The Best Friend Scandal - Lucia Jordan Page 0,26

I hadn’t even taken off the bandage that Cai had put on because I didn’t want to see what it looked like. I just wanted to go back to that club and dance some more.

On my walk back to Luscious, I realized that I actually had no way to get in touch with Cai, though. I had never gotten his number, and I really didn’t want to just show up at that club and stand awkwardly in a crowd of people, hoping to spot him. It was so crammed with partiers last night that it would be nearly impossible to find him without going together, even with his striking platinum hair. I had almost resigned myself to maybe having to spend the night alone in my apartment, nursing my hangover with a cup of hot tea and soothing my hand with an ice pack, all of which sounded a lot less fun than going back to the night club.

When I got to Luscious, Arlo’s secretary was just locking up to leave.

“Hang on,” I said as I ran up to her. “I need to give this dress to Arlo.”

“He’s already left for the night. Do you want me to let you in so that you can leave it in his office?”

“Sure,” I said. “Doesn’t he normally stay later than this?”

“Yes, but I think he had some things to do at home tonight. How did you like the flowers?”

“What flowers?” I asked.

She made a face like she had said something that she wasn’t supposed to, and then she started dialing a number on her phone.

“Go ahead on up and leave the dress for him,” she said. “I’ll wait right here to lock up when you’re done.”

“Okay,” I said as I walked inside and heard her start to chew somebody out on the other end of the phone line. Arlo’s secretary could be vicious when she wanted to be.

When I got up to his office, the door was locked. I didn’t really want to leave this dress unsecured, especially since there would be absolutely no way to make an entire replacement in time if something were to happen to it. I didn’t even have enough of this fabric left to do that. I hung it from the top of the door molding and then went down to tell his secretary about it.

“Hey, his door is locked, so I can’t get into his office,” I said. “I really am nervous about just leaving that dress hanging outside of his door. If anyone were to take it, the show would be ruined.”

“Don’t worry,” she assured me. “Arlo is always the first one into the building in the morning, and I’m always the second one in. No one else has keys. I’ll check on it in the morning when I get in, and if for some odd reason, I make it in before Mr. Pratt does, I’ll take care of the dress. It’s perfectly safe locked up in there for tonight.”

“You sure?” I asked again just to check.

“Positive,” she said.

After leaving the dress inside and counting on her guarantee that it would be safe, I started to walk to the subway station to head home. Just as I was about to go through the turnstile, my phone beeped. I picked it up to look at, expecting it to be Arlo, but instead, it was Cai.

“Hey,” he texted. “What are you doing tonight?”

I smiled at my screen. “How did you get my number?” I asked.

“I put it in your phone at the club last night when you weren’t looking, and then I texted myself with it.”

“Clever,” I teased, adding a little wink emoji for extra effect. I started to feel a little like I was back in high school again. “I don’t really have plans for tonight,” I said as I stopped just before going through the turnstile. I backed up and moved out of the way as people started to make impatient noises behind me.

Please ask me to come out with you again, I thought.

“Yes, you do,” his text said. “You’re coming out with me.”

Yes.

I turned right around and ran back up the steps to the street level. Cai met me halfway to the club, and we walked the other half of the way there together. He looked like a supermodel tonight. I mean, I knew that he actually was one, but tonight he looked like one, too. He had on torn, black skinny jeans and a tightly fitted black T-shirt that showcased the lines and