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She stares at me, mouth agape in disbelief.

“You were literally just kidnapped. Are you sure you haven’t had too many drinks today?” she questions with a laugh.

“No, I’m being serious. Come on. I’m tired of being stuck at home. I want to forget about him. And the club is safe. We will have Sergio take us.”

She arches her brow at me, not fully convinced.

“Aaaaaand I promise not to accept drinks from unknown bartenders or leave with strange men.”

“Alright…. let’s get ready then, shall we?” She gives me a wink and a sympathetic smile. She doesn’t want to go, but she knows I will go one way or another.

I get up out of my bed and go into my closet, and Astra follows behind me. We are about the same size, so we can both find something to wear that suits us. I have a plan, and Astra is probably going to kill me, but I don’t care.

I rake through my dresses to find the one I’m looking for. I pull it from the rack, and Astra nods in approval. I knew she would. She loves to wear revealing dresses; it’s her thing.

I undress completely since the dress has an open back, and is form-fitting enough that you can see the outline of my thong. The dress is white and is made of satin. It drapes low, reaching the bottom of my lower back, and it sits just above mid-thigh.

“Wow, being modest, are we?” Astra jokes.

“Go ahead, pick one out,” I nod to the rack and slip on my dress.

“I’m thinking red.”

She pulls out a strapless mini dress with a high slit on the thigh.

“I think it’s perfect!”

We both rummage through my shoes and find a pair of heels that complement our dresses well. I select a pair of red heels that are both simple and elegant. Astra chooses a pair that is thigh-high, black, and made of leather. She has a thing for thigh-high boots.

We make our way to the bathroom, curl our hair, and do our make-up. I finish my make-up with a red lip to complement my heels.

“Ready,” I ask, spinning towards her.

“Ready.” She smiles in agreement.

We grab a couple of masks I’ve stashed in my closet from a few masquerade parties we’ve attended. We both have black lace masks that are dainty and delicate. We tuck them into Astra’s purse, I grab my clutch, and we are on our way.Fuck him.

17

Evelyn

Silas stands in the booth just inside the main door, throwing a nod our way. Astra walks through first, and I pause to speak to Silas.

“Is there any way I can get a wristband to enter the rooms?” I ask discreetly.

He flashes a smug smile my way as he reaches into the drawer beside him. He swiftly slides it under the window.

“Enjoy,” he mouths with a smile.

I tuck the wristband into my clutch, scurrying in behind Astra. She didn’t even notice I was delayed, what a relief.

We make our way to the bar, and she orders each of us a glass of champagne.

“Skipping your usual, I see,” I mock her as she passes me my bubbly drink.

“Yeah, yeah. I decided to take it slow for a while and lay off the vodka,” she jokes back.

The club is full tonight, everyone in their masks, and the song “The Summoning” by Sleep Token is playing throughout. The club always has a different vibe depending on the night. Tonight seems to be more of an “alternative” night.