleared her head, waited for her stomach to settle. She could claim her mother had called. What was one more lie in an entire night of them? She’d make up some excuse—a good, logical excuse to leave. Once her head cleared.
“There you are.”
She turned as Alex stepped out.
“One of each.” Gilded in the low light, he carried a glass of water and ice in one hand, and a martini glass of that pretty pink—that now made her stomach turn.
“Thank you. But just the water, I think.”
“Gotta feed that high, baby.” But he set the drink aside. “You don’t have to be out here all alone.” He shifted, pressed her back against the rail. “The three of us can party. I can take care of both of you.”
“I don’t think—”
“Who knows if Ilya’s coming? Work, work, work, that’s what he does. You caught his eye, though. Mine, too. Come back inside. We’ll have a good time.”
“I think…I’ll wait for Ilya. I need to use your bathroom.”
“Your loss, baby.” Though he only shrugged, she thought she caught something mean flicker in his eyes. “Go left. It’s off the kitchen.”
“Thank you.”
“If you change your mind,” he called off as she ran to the door.
