AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I know the mafia doesn’t always look like the Sopranos, so I could’ve been standing near a Carfano and didn’t even know it. I still didn’t run my game there, though, just to be safe.
As Cassie and I walk through the casino, we get looks from everyone we pass. And when the umpteenth man gives us the up and down look, Cassie and I smirk at each other.
“That just confirms we look amazing,” she says.
We follow the signs that lead us around the entire casino to the line that has already formed to get into their club, Royals.
“This is going to take forever to get in.”
“I’ve been keeping a secret,” Cassie says casually. “You know those annoying girls I said were talking loudly about how much fun they had here a few weeks ago?” I nod. “Well, I decided to join in the conversation once one mentioned that their cousin’s boyfriend was one of the bouncers. I texted her after you called and she said she’s going tonight too, and would give him our names to let us right in.”
“You sneaky little minx.”
“I know how to turn an annoying situation into something beneficial.” Grabbing my hand, Cassie walks us past everyone in line and up to the bouncer. “Hey, Santiago.”
“Hi, gorgeous, what can I do for you?”
“Jackie’s waiting for us inside. She said she’d tell you I was coming. I’m Cassie, and this is my friend, Lexi.”
“Yes, she did. But she failed to tell me how gorgeous you’d be.”
“It’s always better to be surprised,” Cassie teases, and Santiago rubs his chin, looking her up and down.
“Yes, it is.” His voice drops, and Cassie runs her fingers down his forearm as he unclips the velvet rope.
“Thank you.”
“Have fun, ladies.”
Cassie flashes him a smile. “Oh, we will.” And when we walk out of earshot, she sarcastically says, “Wow, Jackie’s cousin is a lucky girl.”
We walk down a hallway that’s lit only by small, dim lights lining the sides, and the thudding of music pulses through me – the beat and my heart pounding with every step closer to the source. There’s another bouncer a short distance ahead who pulls back a thick black curtain, causing the music to hit me square in the chest.
We’re at the top of a large staircase and I look down at everyone below, my anxiety spiking at the thought of being around so many people after not going out for so long. But I breathe through it, and by the time we reach the bottom, my head is clear and my pulse is back in tempo with the music.
“I’ve got the first round,” I tell Cassie, and the men around the bar don’t even hesitate to part for us.
It doesn’t take long for us to get our drinks, and since I can’t dance before I have at least a few in me, we stand at a high-top table near the bar that was just vacated by a group of girls. I’m not ready to flirt for drinks yet, either.
“So, I’ve been trying to date recently,” Cassie says loud enough for me to hear over the music.
“Wait, seriously?” I ask, surprised.
“Yeah,” she sighs, rolling her eyes. “I downloaded a stupid app and have gone on a date almost every weekend for two months now. It’s annoying and it fucking sucks.”
“Every weekend? That sounds exhausting.”
“It has been. And get this, none of them were even second or third dates. They were all first dates. It feels like all I’ve done is repeat myself over and over again to each guy, and they’ve all started to blur together. I’m telling you, I couldn’t pick a single one out of a lineup if I was asked to.”
“Dating isn’t even on my radar right now,” I tell her, taking a long sip of my drink. “And based on what you just told me, I’m glad it isn’t.”
“You need to get out there though, Lex. Let a man distract you from life.”
“Who says I need a distraction?”
“I do. You need some fun in your life. You put school on hold to take care of your grandpa, and then went right back to school while still helping him as much as you can. You need something for yourself. And by that, I mean some dick. Some really great dick to make you black out in bliss for a while between it all.”
“Cassie!” I yell, laughing loudly.
