Page 124 of Sin Bin

The room rang with laughter.

“One of the twins was on Twitter bragging about their wild threesome with Logan,” Jess recalled with a grin. “She said it was the hottest thing she and her sister had ever done.”

Bianca chortled. “And Logan had the nerve to like the tweet and tell them he’d be back next summer!”

As more laughter erupted, Nadia caught Meadow’s strained smile and rubbed her back consolingly. “Okay, girls! Let’s put our bags in our rooms and head out to do some shopping!”

As the others whooped and cheered, Nadia smiled and winked at Meadow.

She smiled back shyly. She was liking Nadia more and more.

They hit the strip, joining the throngs of tourists and thrill seekers that crowded the sidewalks. They wandered in and out of kitschy souvenir stores and strip malls before ending up at The Shops at Crystals, an upscale luxury mall filled with high-end designer brands.

Meadow never shopped at Crystals. Everything there was way out of her budget. Just looking at the inflated price tags gave her heart palpitations.

Her soror Bianca, on the other hand, was an extravagantly fashionable girly-girl. Her hair and makeup were always on point, and her high salary enabled her to afford designer labels. So she wasn’t intimidated by snooty salespeople or eye-popping price tags.

She waltzed confidently into the Dolce & Gabbana store, her Prada shoulder bag bumping against her swaying hip. The others followed her, Meadow bringing up the rear.

The store’s security personnel made her feel painfully self-conscious, as if they knew she couldn’t afford the exorbitant merchandise and were secretly mocking her.

As they browsed the selection of swanky designer clothes, Scarlett mused aloud, “So this is how the other half lives.”

Bianca grinned at her. “Um, I hate to break it to you, Soon-To-Be Mrs. Sandström, but you’re part of that other half now.”

Jess snickered. “Not that she was ever a pauper as the daughter of a Boeing executive. Same goes for Nadia, lest we forget that her daddy owns a successful dental practice.”

“That may be true,” Scarlett said almost defensively, “but our fathers are very frugal. Our families have never lived extravagantly.”

“Nope. Never,” Nadia confirmed. “Uncle Lavell and my father made us work hard for every dollar we earned growing up. We all got summer jobs as soon as we were old enough to work, and they never let us quit for frivolous reasons. They taught us the value of a dollar so we would never take money for granted.”

“I can vouch for that,” Bianca said with an amused chuckle. “I’ve heard all the stories from Nelson. He might not make a lot of money as a reporter, but he sure as hell knows how to stretch a dollar.”

Nadia chuckled. “To this day, even the simplest displays of wealth make me and Scarlett twitchy. I remember when we were hanging out with the fellas during All-Star Weekend. We had dinner and drinks on some yacht with a bunch of other hockey players. When it was time to settle the bill, all of them just casually pulled out their Amex Black Cards—”

“Black Cards?” Jess perked up. “Isn’t that what celebrities use to close down stores so they can shop in private?”

“Girl, yes,” Bianca confirmed. “Only a limited number of people have them. You have to spend and pay off at least $350,000 every year.”

“What?” Meadow sputtered in disbelief. “That’s crazy!”

A saleswoman approached with a haughty smile. “May I help you, ladies?”

“Actually, yes,” Bianca said, returning her fake smile. “We’re attending a big party on Friday night, and I want to look like a million bucks. Can you help me find something that dazzles?”

The woman scanned Bianca’s full figure and pursed her lips.

“Did I mention that we’re partying with the Denver Rebels?” Bianca gestured to Nadia and Scarlett. “My friends here are engaged to two of the star players.”

The woman’s mask of superiority instantly vanished. She beamed at Nadia and Scarlett, then clapped her hands together and flashed a megawatt smile at Bianca. “I’m sure we can find the perfect dress for you. For all of you.”

“Splendid. Let’s just start with me.” As Bianca led the excited saleswoman away, Nadia casually sidled up to Meadow.

“Speaking of Friday night’s party, Logan wants you to get something pretty to wear.”

“I don’t need to get anything,” Meadow said defensively. “I brought a nice cocktail dress. I’m good.”

Nadia gave her an empathetic smile. “Believe me, I understand your reluctance to accept his money. You know I’m the same way with Reid, which drives him absolutely crazy.” She rolled her eyes before continuing. “Here’s the thing, sweetie. Everyone’s going to be wearing Oscar-style gowns that night. I’m sure your cocktail dress is perfectly lovely, but it might not be glam enough to satisfy Jenna’s red-carpet dress code. I don’t want you to spend the whole evening feeling underdressed and self-conscious. I’ve been there and it’s no fun.” She made a face and then smiled. “Logan gave me one of his credit cards and told me you should get anything you want. He was very adamant about it.”

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