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As I walk out of the bookstore, I head to a little café to have something to eat before my shift at the restaurant. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that when I publish my book, I hopefully won’t have to work two jobs. That is, if I ever finish it, which is harder than it seems because I amalways working. It’s a vicious cycle.
After I finish my sandwich, I jog to the restaurant because now I am in danger of being late again. I go in through the back doors and head to the lockers so I can change into my uniform and add a bit more makeup. This is an upscale Italian restaurant called the Ziti Dish, and my manager is always fussing about the wait staff looking perfect. I pull my hair up in a ponytail and walk to the bar to see what section I will be working in tonight. Hopefully, it will be one that will allow me to get out of here at a reasonable time so I can make it back to my apartment for my “makeover”. I still can’t believe that I agreed to that. I laugh thinking what Sarah must be doing right now to get everything ready. Oddly enough, I am looking forward to tonight. I’m a tad nervous too, but I don’t know why.
The shift goes by quickly because it’s so busy. Everyone has been out shopping today, and now they are wanting to eat out before going home to unload their gifts. The night goes by in a blur of serving food and drinks over and over again. By the time I am off, my feet are killing me, but at least I am off tomorrow, and I made some good tip money that will buy us some delicious drinks tonight. The rest will go to rent. I go back to the lockers and change back into my clothes from earlier today. I put my apron and ticket book in my locker and grab my purse before locking it up. Then I pull out my phone and see several messages from Sarah telling me to hurry up. I tell her I’m on the way and put my phone back in my purse.
I leave the restaurant and quickly walk the few blocks to my apartment. When I get up the stairs, I hear music coming from our apartment. I walk in and Sarah shoves a glass of champaign in my hand, takes my purse from me, and puts it by the door.
“Welcome home. This is to get our celebration started. Cheers to best friends, a night on the town, and VIP tickets tothe hottest club in the city!” Sarah clinks my glass.
I take a sip and enjoy the bubbles as they go down my throat. Yum, I love champaign. Sarah is really excited and it’s kind of rubbing off on me now. I’m looking forward to seeing what this club VIBE has to offer. Apparently, it’s exclusive so only the wealthiest in the city get in. Other than us, of course. Thinking about who I could see or meet tonight, I remember the man from the coffee shop.
“So, I sort of met this guy today at the coffee shop down the street. We both had Austen on our cups, and we grabbed one of the cups at the same time…” I pause and smile thinking of him, “…and he looked like a Greek god. Seriously, I couldn’t stop staring at him.”
Sarah rushes over, “Did he ask you out? Did he get your number? How long did you talk for? What does he look like? I need all the details, NOW!”
I can’t stop laughing at her excitement. “I hate to break it to you, but he didn’t ask me out or get my number. I will probably never see him again. But man, he was so handsome. He was a tall, dark, and gorgeous drink of water.” I down the rest of my champaign and get up to refill my glass.
“Well, that’s a shame. I was hoping for something juicy,” she says.
“Sorry to disappoint. However, I believe we have a club to get to, and I think I was promised a makeover, so you better get to it because you have your work cut out for you.”
Sarah puts her hands on her hips and rolling her eyes at me says, “You don’t even need a makeover; you’re already gorgeous. I am just going to accentuate those curves and beautiful brown eyes. Now come on.”
I step out of the shower, and Sarah is waiting for me with a pile of dresses for me to go through. I end up pickinga short red dress that has an overlay of lace. It fits perfectly, hugging all the right places. The dress falls just above my knees. It’s the perfect amount of revealing but not too much. The perfect little holiday dress. Sarah goes with a smoky look on my eyes and chooses red lipstick for my mouth. I slide into some tall heels and gaze into my floor length mirror. I feel like I don’t even know who is looking back at me. It has been so long since I made such an effort in my appearance. My hair is curled and hanging down my back with it pinned up on one side. I feel so sexy and confident in my appearance. I’m so thankful for Sarah. She knows exactly how to work her magic on me.
?Sarah comes out of her room in a black dress that’s tight at the top then flows out. Her makeup is perfect, as usual. She comes over and links her arm through mine, and we look in the mirror together.
“We are some hotties tonight! Are you ready to go?” she asks.
“Yes, let me grab my purse and phone.”
We lock up the apartment and get down to the street to hail a cab. “Tonight is going to be one for the books. I can just feel it.”
Sarah smiles at me. We slide into the cab and the driver asks us where to. “Club VIBE,” Sarah answers. Just like that, we are on the way. I’ve got butterflies in my belly for some reason, but I am looking forward to this night. Tonight, seems like anything could happen. I guess that’s my literary romantic side coming out, but the thought is still there. I’ve never been this optimistic about a night out. I wonder if it has anything to do with Austen. It doesn’t matter. I have sworn off men and I’m not about to change my mind. I am going out with Sarah to dance and have a good time. That’s all.
Chapter 4
Miles
Our driver lets us out at the curb of the club. Instantly, I can hear the bass of the music coming from inside. The outside of the club seems ordinary enough, except for a red carpet that paves the way to the entrance. And of course, I spot cameras flashing. Sebastian gives me an “I’m sorry” look as we head to the entrance. I keep my head down as I walk, trying to draw less attention.
Reporters start shouting when they see us approaching.
“Miles Knight!"
"Sebastian Knight!"
"Can we get a picture?"
"How are you doing with the stresses of running the largest publishing company in the country? Any comments?”
Cameras are flashing all over and microphones are held out as far as they can reach over the railing. Ah, hell. And so, it begins. Well, we are already here now. Best make the most of it. This isn't the first time we have been bombarded, and it sure as hell won't be the last. Sebastian and I pause quickly for a few photos, and then I wave my hand to the rest of them. "No comments at this time. Have a good night." We stride quickly to the entrance of the club just in time for us to be ushered inside, without having to deal with more press. Seb and I willbe all over the internet by the end of the night, and I'm sure some will use this opportunity to throw shade our way.
We walk into the elegantly decorated lobby of the club. The lights are dim, and it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust from the flashes that were just going off outside. Immediately, we are greeted by a waiter holding a silver platter full of champaign flutes. I wave him off because I didn't come here to drink champaign; I'm heading for the good stuff. We walk toward the set of double glass doors that are simultaneously opened for us to walk through. I notice there is already a fairly large crowd of people here. We go straight to the bar and order two shots of Patron and two whiskeys. The bartender slides the shots over to us, and Sebastian raises his to gesture a toast. I hold mine up as he says, “To brothers and new adventures.” We clink our shots and down them. Feeling the burn, I’m grateful that my whiskey is here, so I can get the tequila taste out of my mouth. We take our drinks and walk over to a high-top table at the far end of the club.
“This is an impressive turn out for a new club. The PR must have been phenomenal. We need to look into who represented them,” I say to Sebastian.
“I agree. It’s impressive, but no more shop talk tonight. I want to actually have a good time and that doesn’t involve talking about the company,” he says coolly.
