“Then we have some plans to make.”
The smile she throws me spells trouble, but for once, I’m excited about it. Bring on the trouble.
∞∞∞
What am I thinking?
I run my hands down my bare legs. The weather in Brooklyn in October is bipolar. Sometimes it’s warm, but more often than not, it’s cooler. For example, tonight it’s around fifty degrees outside.
Why am I here?
I stop and let Izzy and Sofia walk ahead. They each dressed much more conservatively than me. I look down at my outfit. Izzy’s bright idea was to “sex” me up and send me into the lion’s den. Her words not mine.
They stop and let me catch up.
“You can do this, Mia,” Izzy encourages me.
“I don’t know, Iz. Are you sure you want to go through with this, Mia?” Sofia’s eyes hold concern. She doesn’t approve of our plan, but she doesn’t understand. Things with Bash progressed fairly quickly for her. He never once hid his desire for her.
Unlike Lo who has been leading me on a roller-coaster ride since the day we met.
“I’m sure.” I tug the back of the dress down a bit before we walk up to the club. Ivory is Bash’s club here in Brooklyn. It’s also the club Sofia insisted on when we told her our plan.
“Did Bash put us on the list?”
“Not exactly.” She casts Izzy a look.
Izzy sighs. “Bash didn’t want to be a part of whatever ‘trouble you girls are causing.’” She air quotes it. “So, I had to call in a favor I’m sure to regret.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “Who did you call?”
“Giovanni.” She doesn’t meet my eyes.
“No, Izzy. You hate him. You shouldn’t have called him.”
She turns and grabs my shoulders. “It’s nothing, babe. I love you. You need this. It’ll be fine.”
“What did he demand in return?”
She drops her hands from my shoulders. “He just wants a conversation. One conversation. I can do it for you, Mia.”
I realize the sacrifice she made. It might appear insignificant. One conversation isn’t a lot, but the conversation is with the man who shattered her heart at eighteen. She’s never fully gotten over the heartbreak. She rarely talks about it, but when she does, I can see how shattered she still is. I only hope this conversation doesn’t cause any more damage.
“You shouldn’t have, but I love you too. Let’s go. I’m freezing.” A shiver runs through my body to make my point. Sofia hooks her arm in with mine as she leads me to the door. This time, Sofia gives them our names. Instead of us simply being let in, we also receive an escort to the VIP lounge along with the wrist bands. We have come up in the world.
We’re led to a table where a server is already waiting.
“Good evening, ladies,” she says over the loud music. “What can I get you to drink this evening? Drinks are on the house.”
Of course, they are. I give Izzy a pointed look.
“What do you think the conversation is going to cost you?” I hint back to a similar conversation we had when I brought them to Crimson and Lo paid for our drinks.
She frowns but turns to the server. “I will have a seven and seven.”
“Whiskey and Coke for me. Jameson,” Sofia says.
“Vodka cranberry, please.”
