39. Harper
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
HARPER
“Did I miss anything important at the academy today?” Cindy barely finishes speaking before a coughing fit takes over. I wince and pull the phone away from my ear. She’s been out sick with the flu for two days.
“Nothing you can’t catch up on.”
The elevator doors slide open, delivering me home after a long day of dance. It’s Friday night and I’m more than ready for the weekend to start. As I step into the hallway, heading for my apartment, Cindy enters another coughing fit.
“Babe, you need to rest,” I tell her. “We’ll talk later. Don’t worry about ballet.”
“I’m more concerned about missing Kaleb North’s party next weekend. I think he could be into me. My cousin tells me he’s the most popular guy at her school. I need to send you a photo. We’d make such a cute couple. Promise me we’ll go to the party if I’m not sick.”
I laugh, having heard all about this new crush of Cindy’s earlier in the week. “I already told you I’d come to the party to support you. ”
“I know but you’re always with Tyler and Felix.”
“I’m not ditching you for them. We’ll go to the party, just us two. Now go to sleep so you can recover.”
“Okay. Love you.”
Before I can say goodbye, a second voice chimes in on her end of the call—bright, teasing and loud. Cindy’s little sister. “Love you, Felix and Tyler! Can you share me instead of Harper?”
There’s a beat of stunned silence. Then Cindy’s voice cuts in, horrified. “Amalie! Get out of my room!”
My heart drops. I come to an abrupt stop in the hallway, barely able to speak more than a whisper. “You told you sister about Felix and Tyler? No one is supposed to know.”
“I didn’t tell her anything. I swear.” The words rush out of Cindy’s mouth. “She must have overheard us on the phone one evening. Besides, what does it even matter? She’s a kid. She won’t tell anyone.”
My eyes squeeze shut. Amalie is fourteen and attends the academy. There are plenty of people she could tell. Perhaps she already has. Gossip travels fast.
“If this gets back to my father… Cindy, I swear?—”
“Please don’t be upset with me. I should have been more careful. Amalie won’t tell anyone. I promise. Your dad won’t find out.”
Thank God he left for Italy this morning.
“Look, I’m home now. I need to go.”
“Harper, I’m sorry.”
“I know. This isn’t your fault. Just please make sure Amalie keeps her mouth shut.”
I hang up and enter my apartment, leaning against the door with a sigh.
“Princess, what’s wrong?” Tyler pulls me into his arms, kissing my forehead. “You’re shaking. ”
I curl into his chest, trying to lose myself in his comforting embrace. “Cindy’s little sister overheard us on the phone one night. She knows I’m with you and Felix. I’m afraid she’ll spread gossip and word will get back to my dad. She attends the academy.”
“I’m calling bullshit.” Felix’s blunt words startle me.
I turn around in Tyler’s arms, finding Felix has joined us. “I’m not following.”
“What, does Cindy live in a house with no doors? Is she living in the past where the only phone she has access to is a landline in the kitchen? No one just overhears phone calls anymore. If her sister knows, it’s because Cindy told her.”
I shake my head. “I know you don’t like Cindy, but she’s one of my closest friends. Maybe she had me on speaker. I don’t know. All I know is she wouldn’t betray me like you’re suggesting.”
“Harp, Felix makes a good point.”
I free myself from Tyler’s arms, groaning. “Not you too. Cindy is a good friend. She’s never done anything to prove otherwise. I don’t know why you’re both so against her.”
Tyler pulls me straight back to his chest, linking our fingers. “Okay. Just be careful with her. Try to not stress about the little sister. If word gets out about us, we’ll deal with it.”
“I don’t see how. My father will freak out.” I pause, looking Tyler up and down, only now realizing he’s wearing a tailored three-piece suit and his dark hair is slicked back.
My heart skips a beat. Tyler is always handsome, but Tyler in a suit is the epitome of charm.
Felix is dressed up too. No jacket, just a black vest over a white dress shirt and pants.
The sleeves are rolled up, exposing his forearms covered in ink.
But instead of the suave appeal of Tyler, Felix looks beautifully dangerous, like he’s stepped out of a backroom poker game with whiskey on his breath and someone else’s money in his pocket.
“What’s the occasion?”
“You mentioned wanting to visit a speakeasy.” Felix steps up to me, placing a finger beneath my chin and tilting my lips to meet his while I remain in Tyler’s arms. “Tonight’s the night.
Let’s try to forget about the Cindy drama.
Tyler’s right, we’ll deal with whatever happens.
We have an outfit waiting for you on your bed.
