Page 51 of Devil's Riches

“That’s out for us, then. We can’t wait that long.”

I nodded. “It’s also implied that you won’t be considered for an invitation unless you have a certain net worth and a prestigious family name. So it’d be okay for you, but not for me, because I’m a nobody by Avalon standards.”

“What’s the second option?”

“Application. It looks like absolutely anyone can do that. Age, name, and financial status aren’t an issue. But there’s a thorough vetting process, and the waitlist is up to a year long.”

“Shit.”

“I wonder if there’s a way to sneak in,” I mused, scratching my chin.

Nate sat up straighter. “I think there might actually be a way to get bumped up the waitlist.”

“How?”

“I don’t know, but I just remembered that an old friend of mine tried to get in once, and she managed to make it all happen pretty fast.”

“Can you call her and ask about it?”

A rueful smile tugged at his lips. “I’m not sure she wants to hear from me.”

I felt another twinge of jealousy in my chest. “Oh. She was that sort of friend, huh?” I said, hoping my voice didn’t betray my feelings on the matter.

“Yup.”

I bit my bottom lip. “Call her anyway. We really need to figure out a way into this club.”

He nodded and dialed a number on his cell. As it rang, he set it down on the table and put it on loudspeaker so we could both hear everything his old ‘friend’ had to say. I could see on the screen that her name was Georgina.

She answered the phone with an angry huffing sound. “I was wondering when you’d come crawling back,” she said, as if she’d been expecting this call for weeks. “Unfortunately for you, I’ve decided I can do better than a guy who can’t stop saying another girl’s name in bed. So you can hang up right now and fuck off back to Alexis, whoever she is.”

I tilted my head and stared at Nate with wide eyes. “What did she just say?” I whispered.

He ignored me and kept his eyes on the phone. “I was just calling for some advice, Georgina.”

“Oh? Here’s a freebie for you,” she snapped. “Try not to say the wrong name when you have your dick halfway down a girl’s throat.”

Nate smirked. “That’s pretty solid advice, but it’s not quite what I’m looking for.”

Georgina let out a heavy sigh. “What exactly do you want?”

“I want to know about the Devil’s Playhouse. You tried to get in once, right?”

“Yes. Last year. I thought I might find some hot older guys there,” she replied in a smug tone. It seemed like she was trying to make Nate jealous, but he didn’t even bat an eyelid.

“How did it work? Isn’t there a long waiting list?” he asked.

“Yes, but I got around it, because they let you jump the queue if you have a respectable last name. You’d have no problem if you ever wanted to apply.”

“Good to know. Did you actually get in?”

“No, but it wasn’t because they didn’t want me. I quit partway through the process.”

Nate raised a brow. “Why?”

“Well, you know the reputation that place has, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard a few stories over the years.”