Page 36 of Dirty Martini
“Wait, what? No, I’m not seeing anyone,” I say, giving him a weird look as he sits next to me on his bed. “I just haven’t been in the mood recently and you deserve a proper fuck buddy.”
The tension in his shoulders eases, and he lets out a chuckle. “Oh, right.”
“You’re so weird,” I tease, slapping his still-damp back as he gives me the finger. “What do you want to do tonight?”
Scooting closer to me, he rests his wet hair on my shoulder as he hums. “Chinese takeout andGrave Encounters?”
“We’ve seen that movie three times already since I’ve been staying here,” I snort.
“So, it’s a classic.” He winks at me. After a moment, he drops his forehead on my chest and sighs. “Look, it’s not that it’s not great having you here, but when are you planning to go back to the penthouse?”
I stiffen at that. It’s been a week since I told Rhys off and left the penthouse, having brought enough clothes over to Knox’s to not need to go back. I know running away makes me cowardly and childish, but it’s better than the alternative of always being at each other’s throats. While fucking with him has been fun, the consequences haven’t been. For my own sanity and mental health, I don’t think I can take being around someone with that much hatred toward me.
“I don’t think going back any time soon is a good idea,” I say honestly. “Can’t I stay forever?”
“Uh-huh. Stay forever. And what are you going to do when Elton comes home and finds you mysteriously absent?”
“About Elton…”
He raises an eyebrow. “What?”
“I may or may not be dodging his calls.” When Knox gives me a look and rolls out of bed, I throw my hands in the air. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Talking to your brother is a start,” he deadpans, shaking his head at me as he stands at the edge of his bed with his hands on his hips. “Don’t youwantto be closer to Elton?”
Gulping through a swallow, I fiddle with the hem of my shirt as I drop my head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You never do,” he sighs. I can practically tell he’s pinching the bridge of his nose and asking all the gods for patience. That’s why we make such good friends. He’s the only one who puts up with me.
Someone who always seems to be too much and not enough at the same time. Someone who doesn’t really know what they want. Someone selfish who can’t even let their own brother in. But my reasons are my reasons and Knox respects that.
Or at least Ithinkhe does.
He kneels in front of me, hands braced on my thighs as he squeezes. “We don’t have to talk about it now, butyouhave to talk about it eventually. Nothing is going to get better unless you do.” He hangs his head for a second. “Actually, now that we’re on the subject of things getting better. I have something I need to tell you.”
I cock my head. “Yeah, anything, man.”
He gulps, Adam’s apple bobbing. “Okay. I— For fuck’s sake!”
He’s cut off by his phone and, with the nature of his job, he has to answer. Getting up angrily, he runs a frustrated hand through his wet hair as he turns his back on me and accepts the call. After a few frustrated words back and forth, and a defeated sigh, he hangs up and turns to face me.
“Work?” I ask, knowing our plan of a chill night in is done.
“Got to sell some stuff tonight,” he tells me, already starting to get dressed as he picks up discarded black jeans from the floor. “You wanna come with?”
“Sure,” I shrug. Normally, all of Knox’s nights out are pretty straightforward. He’s never put in any truly sketchy situations,his clients closer to prep schoolers and DJs than anything else. We once even went to someone’s mansion and spent the night relaxing in their hot tub. “Where to?”
But I know this time is going to be different when he gives me one of those trademark Knox smirks. The one filled with mischief and the urge to wreak some havoc.
“XO.”
There’sa long line to get into XO. It wraps around the corner, nearly blocking the entrances to the other clubs around it. I know this place is popular, but the hour-long wait just to get to the front door is a little ridiculous. It would have been shorter if the bouncer—a huge fucking dude who looks scary as hell—wasn’t denying almost every other person entry for one reason or another.
When we finally make it to the door, he looks at Knox first. It only takes him one second to say a simple, “No.”
“Oh, come on. I’ve been in here before,” Knox argues, that charming smile I’ve seen him manipulate with firmly planted on his lips. When the guy doesn’t budge, he sighs. “Fine. How much more to get in?”
He waves way more than enough bills to get both him and I in, but the bouncer doesn’t budge. “Do you think you’re the first person to try to bribe me tonight? I said no.”
