Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 106948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
“You probably did it while you were drunk.” Kayla grinned, her new designer olive green silk dress flashing a good deal of her toned thigh as she walked. “Remember that time you ordered those god-awful beaded and rhinestone-encrusted duck sweaters off eBay?”
“Do I ever,” I groaned while tugging at the hem of my dress as it tried to creep up. “I learned the hard way not to get wasted and go one-click shopping. Those things were expensive! A hundred and sixty dollars for a duck sweater. I had to pick up extra shifts at work to cover it.”
My grin died off as we crossed the street, heat rising off the black pavement while we negotiated the slow-moving traffic. As the temperature dropped, more and more people had come out. An almost visible wave of excited energy rose off the long line of people winding around Obsession, all dressed to impress and waiting to get in. A wait we could skip, thanks to my lucky win.
People in line watched us as we dared to strolled past them up the white marble steps leading to the domed entryway, probably wondering what the hell we were doing. When we approached the purple velvet ropes guarding the club entrance, I gave myself a little pep talk and tried to appear confident. Any other night of the week and I’d be stuck at the back of the line, waiting to maybe get inside. But tonight…tonight I was somebody. Kind of.
Two of the four bouncers watching the entrance tilted their heads to watch us approach, then turned and spoke to each other in voices too low for me to hear. They were both very handsome Latino men who wore pitch-black suits, and in the deep purple-tinged lighting of the club’s exterior, they were intimidating as hell.
The guard on the left, a gigantic guy with buzzed black hair and a hard expression, took us in with a small twist to his thick lips.
With large diamond studs glinting in both his ears he was an intimidating sight, “Ladies, how can I help you?”
“Um…I’m on the list,” I said as I clutched my purse and tried to keep from withering beneath his surprised look.
Okay, so me and my friends weren’t supermodels or wealthy socialites, but we weren’t gutter trash either. The stares of the crowd grew and a couple women near the front of the line openly ridiculed Joy’s breasts as being porn star implants and instantly labeled her a whore. As they began to cut my friend down I was having a hard time not going over there and putting my foot up their pampered asses. Joy’s self-esteem wasn’t the best, nowhere near as bad as mine, but she was very sensitive and uncomfortable about her figure due to a lifetime of men ogling her admittedly sexy as hell body. And lets not forget how Joy’s older sister loved tearing Joy down. I know her sister is just jealous of Joy, but it still hurts my friend and has made her hyper aware of how other people see her.
Listening to those women cut Joy down added a snap to my words, “Hannah Barnes. That’s my name.”
He pulled out his phone and checked the screen for a moment before looking at me with raised eyebrows and said something. I missed the first part as the doors to the club opened and some gorgeous, laughing women stumbled out with their arms hooked around their male handsome counterparts, music booming from the club within.
It wasn’t until the doors closed again that I heard him say, “…gold-level VIP?”
Distracted by the sight of the model-perfect people going down the steps, I said, “What?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were a gold-level VIP, Ms. Barnes?” He smiled, suddenly all charming and attentive.
“But I’m not. I mean, I won a contest.”
“Says here you’re a member.” He took a step closer and lowered his voice. “Ms. Barnes, please believe me when I say if by some miracle you accidentally got gold VIP status, don’t fight it. We’re talking free food and drinks for life.”
Shit, I’d eat here five days a week if I could and save a ton of money on grocery bills.
I wondered if they served breakfast.
“Wow…okay.”
“Excellent.” He winked at Joy, and I thought she might pass out as he unhooked the purple velvet rope for us next to a small gold sign that said “Elite Member Entrance Only”. “Please go inside, ladies. A hostess will be waiting for you. Enjoy your night.”
The women who’d been making disparaging remarks stared with open jealousy and I couldn’t help but give them a catty, smug smile as I strutted past them with my girls. Yes, it was petty of me, but it wasn’t every day I got to be a VIP anything. He must be wrong about the whole gold-level whatever, but for one night I was going to pretend that I was indeed a very important person, and that people knew I existed.