Page 146 of Hate to Love You
“Alright, alright, you assholes,” I say, waving my hand as we pull up outside The Studio. “Get your shit together. Remember, we don’t talk business at the club, got it?”
I hear their murmured replies as the bouncers begin to clear a pathway through the massive crowd of people in line, just before midnight.
After making our way inside and up to the VIP section, the night proceeds with the way our few Antonov brother nights usually start: Vodka. And lots of it. Tatum, Pasha’s best friend shows up, and the two of them compete with Lev and Niko for best tale of stupid younger man adventures.
We’ve probably been here for an hour, when I feel my phone vibrate against my leg. Pulling it out, a grin spreads darkly across my face.
I have very few push notifications enabled on my phone. But one of them is a notification that tells me when Abby’s little red pin…is within fifty feet.
She’s here. My little plan worked.
Abby might’ve heard me inviting Heather to The Studio, but she couldn’t have missed Pasha mentioning it before dinner.
Which means she came here of her own desire. For me.
That is also the reason I deliberately took the boys to another club before making our way back here.
But while I know she’s here, from where I’m sitting, I can’t actually see her in the crowd. For protection reasons, my chair is situated in the corner of VIP farthest from the stairs, next to a secret fire escape. So, if any clubbers with nefarious intentions, or the police, ever come looking for me here, I have plenty of time to slip away.
I’m debating whether or not I should walk over to the railing and go look for her, when Pasha makes the decision for me.
“Roman,” he grins, leaning against the glass railing. “Guess who’s hereeeee?”
Unable to resist, I walk over to him, but turn around, leaning my back against the banister.
“Where?” I say, sipping the drink in my hand.
“Over by the bar to my left,” Pasha says leaning in. “Looks like she’s talking to the bartender. Do they know each other?”
I find her in the crowd, smiling as she sits down, talking animatedly with Lizzie.
“Aw, shit,” Lev says, hitting me on the shoulder as he and Niko join us. “See, I told you Ro had a thing for that girl.”
I try to shoot him a glare, but my brother is far too drunk to care if I’m mad at him right now.
Not wanting to give them satisfaction or any sort of explanation, I set my drink on the nearest table and make my way downstairs, cutting deliberately across the dance floor in an effort to bury myself in the crowd of people.
Any part of me that’s unsure if Abby actually has come here for me, evaporates the minute I catch her discreet glance up to VIP. Her discreet lingering glance, that I just so happen to interrupt, stepping up behind her.
“I’ll take a vodka tonic,” I nod to Lizzie, who immediately drops her current order to start making mine. “Double.”
“Oh God,” Abby groans beside me.
“Miss Wayne! What a surprise to see you here!” I say, tilting my head to the right, and narrowing my eyes at her. “You’re not stalking me now, are you?”
“Keep dreaming, Mr. Antonov,” Abby sighs, rolling her eyes. “You’re the one who likes following me, remember?”
“Well, see, I would give you that, but tonight you’re kind of at my club,” I say with a sarcastic shrug. “Soooo…”
Abby throws her head back and laughs before leaning into me so that I can hear her over the club music.
“For your information, I’m actually here to see someone,” she smiles at me bitterly. “His name is Teddy. So, for you to assume that me being here has anything to do with you is just comical, and kind of narcissistic.”
“Teddy, huh? That’s a very unique name. Not too many of those around here,” I laugh. “Please tell me that you’re not referring to Teddy the bouncer, are you?”
“And what if I was?” Abby says, her smile fading. “Teddy’s great. And he’s a man, so he’s my type.”
I snort. “A man who’s a bouncer.”