Page 37 of Stranger to Love

Great. I picked up Mum's coffee, walked into the living room, and handed it to her gently.

"Was that Mia?" she asked with a smile.

“Yeah.” I rolled my eyes playfully. “She’s dragging me out tonight.”

“That sounds great, darl,” my Dad chimed in from his armchair. “You have been working hard. Go out and enjoy yourself.”

I shrugged. “I guess. She's seeing some guy, and we're meeting up with his friend too.”

“Going to Carlos?” Mum asked, blowing gently on her coffee.

“Yeah.”

“Well, at least I know you’ll be safe there,” she said softly, turning her attention back to the TV.

She wasn’t wrong. We knew the staff and security there pretty well. It was the only place Mia and I went, mostly because when you work in nightlife yourself, you share a sick, mutual understanding of how awful the job is. The industry staff always looked out for one another.

“Do you need a lift?” Dad asked kindly.

“No thanks, Mia’s guy is picking us up.”

I stretched my arms over my head and checked my watch. I needed to shower and start getting ready. Groaning, I headed upstairs to prepare for a night out I had absolutely no desire to go on.

When Adrian pulled up, I was relieved to see a large, sensible Volvo. Given the guys Mia usually dated, I’d fully expected some flashy, dickhead BMW. This instantly made him better in my eyes—not a pretentious prick.

Mia cracked the front passenger door open and let out a loud wolf whistle. I struck a mock model pose on the pavement. I had actually put effort into my appearance, so I was going to milk the validation.

“Someone is getting laid tonight!” she whooped, opening the back door for me and giving my arse a firm slap as I climbed in.

“I fucking hope so,” I muttered, settling into the leather seat.

I’d opted for my leather trousers—tight enough to show off my curves, but flexible enough that I could actually move. I’d paired them with a plain black bralette, layered under a sheer, laced long-sleeve top. My legs looked banging, and my chest—even I was staring at it in the mirror before I left. I’d done my makeup properly for once, creating a dark, smoky eye that made my blue eyes look icy, rounded off with a dark red lipstick and a few loose curls in my hair. Okay, maybe Mia was right. I needed this. I hadn’t actively tried to look this good in months.

Adrian pulled away from the kerb, catching my eye in the rearview mirror. "You look good, Alex. I'm glad you could make it tonight.”

I blinked at him, holding back a laugh when I caught Mia’s eyes in the vanity mirror. The guy sounded incredibly posh. I smiled politely. “You're welcome, Adrian. I just hope your friend knows he hasn't got a chance.”

Adrian chuckled. “He’s a nice guy.”

That’s not a fucking no, Adrian. I shot a lethal glare at the back of Mia’s head, and she just shrugged apologetically. I was going to murder her.

To instantly bribe her way back into my good graces, she reached between the seats and passed me a bottle of water. I twisted the cap, took a swig, and nearly choked. It was most definitely not water. Judging by the harsh, medicinal bite, it was a ridiculously strong vodka soda. Since I hadn’t had any pre-drinks while getting ready, I decided she wasn't getting the bottle back. Mia just laughed as I purposefully downed half of it while glaring at her in the mirror.

When we walked into Carlos, it was subdued but thankfully far from dead. Adrian placed a gentle, protective hand on Mia’s back as we navigated toward the bar. They actually looked pretty cute together. He easily towered over her, which meant with me trailing behind them, I looked like their tag-along child.

As we reached the bar counter, the bartender—a guy with a shaved head and heavy tattoos covering his forearms—grinned broadly. “What the fuck are you two doing on this side of the bar?”

“Anthony, good to see you,” I said, throwing him a wink.

Mia chuckled, leaning against the wood. “It's someone's birthday tomorrow.” She threw an arm around my neck and planted a loud, exaggerated kiss on my cheek.

I tensed. Dead woman. By the end of this night, I was going to be an only child in the friend department.

I glared at her, rubbing my cheek. “You just left lipstick on me, didn't you?”

She winked, completely unbothered, and turned back to the bartender. “Large glass of red, a pint of Moretti, and a rum and coke, please, handsome.”

Anthony saluted and set to work. Before the drinks even landed, Adrian turned around to greet a man walking up from the lounge area.