Mr. Big Shot: An Enemies To Lovers Romance (Kinda Cocky Book 1), стр. 8
A shoddy title for this particular client, though.
“And this is my business partner and brother, Zane. The one I told you would be coming out with us tonight,” Brenden explained.
The girl wrapped her arms around my neck for a hug, and I stiffened. I stared over her shoulder at two other girls watching the scene unfold in front of me. I didn’t know why the hell we were up there or how long we’d be staying. But I wanted out. I wanted that giggling girl to stop hugging me. I wanted her to go back to her loud friends, and I wanted everyone to leave me alone.
“Hello,” I said flatly.
She finally released me. “Hi. It’s so wonderful to finally see you again! How have you been?”
I paused. “Kelly.”
“Yes?”
A half-smile pulled at my lips, out of an attempt to be sociable, nothing more. “I didn’t recognize you.”
She giggled. “You’re so silly. Roxy’s over there, and we brought our friend, Karina. She just moved into town a couple of weeks ago, and she’s finally gotten settled into her place.”
Brenden chuckled. “She’s a cute little thing.”
I didn’t pay her much mind, though. Mostly, because my phone kept vibrating in my hand like some sort of sex toy gone wild.
“Is there a place for me to sit?” I asked.
Brenden slapped my back. “Look around you! This is our V.I.P. section. Any chair or couch on this side of the balcony is ours for the night.”
I raised an eyebrow. “This is V.I.P.?”
Kelly laughed. “Is he always this funny?”
Brenden put on his best smile. “More like ‘always this unsociable.’ I had to practically drag him out.”
Kelly clicked her tongue. “Same with Karina. It’s like, where did your sense of adventure go? Why do you want to just sit at home and do nothing?”
I typed away on my phone again. “Because home is comfortable.”
Kelly swatted my arm. “You’re very silly. She’s going to like that.”
I shrugged off her comment and mindlessly made my way to a pathetic excuse for a leather couch. I sat down on the edge of it, not wanting to lean back. I didn't want every single bacteria known to man on the back of my suit. I switched over to my emails and started replying to a few of them. It was rare for me to be out of the office before ten at night on a Friday night. Everyone always wanted to get one last word in before the weekend. Just to make themselves feel better.
No matter what it did to me.
“Hey, Zane. You serious right now?”
Brenden’s voice hit my ears. “Not my fault we have needy clients.”
“Dude, they’ll be fine for a night. Put your phone up. It’s three against two over here. And by the sounds of it? You need some time to unwind with one of them.”
I shook my head. “I’m fine. You go have fun.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t make me take your phone again.”
“Only if you feel like losing your hand today, Brenden.”
“Zane, all I want to do is--.”
I glared up at him. “If you’re going to be jetting off every month to take your girlfriends to new and exciting places, one of us has to stay and work. You get the fun. I get the tasks. That’s how this has always gone. So, why don’t you stop complaining about it and go have the fun you came here for and ride my ass some other night.”
He blinked. “A drink. That’s what you need.”
“You’re relentless.”
“I’ll go get you some whiskey so you can relax a bit. And when I come back, you better not have that phone out.”
“Okay, Mom.”
5
Karina
The lights strobed and colors flashed as I plucked another jello shot off a passing tray. This man on the floor in the blazer dancing with me and the girls had a loose wallet, so I decided to take advantage of it. Not that I wanted to ring up his tab. But, if he offered me a drink, why not? I didn’t have a lot of money to spare anyway, and if he wanted to buy me something, I didn’t feel bad taking him up on it.
I slid my tongue into the cup and loosened the jello before it slithered down my throat.
“Woooo!” Kelly exclaimed.
“Get it, girl!” Roxy yelped.
I threw my hands into the air and swayed them with the rhythm of the crowd. More dry ice crept along the floor, wrapping around my exposed legs. I felt sweat dripping down the back of my neck. The music overwhelmed me, wrapping me up in its pulsing, rhythmic presence. My heart beat in time with the bass. My fingertips trembled with the rising notes, building to a drop that made everyone jump up and down. I couldn't jump well in the heels I wore, but the sounds overwhelmed me. Every sense I possessed was engaged with every song from confetti falling against our skin to my bones rattling with the baseline, to the smell of sweat wafting up my nose.
It was wild. And out of control.
And I loved it.
“Woo hoo!” I exclaimed.
Roxy wrapped her arms around me from behind as Kelly came to stand in front of me. With Brenden handing us all yet another jello shot, the three of us stuck our tongues into the cups. Around the edge, they went, loosening the sweetened alcoholic mixture. And after letting it slide down my throat, Brenden plucked our cups from us.
Then, he yelled over the music. “I’m going to go get us some more drinks!”
I gave him a thumbs-up as Roxy and Kelly nodded their heads. Then, Brenden pushed through the crowd toward the bar.
The three of us gyrated against one another. We shimmied our breasts and swirled our hips as we went down as low to the floor as we could. My hands twisted in the air and my arms