Page 5 of Dirty Little Secrets
“And I prefer you free of his stupid ass.”
I laugh. She means every word. But it’s not that simple.
“I wish I could see his face when he sees you wearing red,” she says and continues, “Dinner is at Drazen’s, right? One of Xaiden Drazen’s places?”
“Yeah.”
“Fancy.”
I nod, rubbing the pad of my finger over a hangnail.
“You’re nervous?”
“Just a little.”
When it’s time to head out for the day, she pulls me into a hug. “Text me when you get there. And take a picture of how you look before you leave.” She winks. “So I can remind you how hot you look if he gives you shit.”
“Thanks.”
She walks in the elevator and before the doors close, she calls out, “Remember, you’re smart. Amazing. He knows it. Don’t let him try to dim you.”
I gather my things and removing the hidden jump drive from the PC. Her words linger when I head to the apartment I share with Landon. But so does his voice in my head.
I’m trying to help you.
The Uber pulls up as I adjust the neckline of my red dress just a little lower. “Happy Friday,” the driver says. “That’s a hell of a dress.”
I smile, sliding into the back seat. “Thanks.”
4
The Uber glides to a stop in front of Drazen. I’m still not used to places like this. The velvet ropes, doormen in tailored suits, people waiting like they just left the runway. The kind of place where power wears a name and mine doesn’t belong.
I step out, tugging the hem of my dress. The air is crisp, biting at my skin. My heels click against the pavement, but each step feels like it echoes a warning: I don’t belong here.
A man in black with a chest like a brick wall and eyes like razors blocks the entrance, scrolling through a sleek black tablet.
“Name?”
“Nori Summers,” I say, instantly regretting it. I should’ve said I’m with Landon’s plus one.
His brow rises. “You’re not on the list.”
Of course I’m not.
“Um…” My voice cracks. I clear my throat and grip my clutch tighter like it might anchor me coming up with something better. “I’m here with Mr. Drazen’s party.”
He doesn’t reply. Instead, he presses a finger to his earpiece, murmuring something low. My pulse thuds in my ears. I reachfor my phone, thumb hovering over Landon’s name, when the man finally steps aside. “Go ahead.”
Relief barrels through me. I nod, managing a tight smile, and step into the gilded belly of the beast.
The lobby gleams like a golden mirage. Everything shines, gold, marble, glass. All lit from below as though the building were glowing from its very bones.
Inside, the restaurant spills out like a dream built by a billionaire with a god complex. Dim lighting shifts across the walls like ocean waves. The floors are veined, backlit agate cast soft glows that dance at my feet. My nude heels seem to vanish into the light with each step. The doorman right on my heels.
Sculptures of exotic fish hang above like they’re swimming in air, circling a massive octopus made of blown glass. At the center of the room is a tank the size of a living room wall, at least forty feet tall, with a cascading waterfall and a gigantic mermaid sculpture near the top, almost touching the ceiling.
Colors fade from violet to sapphire to rose, casting shifting halos over the dance floor in the middle of the space. It looks submerged, like a sunken treasure lit by bioluminescent creatures. A world away from the streets of New York city.
