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“That’s a long line. Maybe we should go somewhere else.”
“We can skip the line.” Mariya reaches into her bra and pulls out an ID. “Make sure you call me Marissa when we’re up there. The guy who made my fake fucked up my name.”
I snatch her arm and spin her to face me. “You said you knew the bouncer! Why do you need a fake ID if you know the bouncer?”
“Backup plan, babe. You always gotta have one.”
“You’re underage. You can’t even drink. We shouldn’t be here!”
Mariya shushes me, smiling at a guy waiting in line close enough to overhear us. Even hearing what I just said, he still winks at her. Maybe these sharp stilettos will end up being a good choice, after all. I might need them if creeps like that are lurking around.
I cannot believe she talked me into this.
“This is a bad idea, Mariya. We shouldn’t be here. There’s no way your brother is okay with this.” I look over my shoulder, but there’s still no sign of any security trailing us. None that I can see, anyway. I pray they’re just very good at blending in.
“Yakov is fine with it. He told me I couldn’t go out unless I had a chaperone.” She claps me on the back. “Hello, chaperone. Plus, he took you out on a date the other night.”
“We went to a nice restaurant, not a club. And Yakov came with me.”
She wrinkles her nose. “Gross! I do not need to know what goes on in the bedroom.”
It takes me a few seconds to put it together. Then I swat her shoulder. “That’s not what I meant! I would never say that to you!”
Mariya bursts out laughing. “Oh my God, Loon. Chill out. It was a joke.”
Kayla is the only person who has ever called me “Loon.” If I wasn’t churning with guilt, I’d be more excited that Mariya has given me a nickname. As it is, I’m starting to spiral.
“This is all feeling very wrong.”
“It’s not wrong. It’s no secret you two have sex. You sleep in the same room.”
I wag a finger at her. “That’s not what I’m talking about. Don’t try to distract me.”
Mariya breezes past me. “I don’t need to distract you. Come with me or don’t. I don’t care. I just thought you’d want to live a little instead of being my brother’s little pet.”
“I’m not his little pet! And it’s a lot easier to ‘live a little’ when we are actually alive. I think we should go home.”
She crosses her arms. “You even sound like him now. All that time indoors is warping your brain.”
I cross my arms back, meeting her stare. We’re in a faceoff for thirty seconds before Mariya spins me around and points to the blacked-out exit door on the side of the building. We’re both reflected in the glass. “Look at yourself.”
“I know what I look like.”
“No. Look at yourself.” She stands behind me, both of us looking at my reflection.
Mariya’s off-the-shoulder, blue sequin dress really was the perfect choice for me. She told me the blue would bring out my eyes, but the cut of the dress brings out my ass much more effectively. I might have to buy this one off of her if it doesn’t cost a small fortune.
“I look good,” I admit.
“You look amazing. You look too good to get covered in chip crumbs and drool over some hot dead guy in an ancient movie.”
“Sabrina is a classic. Just because it’s old doesn’t mean?—”
“Come inside with me,” Mariya begs, squeezing both of my hands. “I don’t want to go in without you.”
She’s being nice. We both know she’d plunge head-first into this crowd without a moment’s hesitation and leave me on the curb. Then I’d have to explain to Yakov that I abandoned his little sister in a club.
Plus, I do look good. It feels like a waste to get this dolled up and not even go inside.
