“Well, sorry. I just blurted it out.” Seeing as Enne wouldn’t stand close to him, he handed her his umbrella and let himself get wet. “Her words were making me nervous.”
They’d unnerved Enne, too. Now, whenever she closed her eyes, she pictured the two of them hanging side by side at the gallows.
“Don’t be put down about her yet,” Levi said. “We’re hitting up lots of others.”
Enne sighed. “Where to next?”
“Everywhere. Anywhere.”
Two hours later, Enne and Levi had collected a mere fifty volts for the Scarhands, one hundred for the Doves, and eighty for the Irons. Most of the brothels on Sweetie Street had turned them down or accused them of coercion. Enne had seen more nakedness that evening than she had in her entire life, and she was desperate to leave the red light district behind.
The pair wandered into a quieter establishment called the Dirty Deed, and after being turned down yet another time, took a break to brood at the bar.
“The market is a good idea,” Enne grumbled.
“This is still a novel concept to people,” Levi said. “If you give them time, they’ll—”
Someone tapped Levi on the shoulder, and both of them turned around. A woman wrapped her feathered boa around his neck and planted a large kiss on his cheek, leaving a mark of green lipstick behind. Enne startled so much she nearly toppled over. Her gaze dropped to the woman’s cleavage.
“You should smile,” the woman purred. “You look like you could have some fun.”
Levi stiffened and spit a feather out of his mouth. “Iwashaving fun.”
The woman’s smile faltered, and she shifted her gaze to Enne. Upon seeing Enne’s mask, her smile fell altogether. She released Levi’s shoulders and backed away. “I’m sorry. Enjoy your night.”
As soon as the woman was out of earshot, Enne let out a fit of laughter. “I think I scared her.”
“It’s hard to tell how short you are, sitting on a barstool.”
“And it’s clearly hard to tell who you are from behind.” Enne sipped her drink. “In fact, I wonder if she recognizedyouat all.”
Levi shot her a look that was both amused and annoyed, and Enne could almost feel a sense of normalcy returning to them. Maybe she could pretend his smirks didn’t make her heart beat faster, and he could pretend he wasn’t looking at her like the way he was now.
Except they weren’t pretending very well at all.
Levi bit his lip. “I want you to know that—”
But Enne didn’t want to know, not when things finally felt bearable again. So she held up her hand. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Ruin it.”
He grimaced and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Will you let me drive you home?”
His sorry face really was a work of art. She wondered if he’d practiced it just so she’d forgive him. If so...well, it had worked.
“Fine,” she answered. “On one condition.”
“Anything,” he said seriously.
“You show me how to drive.”
PART II
REWARD
7
