“Hey,” I whispered and I could, even in the loud club, he was that close.
“It fits,” he whispered back.
“Yeah,” I confirmed the obvious. The dress fit perfectly. Like it was made for me.
His eyes shifted over my shoulder and unfortunately he straightened but I felt the heat of his body hit my back as he got close.
“Ladies,” he greeted, his smooth voice pitched loud to be heard over the music.
I looked from Knight to them to see my girls were all staring in various degrees of shock and wonder.
“Knight,” my voice was pitched higher too and I indicated them in turn with their names, “this is Monica, Helen and Christie.”
He tipped his chin up.
Monica swallowed.
Helen peeped, “Hey.”
Christie flashed a quick wave and her lips moved but no sound came out.
I stifled a giggle.
“Right, you’re hot, my girl’s dress is scorching and I’m in the VIP section drinking free so, just FYI, you’ve elevated yourself above that dickface douchebag of a brother. Now I get he’s your brother and our skin isn’t the same, neither is our blood but I’m sister to Anya and Sandrine so I think you also get me.”
This was Viv perpetrating a sneak attack from the side and to make certain her important message was received over the music, she was shouting at Knight.
His head had turned to her. My heart had stopped beating. And Christie, Helen and Monica wisely affected a hasty retreat.
“I get you,” Knight replied.
“And there may be some universe where my girl Anya wears cheap shoes and saves for a f**king cell phone but this one isn’t it. Therefore she’s been living a travesty. I’m glad you’re sorting that shit out,” she went on, again loudly.
I felt Knight’s arm slide around my waist as I watched his lips twitch but he did not reply.
I, however, did.
“Viv, now’s a good time to shut up.”
“Men understand direct communication. It’s bitches who speak in code,” she returned.
Knight’s arm got tight, pulling my side into his.
I liked this, it felt nice. I wanted to enjoy it.
But since my friend was crawling up my nose being as she could be, direct, protective and crazy, instead of doing that, I retorted to Viv, “Right, well you communicated pretty directly. Now shut… up.”
“He bought you that dress, those shoes so he’s way into you in a way nothing I can do would make him less into you,” Vivica shot back.
“Let’s not test that, shall we?” I suggested loudly.
“As entertaining as this is,” Knight broke in, “if you wouldn’t mind, I wanna steal her a second.”
“Be my guest,” Vivica agreed magnanimously, sweeping her arm out and everything.
The good news was, Knight immediately moved me to a darkish corner where there was privacy, a booth seat lining the wall and no one around and the no one I wanted to be around at that moment was freaking Viv. The other good news was, Sandrine was tipsy and therefore on the dance floor dancing by herself which was her way. This wouldn’t last long since one, two, five or twelve guys would join her eventually. But it meant she wasn’t there so she could not also embarrass me. And the last good news was that Knight was there. Finally.
And there was no bad news.