Page 2 of Born Reckless
“You look hot,” she says, reaching forward and with her dainty fingers, she pulls the pins from my hair, releasing it from its bun. She ruffles her fingers through it, fluffing the strands. She wipes at something on my face and smiles. “Now, come on.”
She drags me out of the limo and shoves me right into the middle of it all.
There are dozens of people outside. The building in front of us is lit up with intense red lights. There are two bouncers on either side of the doors.
Elena slips her arm through mine and walks right past those waiting to get inside.
“Name?” one of the burly men asks.
“Elena Godfrey,” she says, just like the queen she is.
The man checks his list, and after just two seconds, he nods us inside.
There are over a hundred people in here, easily. I’m not even sure what this building is. It looks like every other high rise in the city, but I think maybe there are apartments above this level. We step into what looks like an exceptionally lavish lobby, filled with high-end furniture, a bar, windows revealing a lush garden out back, and black elevators.
“Whose party is this?” I ask, having to speak loudly. There’s music playing, though it’s not blaring like it would be in a club. It’s the number of people in here. Everyone is talking, each fighting for volume to be heard.
“Asahai Tanaka,” Elena says as she looks around the space. “He’s one of my investment partners. It’s his birthday. He owns this building.”
Thank goodness for that. With the noise going on, I’d be pissed to have to deal with this all night. It’s pushing midnight.
I look around, and as usual, I feel out of place. All of these people seem to have some kind of connection. They’re happy, laughing, talking, casual and easy. They’re dressed like they have money to burn, and everyone is happy to show off.
But here, it’s just me with Elena.
I’m not that great at making friends. I don’t trust people. Not after everything I’ve seen, after everything I’ve been through. People are rarely who they seem.
And my blood definitely isn’t as blue as theirs.
Still, it doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the view.
And it’s almost like magic. The moment I tell myself to stop judging and to just take it in, I catch a pair of eyes from across the room.
He’s leaning against the bar, removed from all the others. He wears an obviously tailored suit and the top four buttons of his shirt are undone.
And he’s looking right back at me.
His eyes drop down the length of me, and I hate that I’m such a sucker. My stomach catches on something and the air in the room tastes a little more electric.
“You want a drink?” Elena asks as she continues looking around.
“Just some water,” I say. My throat is dry as I continue locking eyes with the man, but the thought of anything but water after such a long shift sounds awful. If it weren’t for my best friend and the fact that I can’t stop staring at Mr. Blond God over there, I would so be going home to bed.
Then again, how long has it been since I had fun? Since I let loose just a little and stopped overthinking every detail of life? It’s been years of grinding away at medical school and now an exhausting year of residency.
Maybe tonight is the night to be normal. To remember that I’m a single woman on her way to being a neurologist. I’ve earned a night like tonight.
Elena hooks her arm through mine and my stomach does a jump of anticipation as we aim for the bar.
The man angles toward the bartender and laughs at something he says. I kind of hate myself for the way my stomach flips. He takes a drink from the bartender, something fancy looking in a fancy glass.
His hair is a sandy blond color, his eyes blue. His face is clean-shaven, and that jawline is insane. His nose is straight and there’s something about the vein rising up the left side of his neck that has me staring. And that saying that suits are to women what lingerie is to men is absolutely true.
With only ten feet between us, I watch as his eyes slide from me to Elena. Something in his gaze shifts. He looks at her…contemplatively.
Elena gives a tiny, excited squeal of excitement and pulls me forward so fast, I stumble over my heels. “Sorry, sorry,” she says, completely distracted. “He’s here.”
And my blood fills with panic when Elena aims straight for the man at the bar.