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Fern turns in a slow circle, inspecting herself. “Well, I’ll be damned. If this dress gets any tighter, I’m gonna need a safe word just to breathe.”
Candice squints at her reflection. “I mean… I don’t hate it. But if I bend over, I’m flashing Jesus.”
Brier doesn’t even look up from adjusting her stilettos. “That’s between you and Jesus. But something tells me he’s seen you do worse.”
Lala steps back to assess all of us, hands on her hips. “Gianni wanted something elevated but seductive, I think this qualifies.”
“Elevated?” Fern snorts. “Lala, the hemlines of these things are so elevated my bits are barely covered.”
“Wait ’til you see the other collections,” Lala adds. “Needed to make sure the fit was right before I ordered the rest of them.”
Candice’s eyes slowly slide to me in the mirror. “So,” she says sweetly. “You gonna tell us about Max, or we gotta keep pretending we didn’t all see that dance?”
My stomach drops straight through the floor. Suddenly putting on this little racy number is the least of my worries. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Fern gasps. “Oh, girl, please. Y’all were basically in a music video. I half expected fog machines and a slow fade-out.”
“It was one song. Gianni just pulled girls onto the dance floor to give the guys someone to dance with.” I snort. “Lala was out there too.”
Candice wiggles her brows. “Well, it looked like he was enjoying himself.”
“Good grief. He would’ve danced like that with whomever Gianni pushed in his direction.”
Brier’s gaze sharpens, watching me through the mirror like she’s cataloging my every expression. “You sure about that?”
“Yes,” I blurt with as much confidence as I can muster. “What would a rich, sophisticated man like that want with a girl like me?” My eyes reconnect with Brier’s, hoping to convey she’s much more his type than I am.
Fern flops dramatically onto the couch. “Tragic. Absolutely tragic. A billionaire tech god dances with you, and you didn’t even swoon. I would’ve been trying to find ways to give him my phone number.”
“Hence why Gianni didn’t push you in their direction,” Brier harrumphs.
Candice taps on her phone with her long acrylic pink nail. “Well, we did some digging.”
Of course they did.
“Did you know he’s, like, filthy rich?” Candice continues. “He built his own international cybersecurity empire. There are pictures of him on the gram standing in front of private jets, gorgeous resort properties, and ridiculous-looking sports cars.”
“And he’s single,” Fern adds in a sing-song voice.
Candice grabs Fern’s arm in her excitement to share more details. “He apparently never dates the same woman twice.”
Brier hums. “Could be a front.”
I blink. “A front for what?”
“Perhaps he’s happily married and wants to keep his family life out of the public eye.”
I roll my eyes. I thought this girl was supposed to be the smart one in this crowd. “So he throws everyone off the scent by spending all of his time at a private sex club.”
Fern lowers her voice like she’s sharing state secrets. “Maybe he’s gay.”
Candice nods seriously. “Yeah. This place might just be his cover.”
I stare at them. These two are ridiculous. “Why would he need a cover? What’s wrong with being gay?”
Candice shrugs. “Nothing. But some people aren’t ready to be out yet. I mean, with all of his big business deals, maybe he wants to keep that part of his life hidden.”
I can’t help but consider the way Max looked at me on that dance floor. The way his hands felt on my waist. The way his eyes locked onto mine like the rest of the world had gone quiet. And the various times I’ve spotted him watching me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not egotistical enough to think it has anything to do with me per se. “I don’t think so,” I say softly. “Not with how he looks at women.”