Go freshen up and meet us back here in one hour. ”
The entrance to the speakeasy is hidden in a dark alley downtown. The only giveaway is a green neon light in the shape of a clover above the door. It feels dangerous being here, despite Felix’s assurance that The Clover is a perfectly legal establishment.
A faint pulse of jazz seeps from inside the building. The cool night breeze tousles my hair, sending shivers through me. Tyler wraps an arm around my shoulders, keeping me warm.
Felix knocks on the door five times in a deliberate rhythm.
When there’s no answer, he leans one shoulder against the brick wall and watches me, admiring my appearance.
The heat of his gaze makes me blush. I’m wearing a coat for warmth, but the dress Felix and Tyler picked out for me is a sparkly champagne with fringe tassels and is barely long enough to be decent.
It’s sleeveless and the neckline dips low.
To fit the 1920s theme, I styled my hair in waves, then applied dark eye makeup and a bold red lip.
“What are we waiting for?” I ask.
As soon as I speak, a small panel in the door slides open, revealing a pair of dark eyes belonging to a man. “Password?” he asks.
“Crimson clover,” Felix replies.
The panel snaps shut. A moment later, the door swings inward, inviting us into a dimly lit hallway. The jazz swells in volume. I can distinguish saxophones and trumpets.
“Let’s go, Princess.” Tyler takes my coat and hands it to the doorman, then slips his hand into mine.
Excited and curious, I step across the threshold, to where the scent of alcohol and tobacco is strong.
Tyler and Felix stay by my side. As we make our way down the hallway, the music grows louder. The hallway opens into a large room packed with people dressed in glittering gowns and sharp suits. A live jazz band plays on a stage. People are dancing. There’s laughter. The place is bustling with life.
I take it all in, my eyes wide with wonder.
It’s like stepping back in time, into a world of glamour.
Crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, casting a glow over the dance floor.
Plush velvet booths line the walls where patrons sip from ornate cocktail glasses.
Farther ahead, there’s a gaming room full of people shouting with joy, winning big.
Felix leans in, his breath warm against my ear. “What do you think, Red?”
I shiver, both from the thrill of the speakeasy and his proximity. “It’s incredible,” I breathe, unable to tear my gaze away from the dazzling scene before me.
“Stick close to us,” Tyler murmurs in my other ear, slinking his arm around my waist. “It’s easy to get lost in here.”
“Felix, my man,” someone calls out. We all turn to the person, but I’m the only one who stiffens when I see the voice belongs to Theo.
Like everyone at The Clover, he’s dressed well, which is an odd sight considering I’ve only ever seen him in ripped jeans and hoodies.
Felix laughs, patting Theo’s shoulder. “Isn’t The Clover a little too clean for your tastes?”
“I’ve got an eclipse deal going down.” Theo looks at me, noticing Tyler’s arm around my waist and my hand in Felix’s. His lips curl. He doesn’t comment on the three of us, but he knows.
Theo being aware of our secret doesn’t pose the same threat as Cindy’s little sister. He’s not a part of my social circle. If he tells anyone about us, there’s a slim chance it will impact my life.
But I still don’t trust the guy. My hand tightens around Felix’s. I won’t tell Felix who he can and can’t associate with. I know Theo is a good friend of his. But it feels like he stole Felix from me when we were younger.
“You three keen for a drink? My shout,” Theo says. “Blackwood, it seems you have a lot to fill me in on regarding your lady.”
“Not tonight,” Felix answers. “We’ll catch up another time.”
“I’m holding you to your word. Enjoy your night.” With a wink, Theo disappears into the crowd, leaving us standing in the heart of the speakeasy. I exhale with relief, able to relax again.
“Where to first?” Tyler asks.
“I’ll order us a round of drinks,” Felix says, guiding us through the crowd of people to the bar.
“Alcoholic drinks?” I clarify, a little worried. “We’re underage.”
“Relax. I know one of the bartenders. Harper, you’re about to have the night of your life.”
And he’s right. The night soon blurs into a haze of laughter.
One cocktail turns into two. Then three.
I’ve sipped on a few glasses of champagne with my parents during special occasions in recent years, but never have I drunk this much.
I’m tingling. Lightheaded. Laughing more than I have in months.
It feels good to let loose. The drama with Cindy’s sister even slips from my mind.
We lose track of time, caught up in the electric energy of The Clover.
The warmth of the alcohol running through my veins makes this evening feel magical.
My men teach me how to play poker in the gaming room.
The dealer doesn’t ask for ID to check my age.
I suppose not everything about The Clover is legal, but I’m too swept up in the night to care.