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She gives me a sad smile. “Okay. Then let’s rain check this super fun night you planned. One night, when I have nothing at all going on and I’m desperate for entertainment, we will reconvene.”
“There’s no other way to take that than ‘the wrong way,’” I grumble.
Mariya grabs my arm and pulls me towards the door. “Let’s go have a real girls’ night. There’s a great club I know.”
“A club?”
“Oh, no, Luna.” She winces. “Have you never been to one before? It’s like a bar, but with more dancing.”
“I know what a club is!” I snap.
She laughs. “I know you do. I was kidding.”
“I’m not. How are you going to get into a club? You’re not old enough?”
“When you look this good,” she says with a saucy twirl and a posh accent, “doors open for you.” I arch a brow and she huffs out a breath. “I know the bouncer, okay? I’ve got this all planned out.”
“That means your brother knows about this? You cleared it with him first?”
“Yep. The fun police have been alerted.” She flashes her phone towards me. There’s a text exchange up on the screen, but she locks her phone and somehow slides it into the pocket of her extremely tiny skirt before I get a good look at it. “The boys get to go have some fun. I say it’s our turn.”
“Yakov and Nik aren’t out on the town. They’re working.”
“Which is their version of fun.” She rolls her eyes. “It’s not my fault they’re boring. But we are young and vibrant. Let’s go out.”
If Mariya is trying to appeal to my vanity, she’s doing a good job. Standing here in sweats with my hair in a bun while she’s beaming pure youth and vivaciousness into the world does not feel awesome. I want to go have fun. I want some fresh air.
“I have nothing to wear,” I say, gesturing to her.
Mariya steps back and assesses me. “You and I are probably about the same size. Your hips might be bigger. And your boobs.”
Oh, yeah. This girl knows exactly what she’s doing.
So do I, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to fall for it.
Mariya grabs my arm. “I have the perfect dress for you.”
This time, I let her pull me down the hall to her room.
I check the side mirror as Mariya pulls into the parking garage. “Maybe you should slow down. I don’t know if security can track us in here. I don’t see anyone behind us.”
She hums. “They have their ways. Like ninjas, those guys. Very sneaky.”
She parks and climbs out. There isn’t time for doubt or second-guessing when Mariya is leading the way.
As soon as I agreed to go with her, she stuffed me in a dress, swiped makeup on my face, and had me in her car before I could process what was happening.
Yakov lost Mariya during a lunch the other day. How am I supposed to keep track of her in a packed nightclub? I can’t believe he agreed to let me be her chaperone.
I hurry out of the car and hustle after her. “Hold on. These heels are hard to walk in.”
“They’re not made for walking. They’re made for looking hot.”
The strappy silver heels do look hot. She isn’t wrong. I’m just not sure these are the right shoes to be wearing when I need to keep up with one of the youths.
We’re a block away when I start hearing the music. It’s a dull thrum that only gets louder the closer we get to the building. The river of people waiting outside the doors hum like cicadas.
It’s been weeks since I’ve been around this many people. Even before being sequestered in Yakov’s mansion, this night out would have been intimidating. It’s the kind of plan I flaked on repeatedly.
