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“Charming,” I muttered, watching Daphne and Dimitri walk away. Relieved, I threw back the rest of my drink. “I guess I should get used to seeing them at this kind of thing.”
Adriana made a noncommittal noise.
“So, what’s the plan? Do we plot world domination now or after the floor show?” I gestured to the big band in the corner.
She grinned, her eyes glossy and a little red. “I think Marco’s going to drag you around and let everyone get a look at the new Mrs. Moretti while Rosa gets to kick back and enjoy the night.”
“Lucky her.” I glanced around the room, overwhelmed by all the people. “Where’d she run off to?”
Adriana picked up her champagne flute and pointed it to where Rosa swaggered through the crowd, giggling as she passed the older gents ogling her.
“How much has she had to drink?” I asked as I turned to get a better view of the salt and pepper fox chatting her up at the bar.
“That’ll be drink number four.” Adriana laughed when Rosa patted the man’s cheek and then gave him her back. “Brutal.”
“Besides Rosa’s femme fatale act, what did I miss?” I settled back in my chair, smiling at Mickey’s date, who had been abandoned at the table with us.
“You missed the crowning of the Queen of Beauty and Love—” Adriana dead eyed Nicki as she took a seat across from us. “But besides that, nothing too exciting.”
When it became apparent that Adriana wasn’t going to say anything else and that Nicki was determined to outlast her in their brief battle of wills, I turned my attention to Mickey’s date. “I’m Sasha.”
She perked up and gave me a little wave. In a sweet voice, she said, “I’m Alicia.”
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Nicki watching our interaction, Adriana completely forgotten.
“So, you’re with Mickey?”
Her glossy pink lips spread into a polite smile. “Something like that.” She tilted her empty glass back and forth and set it down. “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.”
As Alicia smoothed her fitted white gown, Adriana stood and stomped from the table. Nicki’s lips twitched but flattened quickly. When her dark stare landed on me, I knew I didn’t have it in me to deal with the energy vampire.
Pouncing on the opportunity to escape, I said, “Uh, I think I’ll go with you.”
Alicia frowned but didn’t protest.
We made it a few feet from the table before Alicia chuckled. “Never a dull night with the Morettis.”
“That’s for sure.” Tommy and Frankie materialized out of thin air behind us, their gait casual, but everything else about them screamed high alert. “How’d you meet Mickey?”
Alicia gave me a playful smile as she held the bathroom door open for me. “I met him through a client.” We went to the mirror and pretended to freshen up our perfect faces. “When he needs a date, he gives me a call.”
“Ah. Gotcha.” I fished the lipstick out of my clutch. “What’s he like around you? Because I’ve only ever seen the douchebag version of Mickey.”
Alicia let out a tinkling laugh and flipped her wavy blond hair over her shoulder. “He’s a bit rough around the edges, but he’s not so bad.”
“A ringing endorsement.” I cleaned up the lipstick at the corner of my mouth with my fingernail, shooting her a sarcastic look.
“I mean it! He’s corny but kind of funny. And he can be sweet when he wants to be.”
I chucked my lipstick in my purse. “Sweet? The same man who taught Dante the phrase, ‘bros before hoes?’”
“No,” Alicia whined as she playfully crumpled against the sink, careful to keep the beautiful fabric of her dress from getting wet. “Okay, he’s a jackass, but he has his moments.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
Alicia opened her mouth just as the door opened, and in floated Beth Cooper—Mayor of St. Louis and over-the-top ex-girlfriend.
“I thought I saw you in there,” she said as she considered Alicia with interest before her eyes flitted back to me. “How are you doing?”
