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It’s the same look he gave me when I brought him home that night.
“Well,” Jovan says as I put my hand in his and allow him to lead me down the red carpet. “I’m not a movie star.”
I lean closer to him, feeling the tension flowing between us. “Yeah, but how many of those billions of dollars are clean?”
Jovan chuckles, letting go of my hand to wrap his arm around my waist. The men stationed on either side of the doors pull them open to reveal the club.
It looks nothing like it does at night. There are thick black and white linens draping the walls. Thick gold fabric breaks up the monotony of the rest of the room. People gather around in gowns and suits, drinks in their hands as soft music plays from a string quartet at the front of the room.
“There is no way that this is The Brazen,” I say as I look up at him.
Jovan smiles and greets several people as we head to the bar. We approach a man. I don’t know him, but I’ve seen him before. It’s the man who tried to stand up for me the night I spilled alcohol on Jovan.
“Alessio Marchetti, meet Hadley James.” Jovan gestures between us with a smile on his face.
“Hadley, nice to properly meet you. I take it you still have your job?” Alessio says, a slight tilt to his lips. Not quite a smile, but the ghost of one as he lifts his flute of champagne to his lips. His eyes sparkle with mischief as he takes a sip. “I have a few other associates I need to meet with, but I hope to see you again later this evening.”
Alessio nods to Jovan before disappearing into the crowd. Jovan keeps his arm around my waist as we continue our trek to the bar.
“Why was it so important that I meet him?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder to look at Alessio. I scan the crowd but he is nowhere to be found.
“He’s the kind of man you can count on in an emergency. I’m not going to lie. You being seen with me is dangerous in a sense. Alessio might live in Atlanta, but he can be here in a hurry if you’re ever in trouble. I’ll give you his number later.”
“Great,” I say as we push through the people to the bar. “Just what I need. Risking my life for you.”
Kennedy eyes me with a knowing smile on her face as she hands us flutes of champagne. Her gaze darts between us before settling on me.
“Having a good night?” she asks, her grin growing when my cheeks start to heat up.
“We never mention this again,” I say as I narrow my eyes. “Never. As far as you know, this never happened.”
Kennedy laughs and rolls her eyes. “You’re going to have to give me all the dirty details later.”
Jovan is smirking as he steers me away from the bar and toward the second floor. We climb the stairs together, slipping through a group of people at the top. Lining the second floor are tables filled with things that are being auctioned off. There is a little form beside each prize where people write down their bids.
As I look at a stunning set of earrings, Jovan leans over beside me. He picks up the pen and scribbles something down on the form.
“What are you doing?” I ask when I look down and see the bid for fifty thousand dollars.
“You’re practically drooling over them. You know, if I win, you’re going to have to find a nose ring that matches.”
His playful behavior catches me off guard. He seems more relaxed than he has been since I met him. I don’t know what to make of the new energy.
Much like I don’t know what to make of this entire night.
When he asked me to be his date, I thought that he was going insane. When the black dress arrived at my apartment, along with shoes and three sets of gold earrings to fill each of my piercings, I just about lost my mind.
This isn’t the kind of life I live.
Even though I don’t want him to think that I am the kind of person who will do whatever it takes to get ahead, he offered me a thousand dollars.
A thousand dollars to put on a dress and go on a date with him is a small ask.
At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.
Although, most people think that making a deal with the devil is fine until it isn’t.
“I have to go meet some people,” Jovan says as he steps away. “Do your best to charm people and convince them to give the disadvantaged youth of Miami more money.”
