“Jesus, Helena.” She looked up at me from where she’d slumped on the counter. “If you want to kill me, just make it quick and push me over the railing instead.”
I laughed, taking a big drink from my wine, feeling myself getting warm and fuzzy at the edges. This was a night to let loose, to be stupid and play. “Sorry,” I said, sounding about assorry as I felt, which was not very. “It was just fun seeing you get flustered.”
“Oh, well, now I see why you’re talking to me,” she said, sitting up normally again with a weary smile my way. “I’m very easy to fluster.”
“Good to know.” I winked, and she paled a little.
“Oh, god, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Honestly, it’s flattering that you know me through my modeling and not through my father. I mean, I talked a bit about that in the interview, if I recall. So, no need to have a heart attack, Cassandra.”
“Ah… right.” She kept seeming a bit weird about her name. She’d had a strange moment with her friend earlier about it too.
“Do you… go by a different name?”
“What? Oh. No, no, I just… it just keeps reminding me I’m not supposed to be here.” She winced, like she wasn’t even supposed to say that. I was dying to know what the story was, what was going on between her and her spouse, what led her to come here tonight, but I knew well enough to not just ask. Maybe it was the wine talking, but I was a bit more bold than usual. I touched her wrist where it lay on the bar, and I leaned in closer before I spoke.
“Should we give you a nickname, then?”
“Huh?”
“A nickname. You know, something people call you.”
“Thanks,” she deadpanned, “I’d never heard of those before.”
“Something for the nights where you’ve played escape artist a bit. What do you say?”
She scrunched up her face. “Like what, Houdini?”
I stared for a second suppressing laughter before I managed to say, “See, I was just thinking like Cass or something.”
“Oh.” She reddened. “That makes a lot more sense, yeah, I thought you meant… I was thinking like…”
“But all right, Houdini, whatever you like.”
“Oh my god. I’m never living this down.”
“I’ll go with Cass.” I nudged her shoulder. “Unless you annoy me, in which case you’re Houdini.”
She was blushing harder now, fussing with her glass on the countertop, but she nudged me back as she said, “You’re lucky I can’t think of anything embarrassing to call you. Maybe after another glass of wine.”
“Easy, cowgirl,” I said as she took another drink. “You take that thing like a shot too, and I’m giving you a new nickname.”
“Dare I ask what?”
I shrugged. “Hoover Wet Vac has a nice ring to it.”
“Jesus. I’ll pace myself.” She took a reasonable sip and set it down, and I finished off my glass and pushed up to my feet, stepping just around her and off to the railing, where I leaned against it with the wind in my hair. I gave her the opening in the process, but Houdini didn’t vanish this time, joining me at the railing with her fingers curled on the top bar, wine glass in her other hand, looking out at the skyline like it was the best thing she’d ever seen.
“Do you know Shiyun Group?” I said, and she shrugged.
“I think I’ve heard it before, but I don’t know, I’m drunk.”
“After a glass and a half?”
“I’m kind of small.”
I laughed. “It’s a luxury goods brand out of Shanghai. Jewelry, perfumes, and designer dresses are the big ones, but they have a wide imprint. My father manages the New York subsidiary and the general American operations branch.”
