Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
MILA
The Viper was a huge nightclub that spanned three stories. As soon as I walked in the doors with Oleg and Anton riding my ass, the heavy beat of the music and the strobe of the lights intoxicated me.
“I’m going to look for my friends,” I yelled over the music to Anton.
Selena had reserved a big corner table on the second level that overlooked the dance floor.
I weaved my way through throngs of people as I made my way up to find them.
My emerald sequined mini and my bejeweled strap heels sparkled and danced in the lights.
The whole place had a magical feeling to it.
Selena had invited a lot of her friends from childhood, so when I found her and Tanya, they were already in the corner with about a dozen other people.
“Mila!” Selena yelled, jumping up from her seat and putting her arms around me in a big hug. “Everyone, this is my girl. She and Tanya are my best friends.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Tanya cheered as she put a shooter in my hands. “Toss that back, girl.”
At first I was nervous, but all her friends were so nice and fun. Selena sat me down beside one of the guys there and whispered in my ear, “You should talk to Conner. He’s single, and he has a job. He’s a nice guy.”
“What about my situationship?”
She shook her head. “Is he here? No. So drink and dance that ass off, and see what happens to your night, okay?”
I caught sight of Anton and Oleg standing off to the side, sipping bottles of water. I pretended not to see them. “Okay.”
Conner and I chatted for a while. He was cute, and for the first time in my life, a guy was flirting with me of his own volition. Was this what real life actually felt like?
Despite the loud music, Conner continued our conversation. “So you’re working to get your GED?”
I nodded as I took a sip of my drink. “Yes. Are you in school too?”
“I’m a second year welding apprentice, so I work full time most of the year.”
“Once I get my GED, I’m hoping to return to school.”
He looked impressed. “Oh, yeah? What would you like to study?”
I had never admitted to anyone what I really wanted to do. I shook my head. “It’s silly.”
“There isn’t anything silly about wanting to better yourself.”
I felt shy. “I really like interior design stuff. Like decorating and lighting and that kind of thing.” I felt helpless just saying my dream out loud. “It’s not very realistic.”
He shook his head in disagreement. “No, that’s a solid plan. Everyone needs design help.”
“You think?” I couldn’t keep the hopeful tone out of my voice.
“Yeah. I mean, I never thought I’d make it through my first year as a welder, but here I am.”
I really liked Conner’s energy. He was approachable, kind and encouraging.
If my parents hadn’t died, if I hadn’t moved to Russia, this was exactly the kind of guy I probably would have ended up dating.
I couldn’t help but compare him to Axel.
Where Axel was complicated, impossible to read and completely in charge of every situation, Conner seemed young, unsure and too sweet for his own good.
My friends thought I was a free woman, tangled in a situationship and in need of some guidance. It made sense they’d push me toward someone as nice as Conner, but I knew tonight could never go past casual flirting. It seemed dishonest not to disclose that.
“I’m kind of seeing someone, so I don’t want to do anything I regret.”
His expression was respectful and resigned but tinged with disappointment. “Do you think that they’d mind if I asked you to dance?”
I thought of Axel watching me dance with Conner. He probably wouldn’t care. He might not even notice. Besides, I wanted to let myself experience it all. Even if it was only for one night. “I think he’d be fine with dancing.”
He grabbed my hand and pulled me up. “Don’t let go.”
I ignored Anton and Oleg, who stood up straight and looked slightly panicked when I tripped past them, holding on to Conner. It was necessary. As soon as we got down to the crush of people on the main floor, I would have lost him if he hadn’t had a tight grip on my wrist.
The dance floor was a crazy vibe of energy, a place where bodies, flashing lights and music blended into one throbbing mass. I spun in front of Conner and looked up at the second floor. I could see Anton on his headset, frantically looking over the edge of the railing, searching for me.
I waved, but in the sea of gyrating bodies, my movement was lost on him. He looked worried, but I knew I was safe. I was surrounded by people, and Conner was staying within inches of me as we danced. The alcohol flowed hot inside of me, and all I wanted to do was move.
Tonight was my night.
I let myself move to the music and forget about everyone else. I felt so alive, young and energized as each song bled into the next one.
At one point, Tanya appeared beside me with some more shots, and then Selena joined us, and we all danced some more.
I was definitely drunk. My body felt as light as air, like I was barely touching the floor while the music thrummed through me. I kept my eyes shut while I moved.
