LOREN
“Why does it have to be so pink?” I asked, looking down at the dress I’d been given to wear with disdain. “This is so not my signature color.”
Nat snorted but ignored my complaints as the limo pulled up to Climax. We had our sashes back on, and we were all decked out in hot pink bodycon dresses. It wasn’t a horrible dress outside of the color. A team of makeup artists and hairstylists had perfected our looks, and I was amazed at how fast they’d worked. Dinner had been catered in while we were getting pampered, so we were able to nibble on things between hair and makeup turns.
Overall, it had been a fun day, and now we were headed to the evening entertainment. I always enjoyed my time at Climax, especially when it ended with sexy times with one, or more, of my men. I didn’t want to admit I was anxious to see them all, having gotten used to seeing them all the time now. These past few hours had felt weird without one of them nearby.
“Cheer up, Lor. It’s not that bad,” Cami said, nudging me.
Rolling my eyes, I pasted a smile on my face. “I’ll remember this, you know. What’s your least favorite color? I will dress you in it and see how you like it.”
Lark laughed, shaking her head. “I’m sure Cami can rock anything, but she’d probably be more down with no clothing.”
The girls laughed, and Cami shrugged, not denying it, but I caught the faint sign of discomfort and wondered how she was doing with everything post-Darren. It sobered me a little, and I realized that wearing hot pink with my friends to celebrate my marriage wasn’t horrible. I was grateful we made it to this point, actually.
“Fine, you’re right. I do look good, don’t I?”
Everyone nodded, and we managed to climb out with no flashing accidents. Once we were clear of the limo, I realized how odd it looked outside. “There’s no line,” I stated, blinking.
“Duh,” Cami said, grabbing my arm and pulling me. “You really think your husbands would let random men stare at you when they can control it?” She gave me a look like I was dumb for even considering it.
“I mean…” I started, but then realized how right she was. “Okay, you’re right.” Laughing, I smiled, knowing how loved I was.
We stepped through the door, a guard I’d seen around before nodding in deference to me as we passed. It was still weird to think I was their Queen, or whatever.
Now that we weren’t under attack, things had settled down in the mafia world, and I hardly even knew what was happening. It was more for my own sanity than anything. Atticus had tried to include me, but it was better for me to step back, since my family was safe.
The hallway was dark as usual as we made our way deeper into the club, and I wondered which side we’d be entering tonight—Illusion or Verity. Images of what happened the last time I’d been in Verity began to play through my mind, and my body responded in accordance—my nipples tightened, and my core began to throb. Shit, hopefully, my husbands would be near soon, or I might orgasm from memory alone.
Cami and Lark directed us to the Verity side, and when we entered, I had to stop to make sure we were in the right place. In the middle of the club, a stage had been built with a pole on one end. It looked similar to the one from the Obsession room now that I thought about it.
“What is this?” I asked, looking around at the others. A few people were working at the bar, but for the most part, it was empty.
“Sit down and find out. The show’s about to start,” Nat said, beaming at me. She was practically jumping in her heels, she was so excited. The six of us sat down in an extended couch area that was set up at the front of the stage. The moment we were planted, drinks were delivered to the table in front of us, and the lights dimmed. I knew someone was watching us from somewhere, and I wondered again if it was any of my husbands.
The music started, and neon lights flashed on the stage as the girls whooped and hollered for the show to begin. I was still too stunned to relax, so I grabbed the drink and took a big swallow. The cold liquid rushed down my throat, the bite of alcohol almost drowned out by the sweetness of the fruit.
“Mmm, what is this?” I asked, turning to Cami.
She’d been watching me, so I wondered if she had a hand making the drink. “It’s the Lady of the Manor. I made it just for you, per Atticus’ request. Do you like it?”
My face heated, and I nodded, taking another sip. “It’s really good. I’m going to be in trouble if I don’t slow down.”
“That’s kind of the point,” Nat whispered, leaning close to my side. “Let go, girl! It’s your bachelorette night in reverse.”
“I don’t know what that means, but okay. You’re right. I haven’t had a true day off in forever, and it would feel nice to not worry about everything for one night.” Lifting my glass, I tapped it to hers. “Cheers.”
“That’s my girl!” She kissed my cheek, and we laughed at the silliness. It felt nice to let loose. I should probably do this more often.
“Welcome, ladies. Tonight, you’ll be entertained by some of our best performers. Enjoy!” a voice said over the speakers. It sounded familiar, and by the way Nat did a full-body shiver; I’d guess it was Byron’s.
“Looks like someone is here,” I teased, and she took a sip, blushing.
Before I could tease her more, smoke began to fill the area as a man walked out. When the song started playing, the girls cheered. I felt a little out of the loop at their easy recognition, but I sat up, eager to see what they were excited about. The body began to dance to the rhythm, and I had to appreciate how well they could move. The light fell on them when the song started, and I realized it was Nicco. His lips began moving to the words, and I finally understood what was happening. He was doing one of those lip sync battles we’d watched on TV the other week.
As the song played, he danced his heart out, making us laugh and giggle as he got into the words, portraying the iconic “Single Ladies” dance.
When it finished, we all stood, applauding his efforts. He strutted over, jumped off the stage, and pulled me into his arms.