Page 43 of Dahlias, Sapphires, and Cool Autumn Dusk
Unlike some, I recognized my privilege came from the Lents, so I glanced at the brothers in gratitude. Soon we surged to our feet with the rest of the audience, everyone moving as a unit. She varied between old classics and new songs I’d never heard before. Occasionally, she let us know she was trying out a new song on us, so if we didn’t like it? Well, she would play it again and again until we did. I just loved her, grinning at her flair and sass.
All too soon, the show ended. She lasted honestly longer than I probably would’ve, and she would appear again the next night at Lincoln Center. Twice, the crowd applauded her off the stage before she took her final bow and exited the stage.
I sank back into my chair as if someone removed the solidity from my very bones. “Wow.”
“You loved that.” Barrett plucked me up out of the chair and into his arms. He squeezed me so tightly, I could feel him vibrate against me. “I meant to say you loved that as much as me. Sweetheart, where have you been my whole life? How have I lived without you? Because I never thought—I mean, I didn’t dream it could be so much better just because you loved it, too.”
I laughed. “She was…everything.”
“She was amazing. A dream. But you’re everything.” He kissed me then. Despite being in public, right then, we didn’t care at all.
I kissed him back like he was air.
Finally, Jeremy tugged on us, breaking our kiss. “Let’s go. I actually loved the show, too, both because of your enjoyment and also because that woman. Just…wow.”
Barrett pointed at him. “If she can win you over, she can win over anyone.”
The autumn night had chilled during the show, so I wished I’d brought a sweater for our walk home. I rubbed my arms and two seconds later, Phoenix’s jacket covered my arms. I grinned up at him, my mind literally swimming with happiness.What a day this was.Maybe my best ever.
Is it tomorrow now?I checked my phone to see the time hit just after midnight. My lips curved into a smile at the idea of having not one, buttwogreat days in a row. It was more than I dared dream of even a few months ago.
“Despite the fact that it’s late,” Phoenix began, “I would like to point out it is actually also early. Some people are just going out, and I got invited to a party that is starting up now. Would anyone want to drop by with me?”
Julian cleared his throat, shooting me a glance. “I’m game if Alatheia wants to go. If she prefers bed, I’m up for that, too. Basically, I want to go with my girlfriend.” He met my gaze. “I also want to kiss you in public like Barrett did sometime, to tell people you’re my girlfriend. I just want to say it out loud to someone.”
Barrett knocked his shoulder into Julian’s. “I lost my head,” he confessed.
“You did, but I don’t have a problem with it.” He smiled at me, even as he spoke to Barrett. “What do you want to do?”
I didn’t want to drag any of them anywhere if they were tired. “You two? Any thoughts?” I asked Barrett and Jeremy before making my call.
Jeremy lifted his arms over his head. “Let’s take our girlfriend to a party for an hour before bed. Unless it’s weird for Barrett to go to a high school party.”
“It was weird for me to go to a high school party when I was in high school, so I don’t think much changed because of graduation. I’m not leaving Alatheia. Who is throwing the party?”
I was glad he thought to ask, since I never remembered to care.
Phoenix smirked. “Not Joe, so chill your asshole. I kept it together pretty well tonight, I think, and you should be proud of me.” He lifted his chin. “Murial Monk’s house, the brownstone on Seventy- Eighth without a doorman. Easy peasy.”
Murial Monk.The name didn’t ring a bell for me. “Should I know her?”
“No,” the twins answered together. Julian added, “But her parties are legendary in our circle. If Phoenix got an invite, we should go.”
Julian held up his phone. “I got one, too.”
Jeremy pulled his phone out of his back pocket and frowned at the device. “Oh, what the fuck? I didn’t get one.”
His twin grinned at him. “Looks like I’m winning the popularity contest this year. How did you piss her off?”
“The fuck if I know. We’re going, so I can just ask her.” Jeremy pushed buttons on his phone, texting quickly to someone. It sounded like they decided without me.
Barrett put his chin on my shoulder, his breath hot against my ear. “Murial’s mother is a fashion icon. She used to be a super model who married a billionaire. Rumor has it, Murial hasn’t seen her in a decade, which makes our parents’ neglect look likeactive parenting. With the rich, sometimes it gets out of hand. Let’s go for an hour. If they want to stay longer, that’s fine, but I want to sleep and I think you do, too.” He paused. “Unless you want to stay? Or go home now?”
I didn’t know yet, but it seemed likely he would be right, if I was honest. Marco’s party during the summer wasn’t my scene, so I doubted I would fit in better at Murial’s. Everyone else at least wanted to stop there, though, so I could tag along for a bit.
“Jer’s already called us a car. It would be a shame to screw up his rating on the app by canceling it.” I grinned. “So instead, let’s go find out why he didn’t get an invitation to Murial’s. Don’t stress. If it gets to be too much for me, you said you'll leave with me.”
Phoenix took my hand, squeezing my fingers gently. “I will, too.” Then he smirked. “I am happy to have a curfew and a bedtime if the privileges include sleeping with you.”
