12 CONNOR
We were in the lounge waiting for someone to notice us and invite us upstairs. It wasn’t working, and I was getting frustrated—totally fed up.
“I feel terrible doing this,” Sam said, dumping our drinks into a potted plant in the lounge again. “It’s like flushing liquid gold down the drain.”
“Look on the bright side... it’ll save you from one hell of a hangover.” I stood up and walked to the entrance of the lounge, taking in the whole scene.
Samantha came up beside me.
“Who are those guys?” I pointed discreetly at the group. I recognized one of them from the entrance, but the other three were new to me.
“The one next to Valentine is Asaf—Youssef’s son. Youssef owns Azur. And next to him is his bodyguard.”
“The guy sitting down...”
“That’s Mohani,” Samantha cut in.
“This isn’t working.”
“It would help if you didn’t have that whole ‘Hey, look at me, I’m a cop’ vibe going on.”
“I don’t have that vibe.”
“Of course you do.” Samantha smiled. “Your badge might as well be tattooed on your forehead.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“Wee-ooo wee-ooo.” Samantha twirled her finger in the air, mimicking a siren.
“Okay. Maybe I’m not used to parties.”
“Me neither,” she said, filling another glass with the expensive stuff.
“Doesn’t seem like it,” I said, getting her attention. “You’re young. You go out on dates and meet all kinds of random people around the city.”
“Is that what you think?” She let out a hollow laugh. “I can’t remember the last time I went on a date.”
“Three days ago you were heading out on one,” I said without thinking.
She stared at me, surprised.
“That wasn’t a romantic date,” she explained. “A friend asked me for help with an antique.”
“Oh...” I said, feeling a strange sense of relief I couldn’t explain.
“Since I got to this city, every move I’ve made has been calculated toward a single goal.”
“Finding your parents,” I finished.
“Finding closure.”
I didn’t respond, but I understood. I know what it’s like to be haunted by a mission that never seems to end.
“You know what?” Samantha stood up and grabbed her purse. “I think I know how we can get upstairs.”
She grabbed my arm and dragged me to the center of the club—right into the middle of the dance floor, which was ringed by some German-style benches.
“What are you thinking?”
“There’s only one thing bigger than your hot cop aura,” she said quickly. “Mohani’s ego.”
“I still don’t get it.”
“With the right motivation, he’ll notice us, and I’m sure he’ll make damn sure we’re under his watch.”
“And what would that motivation be?” I asked—right before she hit me with her purse. She shoved me hard, sending me tumbling onto one of the benches.
“Something I promised I’d only do for him.” Samantha smiled, then pulled up the fabric of her dress to form a kind of mask that left only her eyes showing.
Then the music kicked in with a fast, driving rhythm, and Samantha began to move. Her arms stretched out as her stomach undulated to the intense beats.
As she danced, her eyes seemed full of secrets, and a magical aura surrounded her hips. Gradually, everyone started paying attention to her, including the men in the lounge, and I felt a twinge of irritation.
The only reason I wasn’t more bothered was that I was completely hypnotized by her movements. No matter how hard I tried to pay attention to my surroundings, my eyes kept getting pulled back to hers, as if some kind of magnetism connected us.
Gradually, the movement around us grew distant, and the sounds faded into the background.
Samantha pulled me to my feet.
“I don’t know how to dance,” I admitted, and she smiled.
“Who would’ve guessed?” She circled me, running her hand from one shoulder to the other, leaving a hot trail wherever she touched.
She pulled the scarf from her head and looped it around my neck, drawing us closer. I didn’t know what to do with my body, but my hands seemed to make their own decision, landing on her waist as she swayed from side to side.
She spun around, my fingers tracing the full curve of her waist. With her back to me, she arched her body, looking at me upside down, and offered me an enchanting smile that made me hold my breath.
Everyone around us started clapping, and I joined in as she seemed to command the rhythm of the music, moving her hips and conducting the melody to her body’s will.
I understood exactly what went through Mohani’s head when he claimed this spectacle for himself alone. I would’ve done the same.
It didn't take long for the attention she'd drawn to turn into an invitation. Soon we were headed to the second stage of the night's mission.
We followed the boy through a sort of backstage corridor. When we reached a door with a keypad, the waiter asked us to turn around while he punched in the code.
“From here on out, there's no turning back.” I felt the door close behind us. “Literally.”