Page 75 of Game Changer
“A little.”
“You sure you’re okay with this weird relationship?” Elena asked as she put the last roller in her hair.
“Yeah, it’s fine.” Kip frowned. “I mean, obviously it would be nice to—”
“Go somewhere other than his apartment?”
“It’s aniceapartment, but yeah. It would be great to actually go somewhere together.”
“Do you think you ever will?”
“I don’t know! I mean, it hasn’t even been a month.”
“That’s a month longer than I’ve seen you date anyone else.”
“Exactly! That’s why it feels so serious. I’ve never—”
“Felt this way?”
Kip blushed because it sounded so sappy. “I like him a lot,” he mumbled.
Elena stood and crossed the room. “I can’t wait to meet him,” she said, and kissed Kip’s cheek.
“You’re not going to give him one of your scary talks, are you?”
“Of course not. I just think it’s fair to warn him that if he hurts you, it will be detrimental to his career. Because he’ll be dead.”
“Elena!”
“I’m kidding. Mostly. Listen, I have to paint my nails. Let’s open some wine, crank some Rihanna, and get beautiful.”
“God, yes.”
* * *
Kip got out of the limo to a wall of bulbs flashing. They abruptly stopped when the photographers seemed to realize that he and Elena were nobody.
They quickly crossed the red carpet. “You look incredible,” Kip said, offering Elena his arm so she could balance on him as she made her way up the short staircase to the entrance. “I know I keep saying that, but really. A lot of guys are going to be jealous of me.”
She smiled at him. “I think a lot of guys are going to be jealous ofme.”
Elenadidlook stunning. She was wearing a black satin halter gown that had ombré ruffles down the side of the skirt, each layer fading into a lighter shade of gray. The ruffles parted when she walked, revealing a high slit that showed off her legs and strappy black heels. Her dark hair was swept into a curly side bun, showing off her sparkling earrings that at leastlookedlike rubies and diamonds.
The party was hosted in an enormous historic building that had been recently restored and upgraded. It was now one of the most glamorous venues in New York. Kip had never been inside before, not even as a server.
“Impressive,” he said, gazing around at the ceilings of the lobby.
“Just wait,” Elena replied.
She led him into the most lavish room Kip had ever seen. It was full of high arches and marble columns, but Equinox had added their own modern touches to the event. There was a (probably famous) DJ on a platform up high, and 3-D holograms of floral centerpieces projecting from devices in the middle of every table.
The thing that struck Kip the most, though, were the little rolling robots that appeared to be serving the guests hors d’oeuvres.
“Equinox doesn’t do anything on a small scale, huh?” Kip asked.
“No. They don’t.”
“Do I look all right?”