A strong hand grabbed me and pulled me against an extremely muscular body.
I stiffened, and yelled over my shoulder, “I’m married.”
A familiar voice growled in my ear. “Glad you remembered.”
I spun in his arms and stared up in shock at Axel’s face. He looked different in the strobe of lights. His energy was darker, more dangerous. Intoxicatingly so.
“What are you doing here?” I said over the music.
“You didn’t answer your phone.”
I could immediately tell that he was pissed. “Who was calling me?”
“You deliberately let your security lose you.”
I decided that arguing back was the smart choice. “I could see them the entire time. What’s the big deal?”
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me off the dance floor.
I dug in my heels. “Where are we going?”
He turned on me, nearly yelling over the music. “I told you that you needed to respect your security.”
“I did. It’s not my fault they lost me.”
“We’re leaving.”
“I’m not leaving my friend’s party,” I shouted over the music. “You can’t make me!”
He stepped closer. “Do you know that I had to leave an important meeting for this?”
I didn’t step back. “All your meetings are important. I don’t see why you had to bother me when I’m perfectly safe and finally having fun. So I’m not leaving.”
He stared at me, clearly frustrated. “What does ‘finally having fun’ mean?”
“What do you think it means? You go out all the time. I never go out. And the one time I’m having fun, you have to ruin everything and drag me home.”
“We made a deal.”
“I kept my end of the deal.”
He stood there staring at me, clearly considering his options. The music throbbed around us, and I suddenly felt alone even though I was surrounded by people.
I tried again. “Please don’t make me leave.”
He looked conflicted. And then he said words I never thought I’d hear him say. “Fine. Let’s go meet your friends.”
I froze. “Together? You’re not leaving?”
“Those are my terms.” He hadn’t actually stated his terms, but I knew what he meant. He wasn’t going to let me out of his sight again after I had deliberately let myself get lost in the crowd. I didn’t want to leave the party, but how would I explain Axel to my friends?
“My friends don’t think we’re married, remember?”
“What does ‘something else’ mean?”
I winced, trying to be as delicate as possible. “They think I’m in a situationship. So I can’t introduce you as my husband.”
He didn’t react, and that almost made it worse. “What’s a situationship?”
This conversation was making me nervous. “Hooking up without commitment. You know, casual.”
“So the opposite of our marriage.”
I put my hand over his mouth. “Don’t use that word.”
He pulled my hand off his mouth, but he looked amused, not pissed. “Lead the way.”
I was nervous, but I wasn’t left with too many options. “I warned you.”
On the way back to our table, he stopped briefly to talk to Anton. And when we stopped in front of my friends, the entire table stared back in wonder.
Selena’s eyes were wide, but her smile was huge. “I’m the birthday girl. Who are you?”
Axel spoke with a smooth charm. “Happy birthday. I’m Axel, but you might know me as Mila’s situationship.”
Tanya screamed in delight.
His smile was magnetic. “Do you mind if I help you celebrate a bit?”
“Have a seat,” Tanya instructed.
“The more the merrier,” said someone else.
The next ten minutes felt surreal. I watched in disbelief as Axel laughed and chatted with my two friends until they were both blushing and giving me strong nods of approval when they thought he wasn’t looking.
He was ridiculously charming as he asked them both about school, their interests and their lives.
Axel looked around the table. “Anyone interested in some drinks?”
Selena smiled ruefully. “We can barely get a waitress to come over here, and it’d take you an hour to get to the bar and back. We’re not going to make you do that the first night we meet you.”
Everyone laughed.
“I took the liberty of ordering some,” Axel said as he motioned to someone. “I hope you don’t mind.”
Everyone sat back in disbelief when three cocktail waitresses appeared carrying bottles of champagne, a tray of shooters and large trays of assorted appetizers, along with bottles of water. They set everything on the table with a flourish before disappearing with our dirty glasses.
Selena looked happy but scared. “This looks so fancy. And expensive.”
“I take care of Mila. Therefore, I take care of her friends,” Axel said smoothly. “Should we make a toast?”
Tanya sat in shock for a moment, and then she leaned toward me and whispered, “Girl, you’re crazy if you don’t lock him down.”
“That’s funny,” I said, totally inebriated.
Axel expertly opened one of the bottles of champagne. Selena leaned across the table and mouthed at me, “Marry him.”
Tanya and I dissolved into a fit of giggles.