What We Do in the Night (Day to Night #1) - Stylo Fantome Page 0,18

all the secret doorways, all the hidden passages. I will be the best friend you've ever had.”

“I have enough friends,” he snorted. “I'm not about to pay for another.”

“For five hundred dollars, I'll have dinner with you,” she said, and he laughed outright.

“You think I need to pay women to have dinner with me?”

“A date only,” she barreled through his cockiness. “You can pick me up at five, date ends at one in the morning, unless we come back here, in which case it can be extended till closing time at five in the morning.”

“For an extra fee, of course.”

“Of course.”

When Ari pulled out his wallet, Valentine's eyeballs almost fell out of her head.

“You cannot be serious,” she said loudly.

“Why not?” he countered. “I'm a much better 'date' than Richie, I promise you.”

“Ari,” she snapped. “You have a girlfriend. I've met her.”

“And that bothers you?”

She choked on her words for a moment.

“Yes, it fucking bothers me!” she hissed. “I was just in her apartment! You were just there with her. We were both there. You don't want to do this.”

“Making presumptions about me isn't a good idea – probably something you should remember for future reference.”

“I won't need to be remembering anything about you, so it doesn't matter.”

“It really bothers you, doesn't it,” he chuckled.

“Of course it bothers me. You're offering to pay to basically cheat on your girlfriend!”

“Technically, I'm offering to pay for the pleasure of your company. Which based on this exchange, I'm beginning to wonder if it's even worth it,” he corrected her. “And you didn't seem to care too much when you were with Richie last night.”

Valentine swallowed thickly.

“Richard's got a girlfriend?”

Ari laughed again.

“Richard's married. Just two weeks ago. Last night was a belated bachelor party. It all happened fast because she's pregnant. Six months along. Should I put you down for a baby gift?”

Oh, no, no, no, no. Valentine's job only worked when it was all a fantasy. She was a dream girl – a sexy body making dangerous moves, allowing men to forget themselves for a little while. It was all harmless fun, right? Right?

She shoved past him and stomped across the room. The bartender saw her coming and sat down his shaker so he could grab the bottle of Grey Goose, immediately pouring her a shot. It was ready and waiting when she reached him, so she drank it fast. By the time he'd poured her another, Ari had caught up with her.

“Did you really think every man who came in here was single?” he asked, sliding into the space next to her, his fitted vest brushing against her arm.

“No. Contrary to what you might think, I'm not stupid,” she told him, then she took her second shot. “You know how men at strip clubs like to make-believe the strippers might actually sleep with them? Well, I like to fantasize that all my gentlemen callers are single.”

“And I just ruined that fantasy.”

“You did.”

They stood in silence for a moment. Some of the partiers from the Music Room spilled into the Club Room, spraying champagne as they went. She turned her face away and found herself staring at Ari's throat. He was very tall. Then she felt a finger under her chin, and he was tilting her head up so he could look her in the eye.

“Then lets create a new one,” he said, his voice low and deep. “Hi. My name is Aaron Sharapov – but everyone calls me Ari. I'm a corporate lawyer at Sharapov, Heimer, and Schimmer. I saw you dancing out there and had to introduce myself. And you are?”

She hesitated for a moment, but his stare was so direct. So bold. He had soft blue eyes, she could see them very clearly, despite the darkness of the club and all the strobing lights around them.

“Valentine,” she finally replied, and he smiled at her.

“Like the holiday.”

“More like a vacation,” she breathed.

“Well, Valentine, I broke up with my awful girlfriend tonight, so I am in desperate need of a vacation. Fancy a drink?”

This was the moment to walk away. This wasn't a fantasy – no matter what he said or did, this was still reality. Her life was still going to be a struggle in the morning, and he was still going to have a girlfriend in the morning, regardless of whether or not the woman was awful.

But Val kept staring into his eyes, and she felt herself slipping into the role she knew oh so well. Harper was awful. She